Child support in Alabama
Alabama uses the income-shares model: both parents' incomes count, and each parent pays a share of the child's support. To open a case, contact the Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR), Child Support Enforcement Division at (334) 242-9300.
Checked against official sources: Oct 25, 2026. · Free letters and checklist ↓
How much child support in Alabama?
The court adds both parents' monthly gross income, finds the basic support amount for that income and number of children in the state schedule, then splits it by each parent's share of income. Work-related child care and the children's health insurance are added and shared the same way.
Law: Ala. R. Jud. Admin. 32 (as amended effective May 1, 2022 and June 1, 2023)
We don't estimate Alabama's amount here: its formula uses both parents' incomes and other facts, and a home-made number could mislead you. The official tool gives the real starting number:
Open a child support case in Alabama
- Phone
- (334) 242-9300 (state office); apply through your county DHR office
- Apply
- Apply online
- How to open a case
Make an appointment at your county DHR office, bring the application forms, and pay the fee. DHR's contract attorneys then file for paternity and support in court; they represent the State, not you, and handle support only (not custody or visitation). You can also file your own case with the circuit clerk using the court's child support forms.
- Application fee
$5 or $25, depending on your income, paid in cash or money order when you apply. No fee if you receive Medicaid (DHR, Applying for Child Support Services).
- Yearly fee
Federal rule: a $35 yearly fee applies to cases that never received TANF once at least $550 of support has been collected in the federal fiscal year. Ask your caseworker how it is collected in your case.
Law: 45 CFR 302.33(e)
- Forms
- Paternity (legal fatherhood)
Parents can sign an Acknowledgment of Paternity at the hospital or at a DHR office. If paternity is disputed, DHR or a parent can file a paternity case and the court can order genetic testing.
Law: Ala. Code 26-17-301
Alabama child support by topic
How support is calculated in Alabama
The model, the percentages or the official calculator, and low-income rules.
Change child support in Alabama
When you can ask, how to ask, and a review letter.
Collect unpaid support in Alabama
Collection tools, interest and license rules, and a letter.
How child support is figured in Alabama
- Model
- Income shares
- How it works
The court adds both parents' monthly gross income, finds the basic support amount for that income and number of children in the state schedule, then splits it by each parent's share of income. Work-related child care and the children's health insurance are added and shared the same way.
- Low income
A self-support reserve of $981 a month protects the paying parent's basic needs. If the result is under $50, the presumed minimum order is $50. A $0 order is presumed when the parent has no income and gets only means-tested benefits, or is jailed or institutionalized for more than 180 days in a row.
Law: Rule 32(C)(5)-(6)
- Official calculator
- Official Alabama child support calculator
- Health insurance and medical costs
Every order must provide for the children's health care through private or public coverage and/or cash medical support. Coverage is normally required if a parent can get it through work at a reasonable cost; premiums and uncovered costs are shared by income.
Law: Rule 32(A)(4), (B)(7)
Law: Ala. R. Jud. Admin. 32 (as amended effective May 1, 2022 and June 1, 2023)
Change a child support order in Alabama
- When a change is allowed
A change is presumed when the guideline amount differs from the current order by more than 10%. The court can also change support for a material change in circumstances that is substantial and continuing, even below 10%. A new guideline by itself is not a reason to change an order. DHR reviews an order once every 36 months unless there is a major change, such as a windfall or a serious medical crisis.
- How to ask
Ask DHR in writing for a review and say why the order should change; if a change is warranted, DHR prepares the papers and sets a court hearing. Or file a Modification Petition for Support (CS-10) with the court that issued the order, with forms CS-41 and CS-42.
Law: Ala. R. Jud. Admin. 32(A)(3)
Can I ask for a change? Check your situation
Collect unpaid child support in Alabama
Arrears means support that is past due. The child support agency can use these tools to collect it:
- Collection tools
- Income withholding (required in every support order)
- Federal and state tax refund intercept (back support of at least $150 on TANF cases or $500 on other cases)
- Credit bureau reporting (arrears over $1,000)
- Passport denial (arrears over $2,500)
- Bank account match, liens and levies
- Driver's, professional, hunting and fishing license suspension
- Contempt of court
- Federal prosecution for crossing state lines to avoid support
- License suspension
Unpaid support equal to at least six months of payments. You get a notice and 60 days to pay, set up a payment plan, or ask for a hearing (within 15 days) before the license is suspended.
Law: Ala. Code 30-3-171, 30-3-191(7)
- Contempt of court
The parent owed support can file a Contempt Petition for Non-Payment of Support (CS-06) in the court that issued the order.
- Interest on unpaid support
Unpaid support carries interest at the judgment rate: 7.5% a year on judgments entered since September 1, 2011 (12% for judgments from November 13, 1981 to August 31, 2011, and 6% before that). A parent who has paid the past-due amount and paid current support for 12 months, or made every payment on a repayment agreement for 12 months, can ask the court for a rebate of interest, but only if each person owed the interest agrees in writing.
Law: Ala. Code 8-8-10, 30-3-6.1
Law: Ala. Code 30-3-61, 30-3-171 to 30-3-175, 30-3-192
When child support ends in Alabama
- Support ends
19 (Alabama's age of majority)
Law: Ala. Code 26-1-1
When does support end? Check your situation
Free help in Alabama
Official self-help
Free letters and checklist
Ask the agency to review (change) your order
A letter to the child support agency asking for a review and adjustment.
Ask the agency to collect unpaid support
A letter asking the agency to enforce the order and collect what is past due.
Checklist: what to bring to open a case
IDs, birth certificates, the other parent's details and your papers, with Alabama's agency contact.
Good to know in Alabama
- Support usually runs to 19, not 18, because Alabama's age of majority is 19 (Ala. Code 26-1-1).
- Since June 1, 2023, cases with court-ordered 50/50 physical custody use form CS-42-S, which multiplies the basic obligation by 150% (Rule 32(C)(7)).
- DHR's attorney represents the State, not either parent, and handles support only (DHR).
Changes in 2024–2026
No new guideline has taken effect since the June 1, 2023 shared-custody amendment. The Alabama Child Support Guidelines Committee held review meetings in 2024, 2025 and 2026 (most recently October 9, 2026); check the AOC review page for any new rule.
Federal rules in every state
- Applying. If you don't get TANF, Medicaid or foster care help, a state may charge an application fee of up to $25 to open a child support case. Law: 42 U.S.C. 654(6)(B)(i)
- Yearly fee. If you never got TANF and the agency collected at least $550 for you in a year, the state charges a $35 yearly fee. It can come out of your support, but never out of the first $550. Law: 42 U.S.C. 654(6)(B)(ii)
- Review every 3 years. If your case is with the child support agency, either parent can ask it to review the order every 3 years and adjust it to the guidelines. Law: 42 U.S.C. 666(a)(10)(A); 45 CFR 303.8
- Past-due support. Each unpaid payment becomes a judgment on the day it is due. It can't be lowered later, except back to the date the other parent got notice of a request to change the order. Law: 42 U.S.C. 666(a)(9)
- Tax refunds. The federal government can take a federal tax refund to pay past-due child support. Law: 42 U.S.C. 664
- Passports. A parent who owes more than $2,500 in past-due support can be refused a passport. Law: 42 U.S.C. 652(k)
- Pay withholding limit. For support, up to 50% of take-home pay can be withheld if the parent supports another spouse or child, or 60% if not. It is 55% or 65% when support is more than 12 weeks behind. Law: 15 U.S.C. 1673(b)
- How long support lasts. How long support lasts follows the law of the state that made the order, even if you move. Law: 28 U.S.C. 1738B(h)(2)
Questions about child support in Alabama
How is child support calculated in Alabama?
The court adds both parents' monthly gross income, finds the basic support amount for that income and number of children in the state schedule, then splits it by each parent's share of income. Work-related child care and the children's health insurance are added and shared the same way.
Is there an official child support calculator for Alabama?
What if the paying parent has a low income in Alabama?
A self-support reserve of $981 a month protects the paying parent's basic needs. If the result is under $50, the presumed minimum order is $50. A $0 order is presumed when the parent has no income and gets only means-tested benefits, or is jailed or institutionalized for more than 180 days in a row.
How do I apply for child support in Alabama?
Make an appointment at your county DHR office, bring the application forms, and pay the fee. DHR's contract attorneys then file for paternity and support in court; they represent the State, not you, and handle support only (not custody or visitation). You can also file your own case with the circuit clerk using the court's child support forms.
Does it cost money to open a child support case in Alabama?
$5 or $25, depending on your income, paid in cash or money order when you apply. No fee if you receive Medicaid (DHR, Applying for Child Support Services).
Is there a yearly fee for child support services in Alabama?
Federal rule: a $35 yearly fee applies to cases that never received TANF once at least $550 of support has been collected in the federal fiscal year. Ask your caseworker how it is collected in your case.
When can child support be changed in Alabama?
A change is presumed when the guideline amount differs from the current order by more than 10%. The court can also change support for a material change in circumstances that is substantial and continuing, even below 10%. A new guideline by itself is not a reason to change an order. DHR reviews an order once every 36 months unless there is a major change, such as a windfall or a serious medical crisis.
How do I ask to change child support in Alabama?
Ask DHR in writing for a review and say why the order should change; if a change is warranted, DHR prepares the papers and sets a court hearing. Or file a Modification Petition for Support (CS-10) with the court that issued the order, with forms CS-41 and CS-42.
What happens if child support is not paid in Alabama?
Arrears means support that is past due. The child support agency can use these tools to collect it: Income withholding (required in every support order); Federal and state tax refund intercept (back support of at least $150 on TANF cases or $500 on other cases); Credit bureau reporting (arrears over $1,000); Passport denial (arrears over $2,500); Bank account match, liens and levies; Driver's, professional, hunting and fishing license suspension; Contempt of court; Federal prosecution for crossing state lines to avoid support.
Can a license be suspended for unpaid child support in Alabama?
Unpaid support equal to at least six months of payments. You get a notice and 60 days to pay, set up a payment plan, or ask for a hearing (within 15 days) before the license is suspended.
Can a parent be held in contempt for not paying in Alabama?
The parent owed support can file a Contempt Petition for Non-Payment of Support (CS-06) in the court that issued the order.
Is there interest on unpaid child support in Alabama?
Unpaid support carries interest at the judgment rate: 7.5% a year on judgments entered since September 1, 2011 (12% for judgments from November 13, 1981 to August 31, 2011, and 6% before that). A parent who has paid the past-due amount and paid current support for 12 months, or made every payment on a repayment agreement for 12 months, can ask the court for a rebate of interest, but only if each person owed the interest agrees in writing.
When does child support end in Alabama?
19 (Alabama's age of majority)
How is paternity established in Alabama?
Parents can sign an Acknowledgment of Paternity at the hospital or at a DHR office. If paternity is disputed, DHR or a parent can file a paternity case and the court can order genetic testing.
Who pays for the child's health insurance in Alabama?
Every order must provide for the children's health care through private or public coverage and/or cash medical support. Coverage is normally required if a parent can get it through work at a reasonable cost; premiums and uncovered costs are shared by income.
More help on our sister sites
Sources
- Ala. R. Jud. Admin. 32 (Child-support guidelines)
- DHR - Applying for Child Support Services
- DHR - Periodic Review and Adjustment
- DHR - Enforcement of Court Ordered Child Support
- DHR - Collection and Distribution (interest rates)
- DHR - Child Support Order Establishment
- DHR - Child Support Enforcement Contacts
- AOC eForms - Child Support Forms
- AOC - Child Support Guidelines Review
- Code of Alabama 26-1-1, 8-8-10, 30-3-6.1, 30-3-61, 30-3-171, 30-3-191, 30-3-192, 26-17-301 (ALISON)
- 45 CFR 302.33 (annual $35 fee)
Last checked: Oct 25, 2026.
- State plan requirements: application fee, annual fee, safeguards, 42 U.S.C. 654
- Required state laws: arrears as judgments, review every 3 years, UIFSA, 42 U.S.C. 666
- Federal tax refund offset, 42 U.S.C. 664
- Passport denial for child support arrears, 42 U.S.C. 652(k)
- Garnishment limits for support orders, 15 U.S.C. 1673(b)
- Full faith and credit for child support orders, 28 U.S.C. 1738B
- Office of Child Support Enforcement (federal)