Child support in Arizona
Arizona 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 Arizona Department of Economic Security, Division of Child Support Services (DCSS).
Checked against official sources: Oct 25, 2026. · Free letters and checklist ↓
How much child support in Arizona?
Both parents' monthly incomes are added and the state schedule gives the basic support for that income and number of children. Costs such as the children's insurance, child care and extra education are added, each parent pays his or her share of income, and the paying parent gets an adjustment for parenting time.
Law: Arizona Child Support Guidelines (2022), adopted by Ariz. Sup. Ct. Admin. Order 2021-56, effective for orders entered after January 1, 2022; A.R.S. 25-320
We don't estimate Arizona'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 Arizona
- Apply
- Apply online
- How to open a case
Apply to DCSS for help locating a parent, establishing paternity, and setting or enforcing support; services are available whether or not you receive public assistance. Or file your own Petition to Establish Child Support with the Superior Court in your county, with a Child Support Worksheet.
- Yearly fee
$35 a year per case if you have never received TANF: it is kept from the support collected after the first $550 has been paid to you in the federal fiscal year, and is charged on each case if you have more than one.
Law: 45 CFR 302.33(e)
Source: OCSS Intergovernmental Reference Guide, Arizona profile
- Forms
- Paternity (legal fatherhood)
Unmarried parents can establish paternity by both signing a notarized or witnessed voluntary acknowledgment of paternity and filing it with the clerk of the Superior Court, DES or the Department of Health Services; it has the same effect as a court judgment. Either parent can cancel it in writing within 60 days (or before an earlier court proceeding about the child). Paternity can also be established by agreeing to genetic testing, or by DCSS or a parent asking the court.
Law: A.R.S. 25-812
Arizona child support by topic
How support is calculated in Arizona
The model, the percentages or the official calculator, and low-income rules.
Change child support in Arizona
When you can ask, how to ask, and a review letter.
Collect unpaid support in Arizona
Collection tools, interest and license rules, and a letter.
When support ends in Arizona
The end age, high school and disability rules.
How child support is figured in Arizona
- Model
- Income shares
- How it works
Both parents' monthly incomes are added and the state schedule gives the basic support for that income and number of children. Costs such as the children's insurance, child care and extra education are added, each parent pays his or her share of income, and the paying parent gets an adjustment for parenting time.
- Low income
A self-support reserve test protects the paying parent: the reserve equals 80% of full-time earnings at the Arizona minimum wage for that year. If paying the guideline amount would leave the parent below the reserve, the order is reduced (2022 Guidelines, Section VIII).
- Official calculator
- Official Arizona child support calculator
- Health insurance and medical costs
The order assigns which parent provides medical, dental and vision insurance; the cost of the children's coverage is added to the support calculation. Uncovered medical costs are split by the percentage in the order; ask the other parent for repayment within 180 days, with the date, provider and service (Guidelines Section X).
Law: Arizona Child Support Guidelines (2022), adopted by Ariz. Sup. Ct. Admin. Order 2021-56, effective for orders entered after January 1, 2022; A.R.S. 25-320
Change a child support order in Arizona
- When a change is allowed
You must show a substantial and continuing change in circumstances. A new worksheet amount that differs by 15% or more from the current order counts as that change and lets you use the simplified process; adding or changing health insurance can also qualify. In a DCSS case, either party can ask for a review every 3 years without showing a change. A change usually starts the first day of the month after the other side gets notice; past-due amounts cannot be changed.
- How to ask
File a Petition to Modify Child Support with the Superior Court, using the simplified process (15% or more) or the standard process, or an Agreement to Modify Child Support signed by both parents. In a DCSS case you can ask DCSS for a review.
Law: A.R.S. 25-503(E), (G)-(H); Arizona Child Support Guidelines Section XIV
Can I ask for a change? Check your situation
Collect unpaid child support in Arizona
Arrears means support that is past due. The child support agency can use these tools to collect it:
- Collection tools
- Income withholding order (including unemployment and workers' compensation)
- State and federal tax refund intercept
- Lottery, event wagering and fantasy sports prize intercept
- Bank levy and liens (lien after 2 months behind)
- Credit bureau reporting
- Passport denial
- Driver's and recreational license suspension (by the court)
- Professional and occupational license suspension
- Court judgment for arrears (each missed payment is a judgment by law)
- Court-ordered bond or security when withholding fails and six months of support is unpaid
- Petition to enforce in Superior Court
- License suspension
At least 6 months behind and willfully not paying. DCSS first mails a notice; you have 15 days to ask for an administrative review. For a driver's or recreational license, the court decides after a hearing and may instead allow a restricted work/school driver's license if you are employed 30+ hours a week and sign a payment plan with DES.
Law: A.R.S. 25-517, 25-518
- Contempt of court
The parent owed support (or DCSS) can file a petition to enforce the order in Superior Court.
- Interest on unpaid support
10% a year on unpaid support, starting at the end of the month after the payment was due; interest is simple (charged only on the unpaid support, not on interest). Past support for the time before an order (retroactive support) that is reduced to judgment on or after September 26, 2008 does not earn interest.
Law: A.R.S. 25-510(E)-(F)
Law: A.R.S. 25-503(B), (I), (M), (N); 25-517; 25-518; 25-510
When child support ends in Arizona
- Support ends
18. If the child is still in high school at 18, support continues to the end of the month of expected graduation or age 19, whichever comes first.
- Exceptions
The court can order support for an adult child with a disability under A.R.S. 25-320(E). Support also ends if the child marries, is adopted or dies.
Law: A.R.S. 25-501(A), 25-320(E), 25-503(Q); Arizona Child Support Guidelines Section XV
When does support end? Check your situation
Free help in Arizona
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 Arizona's agency contact.
Good to know in Arizona
- A child support judgment never needs renewal and can be enforced until paid in full (A.R.S. 25-503(M)).
- If the parents marry each other, the support order ends automatically at the end of that month; past-due support can still be collected (A.R.S. 25-503(P)).
- The basic amount is raised 10% for children age 12 or older (prorated if only some of the children are 12 or older) (2022 Guidelines, Section III).
Changes in 2024–2026
The current guidelines took effect January 1, 2022. On May 6, 2026, the Arizona Supreme Court created a new Child Support Guidelines Review Subcommittee (Admin. Order 2026-54) to do the quadrennial review; its work is scheduled to end in April 2027.
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 Arizona
How is child support calculated in Arizona?
Both parents' monthly incomes are added and the state schedule gives the basic support for that income and number of children. Costs such as the children's insurance, child care and extra education are added, each parent pays his or her share of income, and the paying parent gets an adjustment for parenting time.
Is there an official child support calculator for Arizona?
What if the paying parent has a low income in Arizona?
A self-support reserve test protects the paying parent: the reserve equals 80% of full-time earnings at the Arizona minimum wage for that year. If paying the guideline amount would leave the parent below the reserve, the order is reduced (2022 Guidelines, Section VIII).
How do I apply for child support in Arizona?
Apply to DCSS for help locating a parent, establishing paternity, and setting or enforcing support; services are available whether or not you receive public assistance. Or file your own Petition to Establish Child Support with the Superior Court in your county, with a Child Support Worksheet.
Is there a yearly fee for child support services in Arizona?
$35 a year per case if you have never received TANF: it is kept from the support collected after the first $550 has been paid to you in the federal fiscal year, and is charged on each case if you have more than one.
When can child support be changed in Arizona?
You must show a substantial and continuing change in circumstances. A new worksheet amount that differs by 15% or more from the current order counts as that change and lets you use the simplified process; adding or changing health insurance can also qualify. In a DCSS case, either party can ask for a review every 3 years without showing a change. A change usually starts the first day of the month after the other side gets notice; past-due amounts cannot be changed.
How do I ask to change child support in Arizona?
File a Petition to Modify Child Support with the Superior Court, using the simplified process (15% or more) or the standard process, or an Agreement to Modify Child Support signed by both parents. In a DCSS case you can ask DCSS for a review.
What happens if child support is not paid in Arizona?
Arrears means support that is past due. The child support agency can use these tools to collect it: Income withholding order (including unemployment and workers' compensation); State and federal tax refund intercept; Lottery, event wagering and fantasy sports prize intercept; Bank levy and liens (lien after 2 months behind); Credit bureau reporting; Passport denial; Driver's and recreational license suspension (by the court); Professional and occupational license suspension; Court judgment for arrears (each missed payment is a judgment by law); Court-ordered bond or security when withholding fails and six months of support is unpaid; Petition to enforce in Superior Court.
Can a license be suspended for unpaid child support in Arizona?
At least 6 months behind and willfully not paying. DCSS first mails a notice; you have 15 days to ask for an administrative review. For a driver's or recreational license, the court decides after a hearing and may instead allow a restricted work/school driver's license if you are employed 30+ hours a week and sign a payment plan with DES.
Can a parent be held in contempt for not paying in Arizona?
The parent owed support (or DCSS) can file a petition to enforce the order in Superior Court.
Is there interest on unpaid child support in Arizona?
10% a year on unpaid support, starting at the end of the month after the payment was due; interest is simple (charged only on the unpaid support, not on interest). Past support for the time before an order (retroactive support) that is reduced to judgment on or after September 26, 2008 does not earn interest.
When does child support end in Arizona?
18. If the child is still in high school at 18, support continues to the end of the month of expected graduation or age 19, whichever comes first.
Does child support continue while my child finishes high school in Arizona?
If the child is still in high school at 18, support continues to the end of the month of expected graduation or age 19, whichever comes first.
Can child support continue past the usual age in Arizona?
The court can order support for an adult child with a disability under A.R.S. 25-320(E). Support also ends if the child marries, is adopted or dies.
How is paternity established in Arizona?
Unmarried parents can establish paternity by both signing a notarized or witnessed voluntary acknowledgment of paternity and filing it with the clerk of the Superior Court, DES or the Department of Health Services; it has the same effect as a court judgment. Either parent can cancel it in writing within 60 days (or before an earlier court proceeding about the child). Paternity can also be established by agreeing to genetic testing, or by DCSS or a parent asking the court.
Who pays for the child's health insurance in Arizona?
The order assigns which parent provides medical, dental and vision insurance; the cost of the children's coverage is added to the support calculation. Uncovered medical costs are split by the percentage in the order; ask the other parent for repayment within 180 days, with the date, provider and service (Guidelines Section X).
More help on our sister sites
Sources
- Ariz. Sup. Ct. Admin. Order 2021-56 with 2022 Arizona Child Support Guidelines
- Ariz. Sup. Ct. Admin. Order 2026-54 (guidelines review subcommittee)
- About the Child Support Calculator (azcourts.gov)
- Child Support Resources (azcourts.gov)
- A.R.S. 25-503
- Maricopa County Superior Court LLRC - Family Court Forms
- Maricopa County Superior Court LLRC - Change Child Support
- 45 CFR 302.33 (annual $35 fee)
- A.R.S. 25-510 (interest)
- A.R.S. 25-517, 25-518 (license suspension)
- A.R.S. 25-812 (acknowledgment of paternity)
- A.R.S. 25-501
- OCSS Intergovernmental Reference Guide - Arizona profile
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)