Child support in Arkansas
Arkansas 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 Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) at 501-371-5349.
Checked against official sources: Oct 25, 2026. · Free letters and checklist ↓
How much child support in Arkansas?
Each parent's monthly gross income is used with the Family Support Chart to find the basic support for the number of children. Health insurance, extraordinary medical costs over $250 per child per year, and work-related child care are added and shared by income. The guidelines assume the paying parent has the children fewer than 141 overnights a year.
Law: Ark. Sup. Ct. Admin. Order No. 10 (as amended October 6, 2022, 2022 Ark. 185); Ark. Code Ann. 9-12-312
We don't estimate Arkansas'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 Arkansas
- Phone
- 501-371-5349 (general questions); Child Support Clearinghouse 1-866-428-8382
- Apply
- Apply online
- How to open a case
Apply online through OCSE MyCase, by mail, or at a local child support office; pay the $25 fee if it applies. OCSE locates the other parent, establishes paternity, gets a court order for child and medical support, and collects it. OCSE's attorney does not represent either parent, and OCSE does not handle custody or visitation. You can also hire a lawyer and file in circuit court.
- Application fee
$25, one-time and nonrefundable, for each noncustodial parent. No fees if you receive SNAP, Medicaid or TEA, or your child gets ARKids First. OCSE also keeps 13% of each payment (up to $18 a month) plus set fees for court actions ($80 to $250), a $35 bank levy fee and a $25 federal offset fee.
Source: OCSE Costs and Fees
- 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 OCSE how it is collected in your case.
Law: 45 CFR 302.33(e)
- Paternity (legal fatherhood)
Unmarried parents can sign a free Acknowledgment of Paternity (AOP) before a notary at the hospital, at a local OCSE office, or through the Arkansas Department of Health, any time before the child turns 18. Either parent can cancel it within 60 days. If paternity is disputed, OCSE schedules genetic testing or files a paternity case in court.
Arkansas child support by topic
How support is calculated in Arkansas
The model, the percentages or the official calculator, and low-income rules.
Change child support in Arkansas
When you can ask, how to ask, and a review letter.
Collect unpaid support in Arkansas
Collection tools, interest and license rules, and a letter.
When support ends in Arkansas
The end age, high school and disability rules.
How child support is figured in Arkansas
- Model
- Income shares
- How it works
Each parent's monthly gross income is used with the Family Support Chart to find the basic support for the number of children. Health insurance, extraordinary medical costs over $250 per child per year, and work-related child care are added and shared by income. The guidelines assume the paying parent has the children fewer than 141 overnights a year.
- Low income
If the paying parent earns less than $900 a month, the chart applies a self-support reserve and a presumed minimum order of $125 a month, which a party can rebut (for example, incarceration or a verified disability that prevents work).
- Official calculator
- Official Arkansas child support calculator
- Health insurance and medical costs
Every order should address the children's health care. Health insurance is reasonable if the cost of dependent coverage is no more than 5% of the gross income of the parent providing it. The court can order a set amount or a percentage for uninsured costs; OCSE enforces set dollar amounts, not percentages (Admin. Order No. 10, Section IV; OCSE Medical Support).
Law: Ark. Sup. Ct. Admin. Order No. 10 (as amended October 6, 2022, 2022 Ark. 185); Ark. Code Ann. 9-12-312
Change a child support order in Arkansas
- When a change is allowed
Either parent can get a review at least every three years. A review sooner is possible if the paying parent's gross income has changed by 20% or more per month. A difference between the current order and the Family Support Chart amount is a material change of circumstances. Losing a job does not change support by itself.
Law: Ark. Code Ann. 9-14-107(c)(2)
- How to ask
With an open OCSE enforcement case, ask your local child support office in writing for a review; OCSE files the change in court, because every change must be signed by a judge. Without an OCSE case, file a petition to modify in circuit court (usually with a lawyer) or apply for OCSE services.
Law: Ark. Code Ann. 9-14-107; Admin. Order No. 10, Section II.1
Can I ask for a change? Check your situation
Collect unpaid child support in Arkansas
Arrears means support that is past due. The child support agency can use these tools to collect it:
- Collection tools
- Income withholding
- State and federal tax refund offset
- Credit bureau reporting (past due over $1,000)
- Bank account levy (arrears of at least $500 or three months of support, with no payment in 45 days)
- Driver's, occupational and professional license suspension
- Passport denial (past due of $2,500 or more)
- Contempt of court and jail
- State and federal criminal nonsupport
- License suspension
Past-due support equal to or more than three times the total monthly support obligation.
- Contempt of court
OCSE may ask the court to hold a parent in contempt when other remedies have failed and the parent is not following a payment plan; the court can order jail until conditions are met.
- Interest on unpaid support
Arkansas law provides interest on unpaid support at 10% a year. Interest can be collected once a court reduces it to a judgment; OCSE tries to get a judgment when appropriate.
Source: OCSE, Past Due Child Support
When child support ends in Arkansas
- Support ends
18 or marriage. If the child is still in high school, support continues until graduation or the end of the school year after the child turns 19, whichever comes first, unless the order says otherwise.
Law: Ark. Code Ann. 9-14-237
When does support end? Check your situation
Free help in Arkansas
- Arkansas Legal Aid helpline (Arkansas Law Help) · 1-800-952-9243
- Center for Arkansas Legal Services
- Find free legal help at LawHelp.org
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 Arkansas's agency contact.
Good to know in Arkansas
- OCSE keeps 13% of each payment it collects (up to $18 a month) to cover costs, unless you are on SNAP, Medicaid, TEA or ARKids First (OCSE).
- When one child on an order turns 18, Arkansas law adjusts support for the remaining children; OCSE suggests asking for a review (OCSE).
- OCSE cannot forgive unpaid child support (OCSE).
Changes in 2024–2026
No change to Administrative Order No. 10 since the October 6, 2022 revision (Arkansas Supreme Court list of amendments, current through December 15, 2025).
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 Arkansas
How is child support calculated in Arkansas?
Each parent's monthly gross income is used with the Family Support Chart to find the basic support for the number of children. Health insurance, extraordinary medical costs over $250 per child per year, and work-related child care are added and shared by income. The guidelines assume the paying parent has the children fewer than 141 overnights a year.
Is there an official child support calculator for Arkansas?
What if the paying parent has a low income in Arkansas?
If the paying parent earns less than $900 a month, the chart applies a self-support reserve and a presumed minimum order of $125 a month, which a party can rebut (for example, incarceration or a verified disability that prevents work).
How do I apply for child support in Arkansas?
Apply online through OCSE MyCase, by mail, or at a local child support office; pay the $25 fee if it applies. OCSE locates the other parent, establishes paternity, gets a court order for child and medical support, and collects it. OCSE's attorney does not represent either parent, and OCSE does not handle custody or visitation. You can also hire a lawyer and file in circuit court.
Does it cost money to open a child support case in Arkansas?
$25, one-time and nonrefundable, for each noncustodial parent. No fees if you receive SNAP, Medicaid or TEA, or your child gets ARKids First. OCSE also keeps 13% of each payment (up to $18 a month) plus set fees for court actions ($80 to $250), a $35 bank levy fee and a $25 federal offset fee.
Is there a yearly fee for child support services in Arkansas?
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 OCSE how it is collected in your case.
When can child support be changed in Arkansas?
Either parent can get a review at least every three years. A review sooner is possible if the paying parent's gross income has changed by 20% or more per month. A difference between the current order and the Family Support Chart amount is a material change of circumstances. Losing a job does not change support by itself.
How do I ask to change child support in Arkansas?
With an open OCSE enforcement case, ask your local child support office in writing for a review; OCSE files the change in court, because every change must be signed by a judge. Without an OCSE case, file a petition to modify in circuit court (usually with a lawyer) or apply for OCSE services.
What happens if child support is not paid in Arkansas?
Arrears means support that is past due. The child support agency can use these tools to collect it: Income withholding; State and federal tax refund offset; Credit bureau reporting (past due over $1,000); Bank account levy (arrears of at least $500 or three months of support, with no payment in 45 days); Driver's, occupational and professional license suspension; Passport denial (past due of $2,500 or more); Contempt of court and jail; State and federal criminal nonsupport.
Can a license be suspended for unpaid child support in Arkansas?
Past-due support equal to or more than three times the total monthly support obligation.
Can a parent be held in contempt for not paying in Arkansas?
OCSE may ask the court to hold a parent in contempt when other remedies have failed and the parent is not following a payment plan; the court can order jail until conditions are met.
Is there interest on unpaid child support in Arkansas?
Arkansas law provides interest on unpaid support at 10% a year. Interest can be collected once a court reduces it to a judgment; OCSE tries to get a judgment when appropriate.
When does child support end in Arkansas?
18 or marriage. If the child is still in high school, support continues until graduation or the end of the school year after the child turns 19, whichever comes first, unless the order says otherwise.
Does child support continue while my child finishes high school in Arkansas?
If the child is still in high school, support continues until graduation or the end of the school year after the child turns 19, whichever comes first, unless the order says otherwise.
How is paternity established in Arkansas?
Unmarried parents can sign a free Acknowledgment of Paternity (AOP) before a notary at the hospital, at a local OCSE office, or through the Arkansas Department of Health, any time before the child turns 18. Either parent can cancel it within 60 days. If paternity is disputed, OCSE schedules genetic testing or files a paternity case in court.
Who pays for the child's health insurance in Arkansas?
Every order should address the children's health care. Health insurance is reasonable if the cost of dependent coverage is no more than 5% of the gross income of the parent providing it. The court can order a set amount or a percentage for uninsured costs; OCSE enforces set dollar amounts, not percentages (Admin. Order No. 10, Section IV; OCSE Medical Support).
More help on our sister sites
Sources
- In re Amendments to Admin. Order No. 10, 2022 Ark. 185
- Arkansas Supreme Court administrative orders - amendments list
- OCSE Costs and Fees
- OCSE Apply for Support
- OCSE Changing an Order
- OCSE Review of Order Amounts FAQ
- OCSE Enforcement
- OCSE Past Due Child Support
- OCSE Paternity
- OCSE Medical Support
- OCSE Glossary (emancipation)
- Arkansas Judiciary Child Support Calculator v2.0
- OCSE Clearinghouse contact
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)