When child support ends in Arkansas

The age support ends, the high school and disability rules, and what happens with orders from other states.

Checked against official sources: Oct 25, 2026.

Short answer

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.

Usual end age
18
Latest age in the rule
19
Law
Ark. Code Ann. 9-14-237

The end age 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.

Law: Ark. Code Ann. 9-14-237

When does support end? Check your situation

Arkansas's rule: 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

Your own order may set a different end date, for example when the parents agreed to one. Read it.

Orders from another state

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)

A state must enforce another state's child support order. The state that made the order keeps the power to change it while a parent or the child still lives there.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1738B(a), (d)

Arrears are still owed

Support that was due before it ended is still owed. Each unpaid payment became a judgment on the day it was due, and the agency can keep collecting it.

Law: 42 U.S.C. 666(a)(9)

In nearby states

  • Mississippi: 21
  • Missouri: 18
  • Louisiana: 18, or up to 19 if the unmarried child is a full-time student in…
  • Oklahoma: 18, or until high school graduation or age 20, whichever comes…

What to do now in Arkansas

  1. Read your order

    Some orders set their own end date.

  2. Compare with the law

    The rule 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.

  3. Update the agency

    The agency can end withholding when support ends: Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) (501-371-5349) · Apply online

  4. Clear what is owed

    Past-due support is still owed after the end date.

Free legal help in Arkansas

Questions about when support ends in Arkansas

How long does child support last 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.

Is there support during the last year of 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.

Related Arkansas pages

Sources

Sources

Last checked: Oct 25, 2026.

Federal sources