Child support in Colorado
Colorado 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 Colorado Department of Human Services, Child Support Services (CSS) program at (303) 866-4300.
Checked against official sources: Oct 25, 2026. · Free letters and checklist ↓
How much child support in Colorado?
The formula uses both parents' gross income, the number of children, the number of overnights each parent has, and costs such as child care and health insurance. Since March 1, 2026, each parent gets a parenting-time credit from a state table based on their number of overnights, starting from the first overnight. The result is shown on the official worksheet (JDF 1821).
Law: C.R.S. 14-10-115 (as amended by HB 25-1159, guideline changes effective March 1, 2026)
We don't estimate Colorado'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 Colorado
- Phone
- (303) 866-4300 (state office); Family Support Registry (800) 374-6558
- Apply
- Apply online
- How to open a case
Apply online with Child Support Services (free), or mail a printed application to your county child support office. The county office establishes parentage, sets up an order and enforces it. You can also ask the court for support in a divorce, separation or parentage case, using the worksheet (JDF 1821).
- Application fee
$0. Applying online is free, with no application fee (CSS, Apply for 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 county child support office how it is collected in your case.
Law: 45 CFR 302.33(e)
- Forms
- Paternity (legal fatherhood)
Parents can sign an Acknowledgment of Parentage at the hospital or through Colorado Vital Records, or parentage can be set by court order or by the county child support office. Genetic testing is paid up front by CSS when you apply; the county seeks repayment from the parent found to be the parent. A case can be started any time before the child turns 18.
Colorado child support by topic
How support is calculated in Colorado
The model, the percentages or the official calculator, and low-income rules.
Change child support in Colorado
When you can ask, how to ask, and a review letter.
Collect unpaid support in Colorado
Collection tools, interest and license rules, and a letter.
When support ends in Colorado
The end age, high school and disability rules.
How child support is figured in Colorado
- Model
- Income shares
- How it works
The formula uses both parents' gross income, the number of children, the number of overnights each parent has, and costs such as child care and health insurance. Since March 1, 2026, each parent gets a parenting-time credit from a state table based on their number of overnights, starting from the first overnight. The result is shown on the official worksheet (JDF 1821).
- Low income
From March 1, 2026: if the paying parent's adjusted gross income is $650 a month or less, the order is $10 a month. Above $650 and up to the self-support reserve (minimum wage x 29 hours x 50 weeks / 12), support is $50 a month for one child, $70 for two, $90 for three, $110 for four, $130 for five and $150 for six or more. Low-income orders with add-ons are capped at 10% of income, and for parents earning up to full-time minimum wage the total is capped at 20%.
Law: C.R.S. 14-10-115(7), as amended by HB 25-1159
- Official calculator
- Official Colorado child support calculator
- Health insurance and medical costs
Colorado law requires every new child support order to name the parent who must provide health insurance; premiums and ongoing medical costs are part of the worksheet (CSS, Health Insurance).
Law: C.R.S. 14-10-115 (as amended by HB 25-1159, guideline changes effective March 1, 2026)
Change a child support order in Colorado
- When a change is allowed
You need a substantial and continuing change in circumstances. A change is substantial if the new calculation raises or lowers support by at least 10%; it is continuing if it is more than temporary. You can also change an order that does not cover medical or dental support. CSS also reviews orders every three years on request.
- How to ask
In court: file a Motion to Modify Child Support (JDF 1403), or a Stipulation (JDF 1404) if both parents agree, with the proposed Order (JDF 1405). With a CSS case: send a written review request and an Income and Expense Affidavit to your county office; a review can take up to six months.
Law: C.R.S. 14-10-122
Can I ask for a change? Check your situation
Collect unpaid child support in Colorado
Arrears means support that is past due. The child support agency can use these tools to collect it:
- Collection tools
- Income assignment (wage withholding)
- Driver's and recreational license suspension
- Credit bureau reporting
- Tax refund and other payment intercepts
- Verified entry of support judgment and liens on property
- Contempt of court
- Contempt of court
File a Verified Motion and Affidavit for Citation for Contempt of Court (JDF 1816); the court can impose fines or jail. Many courts ask parents to try mediation first (JDF 1800).
- Interest on unpaid support
Support due and unpaid after July 1, 2021 earns 10% a year; support due and unpaid before July 1, 2021 earns 12% compounded monthly, unless the parents agreed otherwise (C.R.S. 14-14-106; Judicial Branch forms JDF 1807 and JDF 1800).
Law: C.R.S. 14-10-122(1)(c); C.R.S. 14-14-106
When child support ends in Colorado
- Support ends
19. If the child is still in high school or an equivalent program, support continues until the end of the month after graduation, but usually not past 21.
- Exceptions
Support can continue past 19 for a child with a mental or physical disability, or if the parents agree in writing. Support ends earlier if the child marries, enters a civil union, joins active military duty or is found emancipated.
Law: C.R.S. 14-10-115(13)
When does support end? Check your situation
Free help in Colorado
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 Colorado's agency contact.
Good to know in Colorado
- Support usually lasts to age 19 in Colorado, and ends automatically without a motion when the last child emancipates (C.R.S. 14-10-115(13)).
- Starting March 1, 2026, Colorado gives a parenting-time credit for every overnight, using a table in the statute, and ties the self-support reserve to the state minimum wage instead of a flat $1,500 (HB 25-1159; C.R.S. 14-10-115(8)(h)).
- From HB 25-1159, a concurrent enrollment (college credit) program no longer counts as 'high school' for extending support.
Changes in 2024–2026
HB 25-1159 rewrote parts of the guideline in C.R.S. 14-10-115(3), (7) and (8), effective March 1, 2026: a new parenting-time credit table that gives a credit for every overnight (replacing the old 92-overnight shared-care threshold), a self-support reserve tied to the state minimum wage (29 hours a week), a revised low-income adjustment with a 10% cap, a 20% cap for parents earning up to full-time minimum wage, and a rule that concurrent-enrollment college programs don't extend support. The Judicial Branch posted a new worksheet (JDF 1821) in March 2026.
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 Colorado
How is child support calculated in Colorado?
The formula uses both parents' gross income, the number of children, the number of overnights each parent has, and costs such as child care and health insurance. Since March 1, 2026, each parent gets a parenting-time credit from a state table based on their number of overnights, starting from the first overnight. The result is shown on the official worksheet (JDF 1821).
Is there an official child support calculator for Colorado?
What if the paying parent has a low income in Colorado?
From March 1, 2026: if the paying parent's adjusted gross income is $650 a month or less, the order is $10 a month. Above $650 and up to the self-support reserve (minimum wage x 29 hours x 50 weeks / 12), support is $50 a month for one child, $70 for two, $90 for three, $110 for four, $130 for five and $150 for six or more. Low-income orders with add-ons are capped at 10% of income, and for parents earning up to full-time minimum wage the total is capped at 20%.
How do I apply for child support in Colorado?
Apply online with Child Support Services (free), or mail a printed application to your county child support office. The county office establishes parentage, sets up an order and enforces it. You can also ask the court for support in a divorce, separation or parentage case, using the worksheet (JDF 1821).
Does it cost money to open a child support case in Colorado?
$0. Applying online is free, with no application fee (CSS, Apply for Services).
Is there a yearly fee for child support services in Colorado?
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 county child support office how it is collected in your case.
When can child support be changed in Colorado?
You need a substantial and continuing change in circumstances. A change is substantial if the new calculation raises or lowers support by at least 10%; it is continuing if it is more than temporary. You can also change an order that does not cover medical or dental support. CSS also reviews orders every three years on request.
How do I ask to change child support in Colorado?
In court: file a Motion to Modify Child Support (JDF 1403), or a Stipulation (JDF 1404) if both parents agree, with the proposed Order (JDF 1405). With a CSS case: send a written review request and an Income and Expense Affidavit to your county office; a review can take up to six months.
What happens if child support is not paid in Colorado?
Arrears means support that is past due. The child support agency can use these tools to collect it: Income assignment (wage withholding); Driver's and recreational license suspension; Credit bureau reporting; Tax refund and other payment intercepts; Verified entry of support judgment and liens on property; Contempt of court.
Can a parent be held in contempt for not paying in Colorado?
File a Verified Motion and Affidavit for Citation for Contempt of Court (JDF 1816); the court can impose fines or jail. Many courts ask parents to try mediation first (JDF 1800).
Is there interest on unpaid child support in Colorado?
Support due and unpaid after July 1, 2021 earns 10% a year; support due and unpaid before July 1, 2021 earns 12% compounded monthly, unless the parents agreed otherwise (C.R.S. 14-14-106; Judicial Branch forms JDF 1807 and JDF 1800).
When does child support end in Colorado?
19. If the child is still in high school or an equivalent program, support continues until the end of the month after graduation, but usually not past 21.
Does child support continue while my child finishes high school in Colorado?
If the child is still in high school or an equivalent program, support continues until the end of the month after graduation, but usually not past 21.
Can child support continue past the usual age in Colorado?
Support can continue past 19 for a child with a mental or physical disability, or if the parents agree in writing. Support ends earlier if the child marries, enters a civil union, joins active military duty or is found emancipated.
How is paternity established in Colorado?
Parents can sign an Acknowledgment of Parentage at the hospital or through Colorado Vital Records, or parentage can be set by court order or by the county child support office. Genetic testing is paid up front by CSS when you apply; the county seeks repayment from the parent found to be the parent. A case can be started any time before the child turns 18.
Who pays for the child's health insurance in Colorado?
Colorado law requires every new child support order to name the parent who must provide health insurance; premiums and ongoing medical costs are part of the worksheet (CSS, Health Insurance).
More help on our sister sites
Sources
- CSS Apply for Services
- CSS Calculating Payments
- CSS Changing an Order
- CSS Enforcing Orders
- CSS Parentage
- CSS Health Insurance
- CSS Contact Us
- Colorado Judicial Branch: Change Child Support
- Colorado Judicial Branch: End Child Support
- JDF 1800 Instructions/Options to Enforce Orders (R9/25)
- JDF 1807 Affidavit of Arrears (interest rates)
- HB 25-1159 (enrolled text)
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)