When child support ends in Illinois
The end age, the exceptions, and what to do as support ends.
Checked against official sources: Oct 25, 2026.
Short answer
18, or up to 19 if the child is still in high school.
- Usual end age
- 18
- Latest age in the rule
- 19
- Law
- 750 ILCS 5/505; 750 ILCS 5/513
Illinois's rule on the end of support
18, or up to 19 if the child is still in high school
Law: 750 ILCS 5/505; 750 ILCS 5/513
Support can continue past 18 for a child found permanently disabled before age 18. A court can order help with college expenses under a separate law, but CSS does not handle college-expense orders.
When does support end? Check your situation
If your order is 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)
Past-due support doesn't end
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
Your next steps in Illinois
Look at the end date
Your order may name an end date or event.
Know the age
In Illinois: 18, or up to 19 if the child is still in high school.
Tell the agency
Ask the agency how and when payments stop: Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS), Child Support Services (CSS) (1-800-447-4278) · Apply online
Settle past-due support
Arrears can still be collected after support ends.
Talk to legal aid
Ask for free help: Illinois Legal Aid Online and Illinois State Bar Association Illinois Lawyer Finder.
Where to get free help in Illinois
Questions about when support ends in Illinois
When does child support end in Illinois?
18, or up to 19 if the child is still in high school
Is there support during the last year of high school in Illinois?
18, or up to 19 if the child is still in high school
When can support last longer in Illinois?
Support can continue past 18 for a child found permanently disabled before age 18. A court can order help with college expenses under a separate law, but CSS does not handle college-expense orders.