Child support in Iowa
Iowa 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 Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, Child Support Services (CSS) at 1-888-229-9223.
Checked against official sources: Oct 25, 2026. · Free letters and checklist ↓
How much child support in Iowa?
Each parent's adjusted net income (gross income minus taxes and other allowed deductions) is added together, and the Iowa Supreme Court schedule gives the basic support for that combined income. Each parent pays a share based on their part of the income. A paying parent with more than 127 overnights a year gets a credit, and there is a separate formula for equally shared physical care.
Law: Iowa Court Rules ch. 9 (Child Support Guidelines); Iowa Code 598.21B
We don't estimate Iowa'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 Iowa
- Phone
- 1-888-229-9223 (automated line, 24/7)
- Apply
- Apply online
- How to open a case
Apply for Child Support Services online. Families on FIP (cash assistance), foster care and in some cases Medicaid are served automatically. CSS can establish paternity and support through an administrative process; parents get notice, can ask for a conference or a court hearing, and the order is sent to the court for approval. You can also go to district court.
- Yearly fee
The person receiving support pays a $35 annual fee if they never received cash assistance (FIP/TANF/ADC) for a child on the case. CSS takes it from support payments only after it has sent out at least $550 in the federal fiscal year (Oct. 1 - Sept. 30).
- Forms
- Paternity (legal fatherhood)
Unmarried parents can sign a paternity affidavit (at the hospital or later) and file it with the HHS Bureau of Health Statistics. CSS can also establish paternity administratively: if a parent denies paternity, CSS orders genetic tests, and a probability over 95% creates a presumption of paternity.
Law: Iowa Code ch. 252F
Iowa child support by topic
How support is calculated in Iowa
The model, the percentages or the official calculator, and low-income rules.
Change child support in Iowa
When you can ask, how to ask, and a review letter.
Collect unpaid support in Iowa
Collection tools, interest and license rules, and a letter.
When support ends in Iowa
The end age, high school and disability rules.
How child support is figured in Iowa
- Model
- Income shares
- How it works
Each parent's adjusted net income (gross income minus taxes and other allowed deductions) is added together, and the Iowa Supreme Court schedule gives the basic support for that combined income. Each parent pays a share based on their part of the income. A paying parent with more than 127 overnights a year gets a credit, and there is a separate formula for equally shared physical care.
- Low income
When the paying parent's adjusted net income falls in the shaded low-income area of the schedule, a low-income adjustment applies: in Area A only that parent's income is used (a minimum order), and in Area B the lower of two calculations is used. Cash medical support is not ordered for minimum orders in Area A.
Law: Iowa Ct. R. 9.12 and schedule
- Official calculator
- Official Iowa child support calculator
- Health insurance and medical costs
Every order must include medical support. The court uses the Medical Support Table to decide what health plan cost is reasonable and, if no plan is ordered, a cash medical support amount; the reasonable-cost amount must be stated in the order.
Law: Iowa Ct. R. 9.12; Iowa Code 252E.1A
Law: Iowa Court Rules ch. 9 (Child Support Guidelines); Iowa Code 598.21B
Change a child support order in Iowa
- When a change is allowed
In court, a substantial change of circumstances exists when the order differs by 10% or more from the current guidelines amount, or when a health plan is available and the order has no medical support. CSS Review and Adjustment: more than 24 months since the order was entered or last reviewed, and CSS asks the court to change it if the new amount differs by more than 20%. Before 24 months, CSS can do an Administrative Modification if a parent's net income changed by 50% or more, among other reasons.
Law: Iowa Code 598.21C(2)
- How to ask
Either parent can ask CSS for a Review and Adjustment or an Administrative Modification (support must still be due more than 12 months from the request), or file a petition in district court. You may have to pay service costs, often $55 or more per person served in Iowa. Past-due support is not changed. Parents can also agree in writing to a cost-of-living change.
Can I ask for a change? Check your situation
Collect unpaid child support in Iowa
Arrears means support that is past due. The child support agency can use these tools to collect it:
- Collection tools
- Income withholding (wages, unemployment, Social Security, workers' compensation, some retirement and veterans' benefits, lump sums)
- Medical support enforcement
- Federal and state tax and non-tax offsets
- Passport sanctions
- Administrative levy on accounts (up to 50% of many account balances)
- Contempt
- Garnishment
- Liens
- License sanctions (professional, recreational, driver's licenses and vehicle registration)
- Credit reporting
- License suspension
Unpaid support equal to 3 months of payments. You then have 20 days after the notice to pay, give employer information, show an exemption, or ask for a conference; a written payment agreement can stop the sanction.
Law: Iowa Code 252J.2
Source: CSS handbook
- Contempt of court
CSS may file a contempt action asking the court to decide whether the parent can pay and is willfully violating the order.
- Interest on unpaid support
By statute, unpaid support starts earning interest 30 days after it is due, at 10% a year. No interest accrues just because an employer's pay cycle delays an income-withholding payment.
Law: Iowa Code 535.3(2)
Law: Iowa Code ch. 252J (license sanctions); ch. 252D (income withholding)
When child support ends in Iowa
- Support ends
18, or up to 19 while the child is full-time in high school (or equivalency) and expected to finish before 19
- Exceptions
Support can be ordered for a child of any age who is dependent because of a physical or mental disability. Iowa courts can no longer order a postsecondary education (college) subsidy for orders entered or pending on or after July 1, 2025.
Law: Iowa Code 598.1; Iowa Code 598.21F
Law: Iowa Code 598.1; 598.21F
When does support end? Check your situation
Free help in Iowa
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 Iowa's agency contact.
Good to know in Iowa
- New Iowa child support guidelines took effect January 1, 2026 (Iowa Ct. R. 9.1).
- Since July 1, 2025, Iowa courts cannot order parents to pay a college (postsecondary education) subsidy (Iowa Code 598.21F, 2025 Acts ch. 57).
- Overdue support earns 10% interest a year after 30 days (Iowa Code 535.3).
Changes in 2024–2026
Iowa Supreme Court adopted revised Child Support Guidelines by order of September 29, 2025, effective January 1, 2026, for cases pending on or after that date. A 2025 law ended court-ordered postsecondary education subsidies for orders entered or pending on or after July 1, 2025.
Law: 2025 Acts ch. 57
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 Iowa
How is child support calculated in Iowa?
Each parent's adjusted net income (gross income minus taxes and other allowed deductions) is added together, and the Iowa Supreme Court schedule gives the basic support for that combined income. Each parent pays a share based on their part of the income. A paying parent with more than 127 overnights a year gets a credit, and there is a separate formula for equally shared physical care.
Is there an official child support calculator for Iowa?
What if the paying parent has a low income in Iowa?
When the paying parent's adjusted net income falls in the shaded low-income area of the schedule, a low-income adjustment applies: in Area A only that parent's income is used (a minimum order), and in Area B the lower of two calculations is used. Cash medical support is not ordered for minimum orders in Area A.
How do I apply for child support in Iowa?
Apply for Child Support Services online. Families on FIP (cash assistance), foster care and in some cases Medicaid are served automatically. CSS can establish paternity and support through an administrative process; parents get notice, can ask for a conference or a court hearing, and the order is sent to the court for approval. You can also go to district court.
Is there a yearly fee for child support services in Iowa?
The person receiving support pays a $35 annual fee if they never received cash assistance (FIP/TANF/ADC) for a child on the case. CSS takes it from support payments only after it has sent out at least $550 in the federal fiscal year (Oct. 1 - Sept. 30).
When can child support be changed in Iowa?
In court, a substantial change of circumstances exists when the order differs by 10% or more from the current guidelines amount, or when a health plan is available and the order has no medical support. CSS Review and Adjustment: more than 24 months since the order was entered or last reviewed, and CSS asks the court to change it if the new amount differs by more than 20%. Before 24 months, CSS can do an Administrative Modification if a parent's net income changed by 50% or more, among other reasons.
How do I ask to change child support in Iowa?
Either parent can ask CSS for a Review and Adjustment or an Administrative Modification (support must still be due more than 12 months from the request), or file a petition in district court. You may have to pay service costs, often $55 or more per person served in Iowa. Past-due support is not changed. Parents can also agree in writing to a cost-of-living change.
What happens if child support is not paid in Iowa?
Arrears means support that is past due. The child support agency can use these tools to collect it: Income withholding (wages, unemployment, Social Security, workers' compensation, some retirement and veterans' benefits, lump sums); Medical support enforcement; Federal and state tax and non-tax offsets; Passport sanctions; Administrative levy on accounts (up to 50% of many account balances); Contempt; Garnishment; Liens; License sanctions (professional, recreational, driver's licenses and vehicle registration); Credit reporting.
Can a license be suspended for unpaid child support in Iowa?
Unpaid support equal to 3 months of payments. You then have 20 days after the notice to pay, give employer information, show an exemption, or ask for a conference; a written payment agreement can stop the sanction.
Can a parent be held in contempt for not paying in Iowa?
CSS may file a contempt action asking the court to decide whether the parent can pay and is willfully violating the order.
Is there interest on unpaid child support in Iowa?
By statute, unpaid support starts earning interest 30 days after it is due, at 10% a year. No interest accrues just because an employer's pay cycle delays an income-withholding payment.
When does child support end in Iowa?
18, or up to 19 while the child is full-time in high school (or equivalency) and expected to finish before 19
Does child support continue while my child finishes high school in Iowa?
18, or up to 19 while the child is full-time in high school (or equivalency) and expected to finish before 19
Can child support continue past the usual age in Iowa?
Support can be ordered for a child of any age who is dependent because of a physical or mental disability. Iowa courts can no longer order a postsecondary education (college) subsidy for orders entered or pending on or after July 1, 2025.
How is paternity established in Iowa?
Unmarried parents can sign a paternity affidavit (at the hospital or later) and file it with the HHS Bureau of Health Statistics. CSS can also establish paternity administratively: if a parent denies paternity, CSS orders genetic tests, and a probability over 95% creates a presumption of paternity.
Who pays for the child's health insurance in Iowa?
Every order must include medical support. The court uses the Medical Support Table to decide what health plan cost is reasonable and, if no plan is ordered, a cash medical support amount; the reasonable-cost amount must be stated in the order.
More help on our sister sites
Sources
- Iowa Court Rules ch. 9, Child Support Guidelines (July 2026)
- Iowa Code 598.1
- Iowa Code 598.21C
- Iowa Code 598.21F
- Iowa Code 535.3
- Iowa Code 252J.2
- Iowa CSS Customer Handbook, August 2026
- Iowa HHS Child Support Services
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)