Child support in Kansas
Kansas 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 Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF), Child Support Services (CSS) at 1-888-757-2445.
Checked against official sources: Oct 25, 2026. · Free letters and checklist ↓
How much child support in Kansas?
Kansas uses the Kansas Child Support Guidelines set by the Kansas Supreme Court. Each parent's gross income goes on a Child Support Worksheet, and the guideline schedules set support by combined income, the number of children and the children's ages. Adjustments can apply for shared or divided residency, multiple families and other factors. A judge sets the final monthly amount.
Law: Kansas Child Support Guidelines (Kansas Supreme Court, effective May 1, 2025); K.S.A. 23-3002
We don't estimate Kansas'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 Kansas
- Phone
- 1-888-757-2445
- Apply
- Apply online
- How to open a case
Apply online at CSSApply.dcf.ks.gov, download the form, or call 1-888-757-2445. Families on TANF are served automatically. CSS locates the other parent, establishes parentage, prepares the case and schedules a court hearing for a financial and medical support order.
- Application fee
$0. Kansas CSS says all services are at no cost to families.
- Yearly fee
Kansas CSS says it never charges a fee to you or takes one from the support you receive. Its policy manual says the $35 annual federal collection fee is imposed per case once the collection threshold is reached, so it is covered by the program, not the parent.
- Paternity (legal fatherhood)
Unmarried parents can sign a Paternity Consent Form, usually at the hospital after birth; a parent who signs it is legally presumed to be the parent. If paternity is disputed, the court may order genetic testing; CSS schedules it at no cost, and the State pays for the first test.
Kansas child support by topic
How support is calculated in Kansas
The model, the percentages or the official calculator, and low-income rules.
Change child support in Kansas
When you can ask, how to ask, and a review letter.
Collect unpaid support in Kansas
Collection tools, interest and license rules, and a letter.
When support ends in Kansas
The end age, high school and disability rules.
How child support is figured in Kansas
- Model
- Income shares
- How it works
Kansas uses the Kansas Child Support Guidelines set by the Kansas Supreme Court. Each parent's gross income goes on a Child Support Worksheet, and the guideline schedules set support by combined income, the number of children and the children's ages. Adjustments can apply for shared or divided residency, multiple families and other factors. A judge sets the final monthly amount.
- Low income
The court must consider the paying parent's basic subsistence needs: it subtracts the federal poverty level for a household of one from that parent's child support income. If what is left is less than the guideline amount, the court sets support in the child's best interest.
Source: DCF CSS Policy Manual
- Official calculator
- Official Kansas child support guidelines
- Health insurance and medical costs
CSS establishes orders for both financial and medical support, and can use a Medical Withholding Order to enroll the child in the ordered health plan.
Law: Kansas Child Support Guidelines (Kansas Supreme Court, effective May 1, 2025); K.S.A. 23-3002
Change a child support order in Kansas
- When a change is allowed
Within 3 years of the original order or the last change, the court can change support only if there is a material change in circumstances. After 3 years, no material change needs to be shown. A material change includes a 10% increase or decrease in the support amount, a child moving into a different age group, or a child's emancipation.
Law: K.S.A. 23-3005(a)
Source: CSS Policy Manual
- How to ask
Every 3 years you can ask CSS to review the case; ask for a modification packet at 1-888-757-2445. Or file a motion to modify in district court. A change can be made retroactive to the first day of the month after the motion is filed.
Law: K.S.A. 23-3005(b)
Can I ask for a change? Check your situation
Collect unpaid child support in Kansas
Arrears means support that is past due. The child support agency can use these tools to collect it:
- Collection tools
- Income withholding
- Driver's license restriction
- Hunting and fishing license denial
- Professional license suspension
- Passport denial
- Federal and Kansas tax refund intercept
- Unemployment benefit collection
- Attaching personal injury and workers' compensation claims
- Property liens and tax foreclosure intercept
- Casino, lottery and sports bet winnings intercept
- License suspension
90 days past due and more than $500 owed (DCF License Restriction flyer, July 2025).
- Contempt of court
CSS or the other parent can ask the court for an Order to Appear and Show Cause. If the judge finds you had the ability to pay and did not, you can be held in contempt and fined or jailed, but the order must give you a way to fix (purge) the contempt. A parent who can't afford a lawyer and faces jail can ask for one.
Source: CSS Policy Manual, Section 19
- Interest on unpaid support
Unpaid support that is due becomes a judgment and can carry interest at the Kansas judgment rate, which is 4 percentage points above the federal discount rate and resets each July 1. CSS does not calculate this interest; it will enforce it only if the total is clearly stated in a court order.
Law: K.S.A. 16-204(e)
Law: K.S.A. 39-753 (IV-D services)
When child support ends in Kansas
- Support ends
18. If the child turns 18 while still in high school, support continues automatically until June 30 of that school year. On motion, a court may extend it through the school year in which the child turns 19 if the child is still a real high school student and the parents agreed to or accepted the delay.
- Exceptions
Parents can agree in a court-approved written agreement to pay support past 18. In a Kansas order, support automatically goes down as each child emancipates (for example, by one-third when one of three children turns 18).
Law: K.S.A. 23-3001(b)
When does support end? Check your situation
Free help in Kansas
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 Kansas's agency contact.
Good to know in Kansas
- Kansas CSS says it never charges parents a fee and does not take one from support payments (CSS handbook, 2025).
- Parents who owe past-due support to the State of Kansas can reduce it by up to $4,500 through the CSS incentive program (DCF Enforcement page).
- A Kansas order automatically drops by each child's share when that child emancipates (DCF).
Changes in 2024–2026
New Kansas Supreme Court Child Support Guidelines took effect May 1, 2025. A 2025 law lets a court order support for an unborn child: a judgment for the mother's direct medical and pregnancy-related expenses, counted from conception.
Law: L. 2025, ch. 112, effective July 1, 2025; K.S.A. 20-165(c)-(d), 23-3001(c)
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 Kansas
How is child support calculated in Kansas?
Kansas uses the Kansas Child Support Guidelines set by the Kansas Supreme Court. Each parent's gross income goes on a Child Support Worksheet, and the guideline schedules set support by combined income, the number of children and the children's ages. Adjustments can apply for shared or divided residency, multiple families and other factors. A judge sets the final monthly amount.
What if the paying parent has a low income in Kansas?
The court must consider the paying parent's basic subsistence needs: it subtracts the federal poverty level for a household of one from that parent's child support income. If what is left is less than the guideline amount, the court sets support in the child's best interest.
How do I apply for child support in Kansas?
Apply online at CSSApply.dcf.ks.gov, download the form, or call 1-888-757-2445. Families on TANF are served automatically. CSS locates the other parent, establishes parentage, prepares the case and schedules a court hearing for a financial and medical support order.
Does it cost money to open a child support case in Kansas?
$0. Kansas CSS says all services are at no cost to families.
Is there a yearly fee for child support services in Kansas?
Kansas CSS says it never charges a fee to you or takes one from the support you receive. Its policy manual says the $35 annual federal collection fee is imposed per case once the collection threshold is reached, so it is covered by the program, not the parent.
When can child support be changed in Kansas?
Within 3 years of the original order or the last change, the court can change support only if there is a material change in circumstances. After 3 years, no material change needs to be shown. A material change includes a 10% increase or decrease in the support amount, a child moving into a different age group, or a child's emancipation.
How do I ask to change child support in Kansas?
Every 3 years you can ask CSS to review the case; ask for a modification packet at 1-888-757-2445. Or file a motion to modify in district court. A change can be made retroactive to the first day of the month after the motion is filed.
What happens if child support is not paid in Kansas?
Arrears means support that is past due. The child support agency can use these tools to collect it: Income withholding; Driver's license restriction; Hunting and fishing license denial; Professional license suspension; Passport denial; Federal and Kansas tax refund intercept; Unemployment benefit collection; Attaching personal injury and workers' compensation claims; Property liens and tax foreclosure intercept; Casino, lottery and sports bet winnings intercept.
Can a license be suspended for unpaid child support in Kansas?
90 days past due and more than $500 owed (DCF License Restriction flyer, July 2025).
Can a parent be held in contempt for not paying in Kansas?
CSS or the other parent can ask the court for an Order to Appear and Show Cause. If the judge finds you had the ability to pay and did not, you can be held in contempt and fined or jailed, but the order must give you a way to fix (purge) the contempt. A parent who can't afford a lawyer and faces jail can ask for one.
Is there interest on unpaid child support in Kansas?
Unpaid support that is due becomes a judgment and can carry interest at the Kansas judgment rate, which is 4 percentage points above the federal discount rate and resets each July 1. CSS does not calculate this interest; it will enforce it only if the total is clearly stated in a court order.
When does child support end in Kansas?
18. If the child turns 18 while still in high school, support continues automatically until June 30 of that school year. On motion, a court may extend it through the school year in which the child turns 19 if the child is still a real high school student and the parents agreed to or accepted the delay.
Does child support continue while my child finishes high school in Kansas?
If the child turns 18 while still in high school, support continues automatically until June 30 of that school year. On motion, a court may extend it through the school year in which the child turns 19 if the child is still a real high school student and the parents agreed to or accepted the delay.
Can child support continue past the usual age in Kansas?
Parents can agree in a court-approved written agreement to pay support past 18. In a Kansas order, support automatically goes down as each child emancipates (for example, by one-third when one of three children turns 18).
How is paternity established in Kansas?
Unmarried parents can sign a Paternity Consent Form, usually at the hospital after birth; a parent who signs it is legally presumed to be the parent. If paternity is disputed, the court may order genetic testing; CSS schedules it at no cost, and the State pays for the first test.
Who pays for the child's health insurance in Kansas?
CSS establishes orders for both financial and medical support, and can use a Medical Withholding Order to enroll the child in the ordered health plan.
More help on our sister sites
Sources
- K.S.A. 23-3001
- K.S.A. 23-3002
- K.S.A. 23-3005
- Kansas CSS: Services
- Kansas CSS: Enforcement
- Kansas CSS: Information for custodial parents (FAQ)
- Kansas CSS: Handbook for parents who receive support (Aug. 2025)
- Kansas CSS Policy Manual
- Kansas CSS License Restriction flyer (July 2025)
- K.S.A. 16-204 (interest on judgments)
- K.S.A. 20-165 (guidelines; unborn child)
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)