When child support ends in Louisiana

When payments stop, when they can continue, and why past-due support is still owed.

Checked against official sources: Oct 25, 2026.

Short answer

18, or up to 19 if the unmarried child is a full-time student in good standing in high school (or its equivalent) and still depends on a parent.

Usual end age
18
Latest age in the rule
19
Law
La. R.S. 9:315.22; La. R.S. 9:315.22.1; La. R.S. 9:315.14

The end age in Louisiana

18, or up to 19 if the unmarried child is a full-time student in good standing in high school (or its equivalent) and still depends on a parent

Law: La. R.S. 9:315.22; La. R.S. 9:315.22.1; La. R.S. 9:315.14

Support continues to age 22 for a child with a developmental disability who is a full-time high school student. Support can continue indefinitely for a child who cannot support themselves because of an intellectual or physical disability that showed up before age 18; the motion must be filed before the child turns 18 for a minor child. Parents can agree to more.

When does support end? Check your situation

Louisiana's rule: 18, or up to 19 if the unmarried child is a full-time student in good standing in high school (or its equivalent) and still depends on a parent

Law: La. R.S. 9:315.22; La. R.S. 9:315.22.1; La. R.S. 9:315.14

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

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)

What is owed stays 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

Steps as support ends in Louisiana

  1. Check the order

    Some orders set their own end date.

  2. Know the age

    In Louisiana: 18, or up to 19 if the unmarried child is a full-time student in good standing in high school (or its equivalent) and still depends on a parent.

  3. Contact the agency

    Ask the agency how and when payments stop: Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), Child Support Enforcement (1-877-752-3237) · Apply online

  4. Clear what is owed

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

Free help in Louisiana

Questions about when support ends in Louisiana

At what age does child support stop in Louisiana?

18, or up to 19 if the unmarried child is a full-time student in good standing in high school (or its equivalent) and still depends on a parent

Is there support during the last year of high school in Louisiana?

18, or up to 19 if the unmarried child is a full-time student in good standing in high school (or its equivalent) and still depends on a parent

Are there exceptions to the end age in Louisiana?

Support continues to age 22 for a child with a developmental disability who is a full-time high school student. Support can continue indefinitely for a child who cannot support themselves because of an intellectual or physical disability that showed up before age 18; the motion must be filed before the child turns 18 for a minor child. Parents can agree to more.

Related Louisiana pages

Sources

Sources

Last checked: Oct 25, 2026.

Federal sources