When child support ends in Maine

The age support ends, the high school and disability rules, and what happens with orders from other states.

Checked against official sources: Oct 25, 2026.

Short answer

18, or until the child graduates, leaves or is expelled from secondary school, or turns 19, whichever comes first, if the child is still in high school at 18.

Usual end age
18
Latest age in the rule
19
Law
19-A M.R.S. §1653

Maine's rule on the end of support

18, or until the child graduates, leaves or is expelled from secondary school, or turns 19, whichever comes first, if the child is still in high school at 18

Law: 19-A M.R.S. §1653

An order also ends if the child marries or joins the armed services.

Law: 19-A M.R.S. §1653(12)

When does support end? Check your situation

Maine's rule: 18, or until the child graduates, leaves or is expelled from secondary school, or turns 19, whichever comes first, if the child is still in high school at 18

Law: 19-A M.R.S. §1653

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

Moved to 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

Steps as support ends in Maine

  1. Check the order

    Your order may name an end date or event.

  2. Check the rule

    Maine's rule: 18, or until the child graduates, leaves or is expelled from secondary school, or turns 19, whichever comes first, if the child is still in high school at 18.

  3. Update the agency

    Ask the agency how and when payments stop: Maine DHHS, Office for Family Independence, Division of Support Enforcement and Recovery (DSER) ((207) 624-4100) · Apply online

  4. Pay or collect arrears

    Support that was due remains owed.

  5. Get help

    Free help: Pine Tree Legal Assistance.

Free help in Maine

Questions about when support ends in Maine

How long does child support last in Maine?

18, or until the child graduates, leaves or is expelled from secondary school, or turns 19, whichever comes first, if the child is still in high school at 18

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

18, or until the child graduates, leaves or is expelled from secondary school, or turns 19, whichever comes first, if the child is still in high school at 18

Are there exceptions to the end age in Maine?

An order also ends if the child marries or joins the armed services.

More for Maine

Sources

Sources

Last checked: Oct 25, 2026.

Federal sources