Child support in Maryland
Maryland 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 Maryland Department of Human Services, Child Support Administration (CSA) at 1-800-332-6347.
Checked against official sources: Oct 25, 2026. · Free letters and checklist ↓
How much child support in Maryland?
Both parents' monthly adjusted actual incomes are added together. The state schedule gives a basic amount for that income and number of children, and each parent pays a share in proportion to their income. Work-related child care, health insurance and extraordinary medical costs (over $250 a year) are added and split the same way. Shared custody starts at more than 25% of overnights (92 or more).
Law: Md. Code, Family Law §§12-201 to 12-204
We don't estimate Maryland'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 Maryland
- Phone
- 1-800-332-6347 (TTY 1-800-735-2258)
- Apply
- Apply online
- How to open a case
Apply for child support services online at marylandbenefits.gov (recommended), or get a paper application from your local child support office or by calling 800-332-6347. If you want an order set or changed, include a Financial Statement. You can also file a Complaint for Child Support (CC-DR-001) with a financial statement in circuit court, or ask for support in a divorce or custody case.
- Application fee
$15 one-time application fee per case (plus a $1.50 convenience fee if you apply online and must pay it). No fee if you get or used to get Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA) or Medical Assistance.
- Yearly fee
$15 a year on certain cases (generally families that never received Temporary Cash Assistance) once $3,500 in support has been paid out in the year.
- Forms
- Paternity (legal fatherhood)
Unmarried parents can sign an Affidavit of Parentage (English and Spanish versions on the CSA site). The CSA can also help establish paternity, including through genetic testing and a court order.
Maryland child support by topic
How support is calculated in Maryland
The model, the percentages or the official calculator, and low-income rules.
Change child support in Maryland
When you can ask, how to ask, and a review letter.
Collect unpaid support in Maryland
Collection tools, interest and license rules, and a letter.
When support ends in Maryland
The end age, high school and disability rules.
How child support is figured in Maryland
- Model
- Income shares
- How it works
Both parents' monthly adjusted actual incomes are added together. The state schedule gives a basic amount for that income and number of children, and each parent pays a share in proportion to their income. Work-related child care, health insurance and extraordinary medical costs (over $250 a year) are added and split the same way. Shared custody starts at more than 25% of overnights (92 or more).
- Low income
The schedule includes a self-support reserve so the paying parent keeps at least 110% of the 2019 federal poverty level for one person after support and taxes. At a combined income of $0 to $1,200 a month, the schedule amount is $50 for one child up to $60 for six or more.
Law: Md. Code, Fam. Law §§12-201(n), 12-204(e)
- Official calculator
- Official Maryland child support calculator
- Health insurance and medical costs
The actual cost of health insurance (medical, dental, prescription and vision) for the child is added to the basic support amount and split by income. Uninsured medical costs over $250 a year are split the same way.
Law: Md. Code, Fam. Law §§12-201(g)-(h), 12-204(h)
Law: Md. Code, Family Law §§12-201 to 12-204
Change a child support order in Maryland
- When a change is allowed
The court can change support after a motion is filed and you show a material change of circumstance. It can't go back before the date the motion was filed. A new guideline revision by itself is not a material change. Incarceration can be a material change if it sufficiently reduces the parent's ability to pay.
Law: Md. Code, Fam. Law §§12-104, 12-202(d)
- How to ask
File a Petition to Modify Child Support (CC-DR-006) with a Financial Statement in circuit court, or contact your local child support office, which has a modification packet.
Law: Md. Code, Family Law §12-104
Can I ask for a change? Check your situation
Collect unpaid child support in Maryland
Arrears means support that is past due. The child support agency can use these tools to collect it:
- Collection tools
- Wage withholding
- Federal and state tax refund offset
- Driver's license suspension
- Professional license suspension
- Passport denial ($2,500 or more owed)
- Bank account match and garnishment
- Credit bureau reporting
- Administrative liens
- Lottery intercept ($150 or more owed)
- Unemployment and workers' compensation intercept
- Civil contempt
- License suspension
Driver's license: 120 days or more out of compliance with the most recent order (since October 1, 2025), and not if your income is at or below 250% of the federal poverty level unless support was based on imputed income. Professional license: 120 days or more out of compliance.
Law: Md. Code, Fam. Law §§10-119, 10-119.3
- Contempt of court
A judge can find a parent in civil contempt for not paying when the parent is able to pay, which can include jail.
Law: Md. Code, Family Law §§10-119, 10-119.3
When child support ends in Maryland
- Support ends
18, or until 19 if the child is still enrolled in secondary school (ends earlier if the child graduates or leaves school, marries or is emancipated)
- Exceptions
Maryland law requires a parent who has or can earn enough money to provide food, shelter, care and clothing for a destitute adult child, meaning an adult child with no means of support who can't support themselves because of a mental or physical infirmity.
Law: Md. Code, Fam. Law §§13-101, 13-102
Law: Md. Code, General Provisions §1-401
When does support end? Check your situation
Free help in Maryland
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 Maryland's agency contact.
Good to know in Maryland
- Maryland charges a small $15 application fee and a $15 annual fee instead of the usual $25 and $35 (CSA fee disclosure).
- A parent who is incarcerated can't be treated as voluntarily impoverished, and potential income can't be imputed to a parent who is caring for the parents' child under age 2 or who is unable to work because of a disability (Md. Code, Fam. Law §12-204(b)).
Changes in 2024–2026
Effective October 1, 2025: driver's license referral now requires 120 days out of compliance (was 60) and parents at or below 250% of the federal poverty level are exempt unless support was based on imputed income; and the Multifamily Adjustment law lets the court deduct an allowance for other children living in a parent's home more than 92 overnights a year (75% of the guideline amount for that child), but not when support is based on imputed income.
Law: HB 275 / SB 1038
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 Maryland
How is child support calculated in Maryland?
Both parents' monthly adjusted actual incomes are added together. The state schedule gives a basic amount for that income and number of children, and each parent pays a share in proportion to their income. Work-related child care, health insurance and extraordinary medical costs (over $250 a year) are added and split the same way. Shared custody starts at more than 25% of overnights (92 or more).
Is there an official child support calculator for Maryland?
What if the paying parent has a low income in Maryland?
The schedule includes a self-support reserve so the paying parent keeps at least 110% of the 2019 federal poverty level for one person after support and taxes. At a combined income of $0 to $1,200 a month, the schedule amount is $50 for one child up to $60 for six or more.
How do I apply for child support in Maryland?
Apply for child support services online at marylandbenefits.gov (recommended), or get a paper application from your local child support office or by calling 800-332-6347. If you want an order set or changed, include a Financial Statement. You can also file a Complaint for Child Support (CC-DR-001) with a financial statement in circuit court, or ask for support in a divorce or custody case.
Does it cost money to open a child support case in Maryland?
$15 one-time application fee per case (plus a $1.50 convenience fee if you apply online and must pay it). No fee if you get or used to get Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA) or Medical Assistance.
Is there a yearly fee for child support services in Maryland?
$15 a year on certain cases (generally families that never received Temporary Cash Assistance) once $3,500 in support has been paid out in the year.
When can child support be changed in Maryland?
The court can change support after a motion is filed and you show a material change of circumstance. It can't go back before the date the motion was filed. A new guideline revision by itself is not a material change. Incarceration can be a material change if it sufficiently reduces the parent's ability to pay.
How do I ask to change child support in Maryland?
File a Petition to Modify Child Support (CC-DR-006) with a Financial Statement in circuit court, or contact your local child support office, which has a modification packet.
What happens if child support is not paid in Maryland?
Arrears means support that is past due. The child support agency can use these tools to collect it: Wage withholding; Federal and state tax refund offset; Driver's license suspension; Professional license suspension; Passport denial ($2,500 or more owed); Bank account match and garnishment; Credit bureau reporting; Administrative liens; Lottery intercept ($150 or more owed); Unemployment and workers' compensation intercept; Civil contempt.
Can a license be suspended for unpaid child support in Maryland?
Driver's license: 120 days or more out of compliance with the most recent order (since October 1, 2025), and not if your income is at or below 250% of the federal poverty level unless support was based on imputed income. Professional license: 120 days or more out of compliance.
Can a parent be held in contempt for not paying in Maryland?
A judge can find a parent in civil contempt for not paying when the parent is able to pay, which can include jail.
When does child support end in Maryland?
18, or until 19 if the child is still enrolled in secondary school (ends earlier if the child graduates or leaves school, marries or is emancipated)
Does child support continue while my child finishes high school in Maryland?
18, or until 19 if the child is still enrolled in secondary school (ends earlier if the child graduates or leaves school, marries or is emancipated)
Can child support continue past the usual age in Maryland?
Maryland law requires a parent who has or can earn enough money to provide food, shelter, care and clothing for a destitute adult child, meaning an adult child with no means of support who can't support themselves because of a mental or physical infirmity.
How is paternity established in Maryland?
Unmarried parents can sign an Affidavit of Parentage (English and Spanish versions on the CSA site). The CSA can also help establish paternity, including through genetic testing and a court order.
Who pays for the child's health insurance in Maryland?
The actual cost of health insurance (medical, dental, prescription and vision) for the child is added to the basic support amount and split by income. Uninsured medical costs over $250 a year are split the same way.
More help on our sister sites
Sources
- Md. Code, Family Law §12-201 Definitions
- Md. Code, Family Law §12-202 Guidelines presumption
- Md. Code, Family Law §12-204 Schedule
- Md. Code, Family Law §12-104 Modification
- Md. Code, Family Law §10-119 Driver's license suspension
- Md. Code, General Provisions §1-401 Age of majority; support to 19 in school
- CSA: How to Open a Child Support Case (fee disclosure)
- CSA: Enforcement Tools
- CSA: New Driver's License Suspension Law
- CSA: Multifamily Adjustment Law Changes
- Maryland Courts: Child Support
- Md. Code, Family Law §13-102 Destitute adult 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)