When child support ends in Michigan

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 years and 6 months if the child is attending high school full time with a reasonable expectation of graduating and lives full time with the parent receiving support.

Usual end age
18
Latest age in the rule
19
Law
MCL 552.605b

Michigan's rule on the end of support

18, or up to 19 years and 6 months if the child is attending high school full time with a reasonable expectation of graduating and lives full time with the parent receiving support

Law: MCL 552.605b

Support after 18 beyond this is enforceable only if the parents agreed to it. The order must name the last month of support.

Law: MCL 552.605b(5)

When does support end? Check your situation

Michigan's rule: 18, or up to 19 years and 6 months if the child is attending high school full time with a reasonable expectation of graduating and lives full time with the parent receiving support

Law: MCL 552.605b

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

Orders 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)

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

  • Wisconsin: 18, or 19 if the child is still enrolled in high school or working…
  • Ohio: 18
  • Indiana: 19
  • Illinois: 18, or up to 19 if the child is still in high school

Your next steps in Michigan

  1. Look at the end date

    Your order may name an end date or event.

  2. Compare with the law

    The rule in Michigan: 18, or up to 19 years and 6 months if the child is attending high school full time with a reasonable expectation of graduating and lives full time with the parent receiving support.

  3. Contact the agency

    The agency can end withholding when support ends: Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), Office of Child Support · Apply online

  4. Settle past-due support

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

  5. Ask for free help

    Ask for free help: Michigan Legal Help (legal aid guides and referrals).

Where to get free help in Michigan

Questions about when support ends in Michigan

At what age does child support stop in Michigan?

18, or up to 19 years and 6 months if the child is attending high school full time with a reasonable expectation of graduating and lives full time with the parent receiving support

What if my child is still in high school in Michigan?

18, or up to 19 years and 6 months if the child is attending high school full time with a reasonable expectation of graduating and lives full time with the parent receiving support

When can support last longer in Michigan?

Support after 18 beyond this is enforceable only if the parents agreed to it. The order must name the last month of support.

Related Michigan pages

Sources

Sources

Last checked: Oct 25, 2026.

Federal sources