When child support ends in Minnesota

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 20 if the child is still attending secondary school.

Usual end age
18
Latest age in the rule
20
Law
Minn. Stat. §518A.26, subd. 5

Minnesota's rule on the end of support

18, or up to 20 if the child is still attending secondary school

Law: Minn. Stat. §518A.26, subd. 5

Support can continue for a child who cannot support themselves because of a physical or mental condition.

Law: Minn. Stat. §518A.26, subd. 5

When does support end? Check your situation

Minnesota's rule: 18, or up to 20 if the child is still attending secondary school

Law: Minn. Stat. §518A.26, subd. 5

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

  • Wisconsin: 18, or 19 if the child is still enrolled in high school or working…
  • Iowa: 18, or up to 19 while the child is full-time in high school
  • North Dakota: 18
  • South Dakota: 18, or 19 if the child is a full-time student in a secondary

Your next steps in Minnesota

  1. Read your order

    Your order may name an end date or event.

  2. Compare with the law

    Minnesota's rule: 18, or up to 20 if the child is still attending secondary school.

  3. Tell the agency

    The agency can end withholding when support ends: Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), Child Support Division

  4. Clear what is owed

    Support that was due remains owed.

Free help in Minnesota

Questions about when support ends in Minnesota

When does child support end in Minnesota?

18, or up to 20 if the child is still attending secondary school

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

18, or up to 20 if the child is still attending secondary school

Are there exceptions to the end age in Minnesota?

Support can continue for a child who cannot support themselves because of a physical or mental condition.

Related Minnesota pages

Sources

Sources

Last checked: Oct 25, 2026.

Federal sources