Child support in Nevada
Nevada figures child support as a percentage of the paying parent's gross income, lower on income over $6,000 a month: 16% for 1 child, 22% for 2 and 26% for 3 on the first $6,000. To open a case, contact the Nevada Division of Social Services, Child Support Enforcement Program at (800) 992-0900.
- 1 child16%
- 2 children22%
- 3 children26%
- 4 children28%
- 5 children30%
Percent of the first $6,000 of gross monthly income.
Checked against official sources: Oct 25, 2026. · Free letters and checklist ↓
Estimate child support in Nevada
Enter the income and the number of children. We apply Nevada's guideline percentage. It is a starting point, not the amount a court or agency will order.
Open a child support case in Nevada
- Phone
- (800) 992-0900; Northern Nevada (775) 684-7200; Southern Nevada (702) 486-1646
- Apply
- Apply online
- How to open a case
Download and complete the Application for Child Support Services (English or Spanish) and mail, fax or bring it to your local Child Support office; you can also apply through the Child Support Customer Service Portal. The office can find the other parent, establish paternity and get a support order; it does not handle custody or visitation. Or you can ask the district court for support in a divorce, custody or paternity case.
- Application fee
$0. The application lists no application fee; the court self-help center says the Child Support Office can file a case to establish paternity and support at no cost to either party.
- Yearly fee
$35 per case each federal fiscal year (October 1-September 30), charged once more than $550 has been collected and paid out, only if the person receiving support has never received TANF. Source: Child Support Apply page and application.
- Forms
- Paternity (legal fatherhood)
If the parents are not married, both can sign a Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity (notarized or witnessed) at the hospital or through the Office of Vital Records; the father's name then goes on the birth certificate. If the father denies paternity, the mother or the Child Support office can bring a paternity case and genetic testing can be ordered; a 99% or higher probability makes him the legal father. A paternity case can be started any time before the child turns 21.
Nevada child support by topic
How support is calculated in Nevada
The model, the percentages or the official calculator, and low-income rules.
Change child support in Nevada
When you can ask, how to ask, and a review letter.
Collect unpaid support in Nevada
Collection tools, interest and license rules, and a letter.
When support ends in Nevada
The end age, high school and disability rules.
How child support is figured in Nevada
- Model
- Percentage of income
- How it works
Support is a set percentage of the paying parent's gross monthly income, with lower percentages on income above $6,000 and above $10,000 a month. The court can then adjust it for things like child care, health insurance, special needs and each parent's income and time with the child.
- Percentages
On the first $6,000 of gross monthly income / $6,001-$10,000 / over $10,000: 1 child 16% / 8% / 4%; 2 children 22% / 11% / 6%; 3 children 26% / 13% / 6%; 4 children 28% / 14% / 7%; each additional child adds 2% / 1% / 0.5%.
Law: NAC 425.140
- Low income
If the paying parent's economic circumstances limit the ability to pay, the court uses a low-income schedule based on the federal poverty guidelines, published each year by the Administrative Office of the Courts by March 31. If income is below the lowest level of that schedule, the court sets an amount that balances the parent's self-support with the child's needs. Incarceration for 180 days or more is a substantial change that allows review, and it is not treated as voluntary unemployment.
Law: NAC 425.145; NAC 425.155
- Official calculator
- Official Nevada child support calculator
- Health insurance and medical costs
The order must provide medical support, which includes paying for accessible medical, vision or dental coverage (including public plans such as Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program) that is reasonable in cost: generally no more than 5% of the responsible parent's monthly gross income. NAC 425.135. Failing to provide court-ordered health insurance can also lead to license action.
Law: NRS 425.560
Law: NRS 125B.080, 425.620; NAC 425.100-425.170
Change a child support order in Nevada
- When a change is allowed
You can ask for a review at least every 3 years. You can also ask at any time based on changed circumstances; a change of 20% or more in a parent's gross monthly income counts as changed circumstances that require a review. A change applies only to payments due after notice of the motion.
Law: NRS 125B.145, 125B.140(1)(b)
- How to ask
If you have a Child Support Enforcement case, ask your Child Support office for a review. Or file a Motion to Modify Child Custody, Visitation and/or Child Support in district court with a Financial Disclosure Form and your three most recent paystubs.
Can I ask for a change? Check your situation
Collect unpaid child support in Nevada
Arrears means support that is past due. The child support agency can use these tools to collect it:
- Collection tools
- Income withholding (wage garnishment)
- IRS tax refund and federal payment intercept
- Driver's, professional, occupational and recreational license suspension
- Liens on real and personal property (recorded support order)
- Passport revocation or denial
- Contempt of court
- License suspension
A parent is 'in arrears' for license action when they owe more than $1,000 in past-due support and are at least 2 months behind, or have not provided court-ordered medical insurance. They can fix it by paying in full, paying the last 12 months of overdue payments set by a court, or following an approved repayment plan.
Law: NRS 425.560
- Contempt of court
If the other parent is not following the order, you can file a motion asking the judge to hold them in contempt and to award the unpaid support.
Source: Nevada Self-Help Center, Contempt
- Interest on unpaid support
Each missed payment becomes a judgment by law when due. When arrears are enforced as a judgment, the court includes interest from the time each payment was due at the NRS 99.040 rate (prime rate at Nevada's largest bank plus 2%, adjusted every January 1 and July 1), plus a reasonable attorney's fee, unless this would cause the paying parent undue hardship.
Law: NRS 125B.140(2)(c)
Law: NRS 125B.140, 125B.142; NRS 425.500-425.560
When child support ends in Nevada
- Support ends
18, or if the child is still in high school, when the child graduates or turns 19, whichever comes first
- Exceptions
A parent must support a child with a handicap (a disability that began before adulthood and prevents substantial gainful activity) beyond 18 until the child is no longer handicapped or becomes self-supporting. If one order covers several children without a separate amount for each, it does not drop automatically when one child ages out; a parent must file a motion to modify or a stipulation. Past-due support must still be paid after emancipation.
Law: NRS 125B.110; NAC 425.160(3); NRS 125B.100
Law: NAC 425.160; NRS 125B.110
When does support end? Check your situation
Free help in Nevada
- State of Nevada Self-Help Center: Find Legal Help
- Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada
- Find free legal help at LawHelp.org
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 Nevada's agency contact.
Good to know in Nevada
- Nevada's guideline uses the paying parent's gross (pre-tax) income, with lower percentages on income above $6,000 and $10,000 a month (NAC 425.140).
- A child support payment becomes a judgment by law on the day it is due and cannot be changed retroactively (NRS 125B.140(1)(a)).
- The State says that starting October 5, 2026, the U.S. Department of State begins revoking passports of parents who owe $15,000 or more in past-due support, as part of a phased lowering of the threshold (DWSS Child Support page).
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 Nevada
How is child support calculated in Nevada?
Support is a set percentage of the paying parent's gross monthly income, with lower percentages on income above $6,000 and above $10,000 a month. The court can then adjust it for things like child care, health insurance, special needs and each parent's income and time with the child.
What percentage of income is child support in Nevada?
On the first $6,000 of gross monthly income / $6,001-$10,000 / over $10,000: 1 child 16% / 8% / 4%; 2 children 22% / 11% / 6%; 3 children 26% / 13% / 6%; 4 children 28% / 14% / 7%; each additional child adds 2% / 1% / 0.5%.
Is there an official child support calculator for Nevada?
What if the paying parent has a low income in Nevada?
If the paying parent's economic circumstances limit the ability to pay, the court uses a low-income schedule based on the federal poverty guidelines, published each year by the Administrative Office of the Courts by March 31. If income is below the lowest level of that schedule, the court sets an amount that balances the parent's self-support with the child's needs. Incarceration for 180 days or more is a substantial change that allows review, and it is not treated as voluntary unemployment.
How do I apply for child support in Nevada?
Download and complete the Application for Child Support Services (English or Spanish) and mail, fax or bring it to your local Child Support office; you can also apply through the Child Support Customer Service Portal. The office can find the other parent, establish paternity and get a support order; it does not handle custody or visitation. Or you can ask the district court for support in a divorce, custody or paternity case.
Does it cost money to open a child support case in Nevada?
$0. The application lists no application fee; the court self-help center says the Child Support Office can file a case to establish paternity and support at no cost to either party.
Is there a yearly fee for child support services in Nevada?
$35 per case each federal fiscal year (October 1-September 30), charged once more than $550 has been collected and paid out, only if the person receiving support has never received TANF. Source: Child Support Apply page and application.
When can child support be changed in Nevada?
You can ask for a review at least every 3 years. You can also ask at any time based on changed circumstances; a change of 20% or more in a parent's gross monthly income counts as changed circumstances that require a review. A change applies only to payments due after notice of the motion.
How do I ask to change child support in Nevada?
If you have a Child Support Enforcement case, ask your Child Support office for a review. Or file a Motion to Modify Child Custody, Visitation and/or Child Support in district court with a Financial Disclosure Form and your three most recent paystubs.
What happens if child support is not paid in Nevada?
Arrears means support that is past due. The child support agency can use these tools to collect it: Income withholding (wage garnishment); IRS tax refund and federal payment intercept; Driver's, professional, occupational and recreational license suspension; Liens on real and personal property (recorded support order); Passport revocation or denial; Contempt of court.
Can a license be suspended for unpaid child support in Nevada?
A parent is 'in arrears' for license action when they owe more than $1,000 in past-due support and are at least 2 months behind, or have not provided court-ordered medical insurance. They can fix it by paying in full, paying the last 12 months of overdue payments set by a court, or following an approved repayment plan.
Can a parent be held in contempt for not paying in Nevada?
If the other parent is not following the order, you can file a motion asking the judge to hold them in contempt and to award the unpaid support.
Is there interest on unpaid child support in Nevada?
Each missed payment becomes a judgment by law when due. When arrears are enforced as a judgment, the court includes interest from the time each payment was due at the NRS 99.040 rate (prime rate at Nevada's largest bank plus 2%, adjusted every January 1 and July 1), plus a reasonable attorney's fee, unless this would cause the paying parent undue hardship.
When does child support end in Nevada?
18, or if the child is still in high school, when the child graduates or turns 19, whichever comes first
Does child support continue while my child finishes high school in Nevada?
18, or if the child is still in high school, when the child graduates or turns 19, whichever comes first
Can child support continue past the usual age in Nevada?
A parent must support a child with a handicap (a disability that began before adulthood and prevents substantial gainful activity) beyond 18 until the child is no longer handicapped or becomes self-supporting. If one order covers several children without a separate amount for each, it does not drop automatically when one child ages out; a parent must file a motion to modify or a stipulation. Past-due support must still be paid after emancipation.
How is paternity established in Nevada?
If the parents are not married, both can sign a Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity (notarized or witnessed) at the hospital or through the Office of Vital Records; the father's name then goes on the birth certificate. If the father denies paternity, the mother or the Child Support office can bring a paternity case and genetic testing can be ordered; a 99% or higher probability makes him the legal father. A paternity case can be started any time before the child turns 21.
Who pays for the child's health insurance in Nevada?
The order must provide medical support, which includes paying for accessible medical, vision or dental coverage (including public plans such as Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program) that is reasonable in cost: generally no more than 5% of the responsible parent's monthly gross income. NAC 425.135. Failing to provide court-ordered health insurance can also lead to license action.
More help on our sister sites
Sources
- DWSS Child Support
- DWSS Child Support - Apply
- DWSS Establishing Paternity
- NAC Chapter 425 (child support guidelines)
- NRS Chapter 125B
- NRS Chapter 425
- NRS 99.040
- Nevada Self-Help Center: Overview of Custody, Paternity, and Child Support
- Nevada Self-Help Center: How to Change Custody or Child Support
- Nevada Self-Help Center: Collecting Child Support
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)