Child support in Oklahoma
Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma Human Services, Child Support Services (CSS) at (405) 522-2273.
Checked against official sources: Oct 25, 2026. · Free letters and checklist ↓
How much child support in Oklahoma?
Support is figured from both parents' combined gross monthly income. The state schedule gives the total support for that income and number of children, and each parent pays his or her percentage share. Health insurance, child care and a parenting-time adjustment (121 or more overnights a year) can change the amount.
Law: 43 O.S. 118-119 (118B imputed income, 118D computation, 118E parenting time, 119 schedule)
We don't estimate Oklahoma'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 Oklahoma
- Phone
- (405) 522-2273; Tulsa metro (918) 295-3500
- Apply
- Apply online
- How to open a case
Apply online at okbenefits.org, or fill out form 03EN001E and mail it with copies of any orders to Case Initiation Center, P.O. Box 248843, Oklahoma City, OK 73124-8843. Families on TANF or non-TANF Medicaid are referred automatically.
Source: Application for Child Support Services
- Yearly fee
$35 federal fee each year (starting October 1) on cases that never received TANF, after $550 has been sent to the family. Oklahoma also keeps a 3% service fee, up to $10 a month, from support it sends you (not charged to families on TANF or SoonerCare).
- Paternity (legal fatherhood)
Unmarried parents can both sign an Acknowledgment of Paternity, often at the hospital. If the mother is married to someone else, the husband must also sign a Denial of Paternity (03PA210E). CSS can also arrange genetic testing, or a judge can decide.
Source: form 03PA209E
Oklahoma child support by topic
How support is calculated in Oklahoma
The model, the percentages or the official calculator, and low-income rules.
Change child support in Oklahoma
When you can ask, how to ask, and a review letter.
Collect unpaid support in Oklahoma
Collection tools, interest and license rules, and a letter.
When support ends in Oklahoma
The end age, high school and disability rules.
How child support is figured in Oklahoma
- Model
- Income shares
- How it works
Support is figured from both parents' combined gross monthly income. The state schedule gives the total support for that income and number of children, and each parent pays his or her percentage share. Health insurance, child care and a parenting-time adjustment (121 or more overnights a year) can change the amount.
- Low income
The schedule starts at $50 a month for very low combined incomes. Income can be imputed at minimum wage for at least 25 hours a week when a parent is unemployed or underemployed.
- Official calculator
- Official Oklahoma child support calculator
- Health insurance and medical costs
Every new or changed order must include medical support: health insurance, cash medical support, or both. Insurance counts as reasonable in cost if the covering parent's share of the premium is no more than 5% of that parent's gross income.
Law: 43 O.S. 118F
Law: 43 O.S. 118-119 (118B imputed income, 118D computation, 118E parenting time, 119 schedule)
Change a child support order in Oklahoma
- When a change is allowed
An order can be changed after a material change in circumstances, such as a change in a parent's income or the child's needs, a parent being jailed more than 180 days in a row, or changes in child care or insurance costs. A new guideline schedule alone is not a reason. The change starts the month after the motion is filed, never earlier.
- How to ask
Send a written request to the CSS office handling your case, or file a Motion to Modify yourself in administrative court (03RA302E) or district court (03RA303E). If both parents agree, they can submit standard modification forms with the computation form for the court to approve.
Law: 43 O.S. 118I; 43 O.S. 118.1
Can I ask for a change? Check your situation
Collect unpaid child support in Oklahoma
Arrears means support that is past due. The child support agency can use these tools to collect it:
- Collection tools
- Income withholding from wages, unemployment, workers' compensation and retirement
- Passport denial
- Credit bureau reporting
- Tax refund intercept
- Seizing bank accounts, lottery winnings and insurance proceeds
- Court-ordered payment plan on arrears
- Driver's, professional and recreational license revocation
- Contempt of court, including jail as a last resort
- License suspension
Unpaid support equal to at least 90 days of support, or not following a payment plan or insurance order for 90 days
Law: 43 O.S. 139.1
- Contempt of court
When a case meets criteria, CSS can file a contempt action asking a district judge to make the parent pay; jail is a last resort.
- Interest on unpaid support
2% per year on court-ordered past-due child support, from the date each payment became late.
Law: 43 O.S. 114
Law: 43 O.S. 115, 139.1
When child support ends in Oklahoma
- Support ends
18, or until high school graduation or age 20, whichever comes first, if the child is a full-time high school student. No new court order is needed for the extension.
- Exceptions
A court can order support for an indefinite period for an adult child with a mental or physical disability that began before 18 and who cannot support himself or herself.
Law: 43 O.S. 112.1A
Law: 43 O.S. 112(E), 112.1A
When does support end? Check your situation
Free help in Oklahoma
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 Oklahoma's agency contact.
Good to know in Oklahoma
- Support stops building up automatically while a paying parent is jailed 180 days or more, unless the presumption is rebutted or the jailing is for nonsupport (43 O.S. 118I(E)).
- Oklahoma charges only 2% yearly interest on past-due support (43 O.S. 114).
- Support continues to age 20 for a full-time high school student (43 O.S. 112(E)).
Changes in 2024–2026
The Legislature (Senate Judiciary Committee) did the 2026 quadrennial review of the guidelines on May 4, 2026; OKDHS lists May 1, 2026 as the current guidelines' effective date and May 1, 2030 as the next review.
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 Oklahoma
How is child support calculated in Oklahoma?
Support is figured from both parents' combined gross monthly income. The state schedule gives the total support for that income and number of children, and each parent pays his or her percentage share. Health insurance, child care and a parenting-time adjustment (121 or more overnights a year) can change the amount.
Is there an official child support calculator for Oklahoma?
What if the paying parent has a low income in Oklahoma?
The schedule starts at $50 a month for very low combined incomes. Income can be imputed at minimum wage for at least 25 hours a week when a parent is unemployed or underemployed.
How do I apply for child support in Oklahoma?
Apply online at okbenefits.org, or fill out form 03EN001E and mail it with copies of any orders to Case Initiation Center, P.O. Box 248843, Oklahoma City, OK 73124-8843. Families on TANF or non-TANF Medicaid are referred automatically.
Is there a yearly fee for child support services in Oklahoma?
$35 federal fee each year (starting October 1) on cases that never received TANF, after $550 has been sent to the family. Oklahoma also keeps a 3% service fee, up to $10 a month, from support it sends you (not charged to families on TANF or SoonerCare).
When can child support be changed in Oklahoma?
An order can be changed after a material change in circumstances, such as a change in a parent's income or the child's needs, a parent being jailed more than 180 days in a row, or changes in child care or insurance costs. A new guideline schedule alone is not a reason. The change starts the month after the motion is filed, never earlier.
How do I ask to change child support in Oklahoma?
Send a written request to the CSS office handling your case, or file a Motion to Modify yourself in administrative court (03RA302E) or district court (03RA303E). If both parents agree, they can submit standard modification forms with the computation form for the court to approve.
What happens if child support is not paid in Oklahoma?
Arrears means support that is past due. The child support agency can use these tools to collect it: Income withholding from wages, unemployment, workers' compensation and retirement; Passport denial; Credit bureau reporting; Tax refund intercept; Seizing bank accounts, lottery winnings and insurance proceeds; Court-ordered payment plan on arrears; Driver's, professional and recreational license revocation; Contempt of court, including jail as a last resort.
Can a license be suspended for unpaid child support in Oklahoma?
Unpaid support equal to at least 90 days of support, or not following a payment plan or insurance order for 90 days
Can a parent be held in contempt for not paying in Oklahoma?
When a case meets criteria, CSS can file a contempt action asking a district judge to make the parent pay; jail is a last resort.
Is there interest on unpaid child support in Oklahoma?
2% per year on court-ordered past-due child support, from the date each payment became late.
When does child support end in Oklahoma?
18, or until high school graduation or age 20, whichever comes first, if the child is a full-time high school student. No new court order is needed for the extension.
Does child support continue while my child finishes high school in Oklahoma?
18, or until high school graduation or age 20, whichever comes first, if the child is a full-time high school student.
Can child support continue past the usual age in Oklahoma?
A court can order support for an indefinite period for an adult child with a mental or physical disability that began before 18 and who cannot support himself or herself.
How is paternity established in Oklahoma?
Unmarried parents can both sign an Acknowledgment of Paternity, often at the hospital. If the mother is married to someone else, the husband must also sign a Denial of Paternity (03PA210E). CSS can also arrange genetic testing, or a judge can decide.
Who pays for the child's health insurance in Oklahoma?
Every new or changed order must include medical support: health insurance, cash medical support, or both. Insurance counts as reasonable in cost if the covering parent's share of the premium is no more than 5% of that parent's gross income.
More help on our sister sites
Sources
- OKDHS Child Support Services
- Application for Services Information
- Guidelines and Computation
- Quadrennial Review
- Enforce a Child Support Order
- Paternity Establishment Process
- Oklahoma Statutes Title 43 (Legislature, complete title)
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)