Child support in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Bureau of Child Support Enforcement at 1-800-932-0211.
Checked against official sources: Oct 25, 2026. · Free letters and checklist ↓
How much child support in Pennsylvania?
The court adds both parents' monthly net incomes, finds the basic child support amount on the state schedule for that income and number of children, and divides it by each parent's share of the income. Child care, health insurance and other costs are added and shared the same way, and shared custody can lower the amount.
Law: 23 Pa.C.S. 4322; Pa.R.Civ.P. 1910.16-1 to 1910.16-7 (SSR in 1910.16-2(e))
We don't estimate Pennsylvania'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 Pennsylvania
- Phone
- 1-800-932-0211 (Child Support Helpline)
- Apply
- Apply online
- How to open a case
Apply online through E-Services on the Pennsylvania Child Support website, or print and complete the Application for Child or Spousal Support and the Complaint for Support and take them to your county Domestic Relations Section. If you apply for cash assistance, the County Assistance Office refers you.
- Application fee
No application fee is listed. Pennsylvania courts charge a $40.25 fee for each new court action, which the DRS adds to the paying parent's balance once that parent starts paying.
- Yearly fee
$35 a year, paid by the custodial parent who receives $2,000 or more in child support from October 1 to September 30. Not charged if you ever received cash assistance or receive less than $2,000 in the year.
- Forms
- Paternity (legal fatherhood)
An unmarried mother and the biological father can sign the Acknowledgment of Paternity (AOP) form; it must be witnessed by an adult (not the other parent) but does not need a notary. A married woman cannot use the AOP. If the father will not sign, apply at the county Domestic Relations Section to establish paternity through the court, which can order genetic testing.
Pennsylvania child support by topic
How support is calculated in Pennsylvania
The model, the percentages or the official calculator, and low-income rules.
Change child support in Pennsylvania
When you can ask, how to ask, and a review letter.
Collect unpaid support in Pennsylvania
Collection tools, interest and license rules, and a letter.
When support ends in Pennsylvania
The end age, high school and disability rules.
How child support is figured in Pennsylvania
- Model
- Income shares
- How it works
The court adds both parents' monthly net incomes, finds the basic child support amount on the state schedule for that income and number of children, and divides it by each parent's share of the income. Child care, health insurance and other costs are added and shared the same way, and shared custody can lower the amount.
- Low income
A Self-Support Reserve of $1,255 a month protects the paying parent's basic needs. If the paying parent's net income is at or below that amount, the court may order support only after looking at both parties' actual finances and living expenses.
- Official calculator
- Official Pennsylvania child support calculator
- Health insurance and medical costs
Every child support order must include medical support. Health insurance premiums paid by either parent are shared in proportion to income, as are reasonable unreimbursed medical expenses above a yearly amount. 23 Pa.C.S.
Law: 4326; Pa.R.Civ.P. 1910.16-6
Law: 23 Pa.C.S. 4322; Pa.R.Civ.P. 1910.16-1 to 1910.16-7 (SSR in 1910.16-2(e))
Change a child support order in Pennsylvania
- When a change is allowed
When there is a material and substantial change in circumstances, such as new or lost income, higher child care or medical coverage costs, a change in custody, or a child's emancipation. A new guideline amount from revised guidelines may also count.
- How to ask
File a Petition for Modification with your county DRS (paper form from the DRS, or online through E-Services). The DRS schedules an office conference; if either party disagrees with the result, there can be a court hearing.
Law: Pa.R.Civ.P. 1910.19
Can I ask for a change? Check your situation
Collect unpaid child support in Pennsylvania
Arrears means support that is past due. The child support agency can use these tools to collect it:
- Collection tools
- Income withholding (50% to 65% maximum)
- Civil contempt
- Seizing bank accounts
- Seizing personal injury and workers' compensation awards
- Federal and state tax refund intercept
- Driver's, professional, occupational and recreational license suspension
- Passport denial (arrears over $2,500)
- Liens on real property
- Pennsylvania Lottery winnings over $2,500 intercepted
- Credit bureau reporting
- Publishing names of delinquent parents
- License suspension
No active income withholding and overdue support of 3 or more times the monthly support amount, or not obeying subpoenas or warrants in a support or paternity case
- Contempt of court
Willfully not obeying a support order can be punished by jail up to 6 months, a fine up to $1,000, or probation up to 1 year (23 Pa.C.S. 4345). Missing a required court appearance has separate, smaller penalties (23 Pa.C.S. 4344).
Law: 23 Pa.C.S. 4345, 4348, 4355
When child support ends in Pennsylvania
- Support ends
18, or graduation from high school if the child is still in high school, whichever is later.
- Exceptions
Support can continue for an adult child who cannot care for himself or herself (for example, because of special needs), or when the parents agreed to pay longer. Within 6 months before the child turns 18, the DRS sends an emancipation inquiry to check graduation date and any agreement or special needs.
Law: 23 Pa.C.S. 4321(2)-(3); Pa.R.Civ.P. 1910.19(e)
When does support end? Check your situation
Free help in Pennsylvania
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 Pennsylvania's agency contact.
Good to know in Pennsylvania
- In Pennsylvania, each county court's Domestic Relations Section runs child support cases, under the state's Bureau of Child Support Enforcement (PA DHS).
- New guidelines and a new support schedule took effect January 1, 2026, with a Self-Support Reserve of $1,255 a month (Pa.R.Civ.P. 1910.16-2, 1910.16-3).
- The $35 annual fee applies only if you receive $2,000 or more in a year, higher than the federal $550 floor (PA DHS).
Changes in 2024–2026
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court amended the support guidelines on August 11, 2025, effective January 1, 2026 (55 Pa.B. 5978), including an updated basic child support schedule and a Self-Support Reserve of $1,255. Rule 1910.16-2 was also amended October 25, 2024 (54 Pa.B. 7348).
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 Pennsylvania
How is child support calculated in Pennsylvania?
The court adds both parents' monthly net incomes, finds the basic child support amount on the state schedule for that income and number of children, and divides it by each parent's share of the income. Child care, health insurance and other costs are added and shared the same way, and shared custody can lower the amount.
Is there an official child support calculator for Pennsylvania?
What if the paying parent has a low income in Pennsylvania?
A Self-Support Reserve of $1,255 a month protects the paying parent's basic needs. If the paying parent's net income is at or below that amount, the court may order support only after looking at both parties' actual finances and living expenses.
How do I apply for child support in Pennsylvania?
Apply online through E-Services on the Pennsylvania Child Support website, or print and complete the Application for Child or Spousal Support and the Complaint for Support and take them to your county Domestic Relations Section. If you apply for cash assistance, the County Assistance Office refers you.
Does it cost money to open a child support case in Pennsylvania?
No application fee is listed. Pennsylvania courts charge a $40.25 fee for each new court action, which the DRS adds to the paying parent's balance once that parent starts paying.
Is there a yearly fee for child support services in Pennsylvania?
$35 a year, paid by the custodial parent who receives $2,000 or more in child support from October 1 to September 30. Not charged if you ever received cash assistance or receive less than $2,000 in the year.
When can child support be changed in Pennsylvania?
When there is a material and substantial change in circumstances, such as new or lost income, higher child care or medical coverage costs, a change in custody, or a child's emancipation. A new guideline amount from revised guidelines may also count.
How do I ask to change child support in Pennsylvania?
File a Petition for Modification with your county DRS (paper form from the DRS, or online through E-Services). The DRS schedules an office conference; if either party disagrees with the result, there can be a court hearing.
What happens if child support is not paid in Pennsylvania?
Arrears means support that is past due. The child support agency can use these tools to collect it: Income withholding (50% to 65% maximum); Civil contempt; Seizing bank accounts; Seizing personal injury and workers' compensation awards; Federal and state tax refund intercept; Driver's, professional, occupational and recreational license suspension; Passport denial (arrears over $2,500); Liens on real property; Pennsylvania Lottery winnings over $2,500 intercepted; Credit bureau reporting; Publishing names of delinquent parents.
Can a license be suspended for unpaid child support in Pennsylvania?
No active income withholding and overdue support of 3 or more times the monthly support amount, or not obeying subpoenas or warrants in a support or paternity case
Can a parent be held in contempt for not paying in Pennsylvania?
Willfully not obeying a support order can be punished by jail up to 6 months, a fine up to $1,000, or probation up to 1 year (23 Pa.C.S. 4345). Missing a required court appearance has separate, smaller penalties (23 Pa.C.S. 4344).
When does child support end in Pennsylvania?
18, or graduation from high school if the child is still in high school, whichever is later.
Does child support continue while my child finishes high school in Pennsylvania?
18, or graduation from high school if the child is still in high school, whichever is later.
Can child support continue past the usual age in Pennsylvania?
Support can continue for an adult child who cannot care for himself or herself (for example, because of special needs), or when the parents agreed to pay longer. Within 6 months before the child turns 18, the DRS sends an emancipation inquiry to check graduation date and any agreement or special needs.
How is paternity established in Pennsylvania?
An unmarried mother and the biological father can sign the Acknowledgment of Paternity (AOP) form; it must be witnessed by an adult (not the other parent) but does not need a notary. A married woman cannot use the AOP. If the father will not sign, apply at the county Domestic Relations Section to establish paternity through the court, which can order genetic testing.
Who pays for the child's health insurance in Pennsylvania?
Every child support order must include medical support. Health insurance premiums paid by either parent are shared in proportion to income, as are reasonable unreimbursed medical expenses above a yearly amount. 23 Pa.C.S.
More help on our sister sites
Sources
- How to Apply for Child Support Services (PA DHS)
- Apply for Child Support Services (pa.gov)
- Bureau of Child Support Enforcement
- Pa.R.Civ.P. 1910.16-2
- Pa.R.Civ.P. 1910.16-3 (schedule)
- Pa.R.Civ.P. 1910.16-6
- Pa.R.Civ.P. 1910.19
- 23 Pa.C.S. Chapter 43
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)