When child support ends in Rhode Island

The age support ends, the high school and disability rules, and what happens with orders from other states.

Checked against official sources: Oct 25, 2026.

Short answer

18. If the child is in high school at 18, the court may order support until 90 days after graduation, but never past the 19th birthday.

Usual end age
18
Law
R.I. Gen. Laws 15-5-16.2(b)

When support stops in Rhode Island

18. If the child is in high school at 18, the court may order support until 90 days after graduation, but never past the 19th birthday.

Law: R.I. Gen. Laws 15-5-16.2(b)

The court may order support past that point for a child with a severe physical or mental impairment who still lives with or is cared for by a parent, if the disability began before emancipation.

When does support end? Check your situation

Rhode Island's rule: 18. If the child is in high school at 18, the court may order support until 90 days after graduation, but never past the 19th birthday.

Law: R.I. Gen. Laws 15-5-16.2(b)

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

What to do now in Rhode Island

  1. Check the order

    Some orders set their own end date.

  2. Know the age

    The rule in Rhode Island: 18. If the child is in high school at 18, the court may order support until 90 days after graduation, but never past the 19th birthday.

  3. Tell the agency

    Ask the agency how and when payments stop: Rhode Island Department of Human Services, Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) ((401) 458-4400)

  4. Settle past-due support

    Support that was due remains owed.

  5. Ask for free help

    Free help: Rhode Island Legal Services.

Where to get free help in Rhode Island

Questions about when support ends in Rhode Island

When does child support end in Rhode Island?

18. If the child is in high school at 18, the court may order support until 90 days after graduation, but never past the 19th birthday.

What if my child is still in high school in Rhode Island?

If the child is in high school at 18, the court may order support until 90 days after graduation, but never past the 19th birthday.

Can child support continue past the usual age in Rhode Island?

The court may order support past that point for a child with a severe physical or mental impairment who still lives with or is cared for by a parent, if the disability began before emancipation.

More for Rhode Island

Sources

Sources

Last checked: Oct 25, 2026.

Federal sources