When child support ends in South Carolina
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. If the child is still enrolled in and attending high school, support continues until high school graduation or the end of the school year after the child turns 19, whichever is later.
- Usual end age
- 18
- Latest age in the rule
- 19
- Law
- S.C. Code 63-3-530(A)(17)
When support stops in South Carolina
18. If the child is still enrolled in and attending high school, support continues until high school graduation or the end of the school year after the child turns 19, whichever is later.
Law: S.C. Code 63-3-530(A)(17)
Support can continue past 18 under an earlier agreement or order, or at the court's discretion for a child with a physical or mental disability or other exceptional circumstances. Support ends earlier if the child marries or becomes self-supporting. The paying parent may need to ask the court for a dismissal order.
When does support end? Check your situation
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
- North Carolina: 18
- Georgia: 18, or up to 20 if the child is still enrolled in and attending high…
- Virginia: 18, or 19 if the child is a full-time high school student, not…
- West Virginia: 18, or up to 20 if the child is unmarried, lives with a parent or…
Your next steps in South Carolina
Check the order
Some orders set their own end date.
Compare with the law
South Carolina's rule: 18. If the child is still enrolled in and attending high school, support continues until high school graduation or the end of the school year after the child turns 19, whichever is later.
Contact the agency
The agency can end withholding when support ends: South Carolina Department of Social Services, Child Support Services Division (CSSD) (1-800-768-5858) · Apply online
Clear what is owed
Support that was due remains owed.
Ask for free help
Legal aid can help for free: South Carolina Legal Services.
Free legal help in South Carolina
Questions about when support ends in South Carolina
When does child support end in South Carolina?
18. If the child is still enrolled in and attending high school, support continues until high school graduation or the end of the school year after the child turns 19, whichever is later.
Is there support during the last year of high school in South Carolina?
If the child is still enrolled in and attending high school, support continues until high school graduation or the end of the school year after the child turns 19, whichever is later.
Can child support continue past the usual age in South Carolina?
Support can continue past 18 under an earlier agreement or order, or at the court's discretion for a child with a physical or mental disability or other exceptional circumstances. Support ends earlier if the child marries or becomes self-supporting. The paying parent may need to ask the court for a dismissal order.