When child support ends in Tennessee

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 in high school at 18, support continues until the child graduates from high school or until the child's high school class graduates.

Usual end age
18
Law
Tenn. Code 34-1-102(b); Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1240-02-04-.02

Tennessee's rule on the end of support

18. If the child is still in high school at 18, support continues until the child graduates from high school or until the child's high school class graduates.

Law: Tenn. Code 34-1-102(b); Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1240-02-04-.02

A court can continue support for a child with a disability (as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act) until age 21, and for a severely disabled child who lives with a parent, for as long as the court finds is in the child's best interest, if the disability began before 18.

Law: Tenn. Code 36-5-101(k), as reported in the OCSS IRG

When does support end? Check your situation

Tennessee's rule: 18. If the child is still in high school at 18, support continues until the child graduates from high school or until the child's high school class graduates.

Law: Tenn. Code 34-1-102(b); Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1240-02-04-.02

Your own order may set a different end date, for example when the parents agreed to one. Read it.

Moved to 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)

What is owed stays owed

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

  • Kentucky: 18, or while still a high school student, but not past the end of…
  • Alabama: 19
  • Georgia: 18, or up to 20 if the child is still enrolled in and attending high…
  • Indiana: 19

Steps as support ends in Tennessee

  1. Check the order

    Some orders set their own end date.

  2. Compare with the law

    In Tennessee: 18. If the child is still in high school at 18, support continues until the child graduates from high school or until the child's high school class graduates.

  3. Tell the agency

    The agency can end withholding when support ends: Tennessee Department of Human Services, Child Support Program ((833) 772-TDHS (8347)) · Apply online

  4. Clear what is owed

    Arrears can still be collected after support ends.

  5. Get help

    Legal aid can help for free: Help4TN (Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services).

Free help in Tennessee

Questions about when support ends in Tennessee

At what age does child support stop in Tennessee?

18. If the child is still in high school at 18, support continues until the child graduates from high school or until the child's high school class graduates.

Does child support continue while my child finishes high school in Tennessee?

If the child is still in high school at 18, support continues until the child graduates from high school or until the child's high school class graduates.

Are there exceptions to the end age in Tennessee?

A court can continue support for a child with a disability (as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act) until age 21, and for a severely disabled child who lives with a parent, for as long as the court finds is in the child's best interest, if the disability began before 18.

Keep reading about Tennessee

Sources

Sources

Last checked: Oct 25, 2026.

Federal sources