When child support ends in Texas

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, or high school graduation if later (the child must be enrolled and meet attendance rules)

Usual end age
18
Law
Tex. Fam. Code 154.001, 154.002, 154.006, 154.302

When support stops in Texas

18, or high school graduation if later (the child must be enrolled and meet attendance rules)

Law: Tex. Fam. Code 154.001, 154.002, 154.006, 154.302

Support can continue indefinitely for a disabled child who needs substantial care and cannot support themself, if the disability existed before age 18. Support also ends if the child marries, is emancipated by a court, dies, or begins active military service. Texas law does not require college support.

When does support end? Check your situation

Texas's rule: 18, or high school graduation if later (the child must be enrolled and meet attendance rules)

Law: Tex. Fam. Code 154.001, 154.002, 154.006, 154.302

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

If your order is 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

  • Oklahoma: 18, or until high school graduation or age 20, whichever comes…
  • Louisiana: 18, or up to 19 if the unmarried child is a full-time student in…
  • New Mexico: 18
  • Arkansas: 18 or marriage

Steps as support ends in Texas

  1. Look at the end date

    Your order may name an end date or event.

  2. Compare with the law

    The rule in Texas: 18, or high school graduation if later (the child must be enrolled and meet attendance rules)

  3. Contact the agency

    Tell the agency about graduation or a change, and ask how withholding stops: Office of the Attorney General of Texas, Child Support Division ((800) 252-8014) · Apply online

  4. Clear what is owed

    Past-due support is still owed after the end date.

Where to get free help in Texas

Questions about when support ends in Texas

When does child support end in Texas?

18, or high school graduation if later (the child must be enrolled and meet attendance rules)

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

18, or high school graduation if later (the child must be enrolled and meet attendance rules)

Can child support continue past the usual age in Texas?

Support can continue indefinitely for a disabled child who needs substantial care and cannot support themself, if the disability existed before age 18. Support also ends if the child marries, is emancipated by a court, dies, or begins active military service. Texas law does not require college support.

More for Texas

Sources

Sources

Last checked: Oct 25, 2026.

Federal sources