When child support ends in Virginia

The end age, the exceptions, and what to do as support ends.

Checked against official sources: Oct 25, 2026.

Short answer

18, or 19 if the child is a full-time high school student, not self-supporting and living at home (support ends at 19 or high school graduation, whichever comes first)

Usual end age
18
Latest age in the rule
19
Law
Va. Code 20-124.2(C), 63.2-1916

Virginia's rule on the end of support

18, or 19 if the child is a full-time high school student, not self-supporting and living at home (support ends at 19 or high school graduation, whichever comes first)

Law: Va. Code 20-124.2(C), 63.2-1916

The court may order support past 18 for a child who is severely and permanently disabled (disability began before 18, or before 19 for a high school student), cannot live independently and lives with the parent receiving support. Parents can agree to extend support further, and the court can approve that agreement.

When does support end? Check your situation

Virginia's rule: 18, or 19 if the child is a full-time high school student, not self-supporting and living at home (support ends at 19 or high school graduation, whichever comes first)

Law: Va. Code 20-124.2(C), 63.2-1916

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 Virginia

  1. Read your order

    Your order may name an end date or event.

  2. Check the rule

    Virginia's rule: 18, or 19 if the child is a full-time high school student, not self-supporting and living at home (support ends at 19 or high school graduation, whichever comes first)

  3. Contact the agency

    Ask the agency how and when payments stop: Division of Child Support Enforcement (DCSE), Virginia Department of Social Services (1-800-468-8894) · Apply online

  4. Settle past-due support

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

  5. Get help

    Legal aid can help for free: Virginia Legal Aid (ValegalAid.org).

Where to get free help in Virginia

Questions about when support ends in Virginia

How long does child support last in Virginia?

18, or 19 if the child is a full-time high school student, not self-supporting and living at home (support ends at 19 or high school graduation, whichever comes first)

What if my child is still in high school in Virginia?

18, or 19 if the child is a full-time high school student, not self-supporting and living at home (support ends at 19 or high school graduation, whichever comes first)

Are there exceptions to the end age in Virginia?

The court may order support past 18 for a child who is severely and permanently disabled (disability began before 18, or before 19 for a high school student), cannot live independently and lives with the parent receiving support. Parents can agree to extend support further, and the court can approve that agreement.

Keep reading about Virginia

Sources

Sources

Last checked: Oct 25, 2026.

Federal sources