When child support ends in West Virginia

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, or up to 20 if the child is unmarried, lives with a parent or guardian, and is a full-time student in a secondary or vocational program making substantial progress toward a diploma.

Usual end age
18
Latest age in the rule
20
Law
W. Va. Code 48-11-103

The end age in West Virginia

18, or up to 20 if the child is unmarried, lives with a parent or guardian, and is a full-time student in a secondary or vocational program making substantial progress toward a diploma

Law: W. Va. Code 48-11-103

Support for a disabled adult child is governed by existing West Virginia case law. College support cannot be ordered for orders entered after March 14, 1994.

When does support end? Check your situation

West Virginia's rule: 18, or up to 20 if the child is unmarried, lives with a parent or guardian, and is a full-time student in a secondary or vocational program making substantial progress toward a diploma

Law: W. Va. Code 48-11-103

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

Steps as support ends in West Virginia

  1. Read your order

    Check what your order says about when support ends.

  2. Know the age

    West Virginia's rule: 18, or up to 20 if the child is unmarried, lives with a parent or guardian, and is a full-time student in a secondary or vocational program making substantial progress toward a diploma.

  3. Tell the agency

    Tell the agency about graduation or a change, and ask how withholding stops: Bureau for Child Support Enforcement (BCSE), West Virginia Department of Human Services (1-800-249-3778) · Apply online

  4. Settle past-due support

    Support that was due remains owed.

  5. Ask for free help

    Ask for free help: Legal Aid of West Virginia.

Free help in West Virginia

Questions about when support ends in West Virginia

When does child support end in West Virginia?

18, or up to 20 if the child is unmarried, lives with a parent or guardian, and is a full-time student in a secondary or vocational program making substantial progress toward a diploma

Does child support continue while my child finishes high school in West Virginia?

18, or up to 20 if the child is unmarried, lives with a parent or guardian, and is a full-time student in a secondary or vocational program making substantial progress toward a diploma

Are there exceptions to the end age in West Virginia?

Support for a disabled adult child is governed by existing West Virginia case law. College support cannot be ordered for orders entered after March 14, 1994.

Related West Virginia pages

Sources

Sources

Last checked: Oct 25, 2026.

Federal sources