Updated: 2026-06-11
Quick answer: Colorado uses the income-shares model: both parents’ incomes are added together, matched to a state support schedule, and split between the parents in proportion to what each earns, with a credit for parenting time. The guidelines were overhauled effective March 1, 2026 (House Bill 25-1159) — the income schedule was raised and updated, and parents now get credit for every overnight instead of only after a 93-night threshold. The Colorado Division of Child Support Services runs the program, payments flow through the Family Support Registry, and support generally lasts until a child turns 19. Use the state’s official calculator for your estimate.
Legal disclaimer: This article is general information, not legal advice. Child support rules and amounts change, and your case can vary from the guidelines. For your specific situation, consult a family-law attorney licensed in Colorado.
Colorado changed its child support math in a big way this year, and a lot of older guidance online is now out of date. The state combines both parents’ incomes rather than looking at just one, and a 2026 overhaul reshaped how parenting time and lower incomes factor in. This guide explains the current formula, walks through an example, and points to every official place to apply, pay, and manage a case.
One quick clarification before the details: child support is separate from spousal maintenance, which is what many people mean by “alimony.” Maintenance is money paid to a former spouse; child support is for the children, and the two are figured under different rules. This guide covers child support only.
Table of Contents
- How is child support calculated in Colorado?
- What counts as income?
- How does parenting time affect child support?
- What changed in Colorado child support in 2026?
- How much is child support in Colorado? A worked example
- Does Colorado child support include medical and childcare costs?
- How do you apply for child support in Colorado?
- How do you pay child support in Colorado?
- How do you check your Colorado child support account online?
- How do you modify a Colorado child support order?
- What happens if you don’t pay child support in Colorado?
- How long does child support last in Colorado?
- Official Colorado child support resources
- Frequently Asked Questions
How is child support calculated in Colorado?
Colorado uses the income-shares model, which is built on a simple idea: a child should get the same share of the parents’ combined income that they would have if the family lived together. So instead of looking at one parent’s pay, Colorado adds both parents’ incomes together and divides the resulting obligation between them.
The rules are set out in Colorado Revised Statutes § 14-10-115. The calculation runs in steps:
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Combine incomes | Both parents’ adjusted gross monthly incomes are added together |
| 2. Find the basic obligation | The combined income and number of children are matched to Colorado’s state support schedule |
| 3. Split by income share | Each parent is responsible for their own percentage of the combined income |
| 4. Apply a parenting-time credit | Each parent’s overnights reduce their share (every overnight counts as of March 2026) |
| 5. Add the extras | Childcare, health insurance, and large medical costs are split the same way |
The schedule applies to combined adjusted gross income up to $40,000 a month as of the 2026 update. Above that, the court decides additional support based on the children’s needs. Because both incomes matter, the parent who earns more and has the children fewer nights usually ends up paying — but the amount reflects both sides, not just the payer’s paycheck.
What counts as income?
Colorado defines gross income broadly: income from almost any source counts. That includes wages, salary, tips, commissions, bonuses, self-employment income, rental and investment income, pensions, Social Security benefits, unemployment, workers’ compensation, and maintenance received from someone else. Means-tested public assistance — like TANF, SNAP, and SSI — does not count.
From there, a parent’s income can be adjusted before the split. The main adjustments are for child support or maintenance the parent already pays under a prior order, and an allowance for other children the parent is legally responsible for. The result is each parent’s “adjusted gross income,” which is what drives the proportional split.
How does parenting time affect child support?
A lot. Colorado gives the paying parent a credit for the time the children spend with them, measured in overnights per year. The more overnights a parent has, the more of the child’s day-to-day costs they cover directly, and the lower their support transfer tends to be.
This is the part that changed most in 2026. Under the old rules, a parent got a shared-parenting adjustment only after passing a hard cutoff of 93 overnights a year — one night short and the credit disappeared entirely. As of March 1, 2026, that cliff is gone. Colorado now gives a parenting-time credit that counts every overnight from the first, on a sliding scale, so the number moves smoothly with the schedule instead of jumping at a single threshold.
What changed in Colorado child support in 2026?
House Bill 25-1159, signed in 2025 and effective for the guidelines on March 1, 2026, was the biggest update to Colorado child support in years. Four changes matter most:
- The income schedule was raised and refreshed. The top of the schedule went from $30,000 to $40,000 in combined monthly income, and the underlying support amounts were updated for inflation for the first time since 2014 — so many orders calculated under the new schedule come out higher.
- The 93-overnight cliff was removed. Parenting-time credit now applies to every overnight, as described above.
- The low-income rules were reworked, including a self-support reserve that leaves a lower-earning parent a basic amount of income before support is calculated.
- The minimum order stayed modest — as little as $10 a month for a parent with very low income.
These changes apply to orders established or modified on or after March 1, 2026. An existing order keeps its current numbers until someone asks the court to recalculate.
How much is child support in Colorado? A worked example
Because Colorado blends both incomes, parenting time, and add-ons, there’s no single percentage to memorize. Here’s how the split works with simple numbers.
Say Parent A earns $4,000 a month and Parent B earns $2,000, for a combined $6,000. Parent A brings in two-thirds of the total, so Parent A is responsible for two-thirds of the basic obligation and Parent B for one-third:
| Parent A | Parent B | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly income | $4,000 | $2,000 |
| Share of combined income | 67% | 33% |
| Share of a $1,200 basic obligation* | ~$800 | ~$400 |
*The $1,200 here is illustrative only. Your actual basic obligation comes from Colorado’s official schedule, and the parenting-time credit then adjusts each parent’s share.
In this example, the parent with fewer overnights generally pays their share to the other parent, reduced by their parenting-time credit. Then each parent’s portion of childcare, health insurance, and large medical bills is added on the same two-thirds/one-third split. For a real number, use the Colorado Judicial Branch’s official child support calculator, which applies the current schedule and the 2026 parenting-time formula for you. Treat any result as an estimate — the court has the final say.
Does Colorado child support include medical and childcare costs?
Yes. Three common expenses are added to the basic obligation and split between the parents by the same income-share percentages:
- Work-related childcare — daycare or after-school care a parent needs in order to work.
- The child’s health insurance premium — the portion that covers the child.
- Extraordinary medical expenses — uninsured or out-of-pocket medical and dental costs over $250 per child per year, such as orthodontics, therapy, or a hospital stay.
Each parent pays their share of these on top of the basic support number, which is why the total obligation is usually higher than the schedule amount alone. Keep clear records of who pays what; our guide to documenting co-parenting expenses explains how to track reimbursements so they hold up if there’s ever a disagreement.
How do you apply for child support in Colorado?
Colorado child support services are run by the Division of Child Support Services (CSS) through county human services offices, and applying is free. The fastest route is the online application; you provide information about yourself, the other parent, and the children, and you can create an account to save your progress. Start at the CSS apply for services page, or print and mail the English or Spanish form to your county office.
Because cases are handled at the county level, the office you work with is the child support unit for your county — El Paso, Denver, Arapahoe, Weld, and every other county has one. Parents who already have a support order from a divorce or custody case can enroll it with CSS so payments are processed and tracked by the state. If your case is part of a broader custody filing, our overview of how the custody court process works explains how the pieces fit together.
How do you pay child support in Colorado?
All Colorado child support payments run through the Family Support Registry (FSR), the state’s central processing center. You don’t pay the other parent directly — paying through the FSR creates the official record that the payment was made.
The most common method is an income assignment (wage withholding), where the amount comes straight out of the paying parent’s paycheck. Parents can also pay on their own:
- Online through the Family Support Registry, including bank auto-withdrawal at no fee
- By debit or credit card at the state’s card payment site (a service fee applies)
- By phone, text, or digital wallet once your account is set up, plus cash options at some retailers
Electronic bank withdrawals are free; card payments carry a fee and can take a few business days to post, so don’t wait until the due date if you’re paying manually.
How do you check your Colorado child support account online?
CSS offers an online account where both parents can view payment history, check the balance, and manage parts of the case. You create a profile and log in to your Colorado child support account with your own credentials.
The portal is the quickest way to confirm a payment posted or check a balance without calling. Inside your account you can find your case number, which you’ll need for payments and any call to the agency. To handle something in person, your county’s child support office is the place to go — the CSS website links to county offices and to the Family Support Registry’s customer service line at (800) 374-6558.
How do you modify a Colorado child support order?
A Colorado order can be changed when circumstances change. Under Colorado Revised Statutes § 14-10-122, the standard is a substantial and continuing change in circumstances — a meaningful income change, a new parenting schedule, or a shift in childcare or medical costs.
Colorado uses a practical test for “substantial”: if recalculating support under the current guidelines would change the amount by less than 10%, that’s presumed not to be a substantial change, so a 10% or larger swing is usually what makes a modification worth filing. You can ask CSS to review an existing case or file with the court. One caution: support doesn’t change on its own when your income drops — the old amount keeps running until a new order is entered, so request a review promptly rather than waiting.
What happens if you don’t pay child support in Colorado?
Colorado enforces support orders with a wide set of tools, and CSS can use most of them without a new court hearing. When payments fall behind, the state can:
- Withhold income directly from wages and other payments
- Suspend a driver’s license, professional license, or recreational (hunting and fishing) license
- Intercept state and federal tax refunds and lottery winnings
- Place liens on property and bank accounts
- Report the debt to credit bureaus
- Deny or revoke a U.S. passport when arrears pass $2,500
- Pursue the case in court, including a contempt action that can carry jail time
The details are on the CSS enforcing orders page. If you genuinely can’t pay, the right move is to request a modification, not to stop paying — unpaid Colorado support keeps adding up with interest and can’t be erased in bankruptcy.
How long does child support last in Colorado?
Colorado is one of the states where support runs past 18. The age of emancipation is 19, so unless a court finds otherwise, support generally continues until the youngest covered child turns 19. A few exceptions change that:
- Still in high school at 19: support usually continues to the end of the month after graduation, and not beyond age 21.
- Earlier emancipation: support ends if the child marries or enters active military duty.
- A disabled child: the court can order support to continue indefinitely if the disability began before the child was emancipated.
The duration rules sit in C.R.S. § 14-10-115, and the state’s self-help pages walk through ending an order. This is a common surprise for parents who move from a state where support stops at 18.
Official Colorado child support resources
Every link below goes to an official Colorado source — the Division of Child Support Services, the Family Support Registry, the Judicial Branch, or the statutes. Bookmark the ones you’ll use.
| Resource | What it’s for | Official link |
|---|---|---|
| Division of Child Support Services | Open a case, find your county office | childsupport.state.co.us |
| Official Child Support Calculator | Estimate your payment | coloradojudicial.gov calculator |
| Apply for Services | Start a new case online (free) | Apply for services |
| Family Support Registry | Make and track payments | Family Support Registry |
| Card Payment Site | Pay by debit or credit card | co.smartchildsupport.com |
| Online Account | View your case and payment history | Log in |
| Enforcing Orders | What happens with unpaid support | Enforcing orders |
| C.R.S. § 14-10-115 | The child support guideline statute | colorado.public.law |
| HB 25-1159 | The 2026 guideline overhaul | leg.colorado.gov |
| Phone — Family Support Registry | Payment questions | (800) 374-6558 |
If you and the other parent can agree on the numbers, a written agreement reviewed by the court is faster and cheaper than a contested case; our guides to reaching a custody agreement without a court fight and how a 50/50 schedule affects support are good starting points. Moved here from another state? Compare the rules in our guides to child support in Texas, which uses a very different formula, and child support in Indiana, another income-shares state. For how every state’s rules compare, see our child support by state overview.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is child support calculated in Colorado?
Colorado uses the income-shares model. Both parents’ adjusted gross incomes are added together and matched to a state support schedule to find a basic obligation, which is then split between the parents in proportion to their incomes. A parenting-time credit adjusts each parent’s share based on overnights, and childcare, health insurance, and extraordinary medical costs are added on the same proportional split. The official state calculator does the math using the current schedule.
How much is child support for one child in Colorado?
There’s no flat percentage — the amount depends on both parents’ combined income, the parenting schedule, and add-ons like childcare and health insurance. As a rough sense of scale, a higher-earning parent in a moderate-income family often pays a few hundred dollars a month for one child, but the only reliable figure comes from running the numbers through Colorado’s official calculator. The basic obligation rises with combined income up to the $40,000 monthly cap.
Did Colorado child support change in 2026?
Yes. House Bill 25-1159 updated the guidelines effective March 1, 2026. It raised the income schedule to a $40,000 monthly cap, refreshed the support amounts for inflation for the first time since 2014, removed the 93-overnight cutoff so parents get credit for every overnight, and reworked the low-income rules. The changes apply to orders set or modified on or after that date.
Do you still pay child support with 50/50 custody in Colorado?
Possibly, but often less. Colorado factors both parents’ incomes and their overnights into the formula, and as of 2026 every overnight counts toward a parenting-time credit. When parents split time equally and earn similar incomes, the support transfer can be small or close to zero. When one parent earns significantly more, that parent usually still pays something even with equal time, because the formula evens out the children’s standard of living between two homes.
How much is child support for two or three children in Colorado?
The basic obligation on Colorado’s schedule rises with each additional child, so two or three children produce a higher number than one at the same combined income — though not in simple multiples. The total is still split between the parents by income share and adjusted for parenting time and expenses. Run your actual incomes and the number of children through the official calculator for the figure.
Does Colorado child support cover college or daycare?
Daycare, yes — work-related childcare is added to the obligation and split between the parents. College, no — Colorado support generally ends at 19 (or the end of high school), and the state does not require parents to pay for college or post-secondary education as part of a child support order.
At what age does child support end in Colorado?
Usually 19. Colorado’s age of emancipation is 19, so support generally continues until the youngest covered child turns 19, rather than 18 as in many states. It can continue past 19 if the child is still finishing high school (to the end of the month after graduation, not beyond 21) or has a disability that began before emancipation, and it can end earlier if the child marries or joins the military.
Is there back child support in Colorado, and does it ever expire?
Yes. A parent can owe retroactive support for a period before the order was entered, and unpaid support — arrears — keeps building with interest until it’s paid. Colorado does not let confirmed child support arrears be erased in bankruptcy, and the state can pursue them long after the child is grown. If you can’t keep up, request a modification rather than letting a balance accumulate.
Note: This article is general information, not legal advice. Child support laws and amounts change, and individual cases vary. For decisions about your specific situation, consult a family-law attorney licensed in Colorado.
