Updated: 2026-06-08
Quick answer: Texas calculates child support as a percentage of the paying parent’s monthly net resources — 20% for one child, 25% for two, 30% for three, 35% for four, and 40% for five — applied to the first $11,700 of net resources (the cap rose from $9,200 on September 1, 2025). The Texas Office of the Attorney General (OAG) Child Support Division runs the program: you open a case, manage it, and track payments through the OAG, and payments are processed by the Texas State Disbursement Unit. You can estimate your amount with the OAG’s free online calculator before anything is filed.
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 Texas.
Texas does child support differently from most of the country. While the majority of states add both parents’ incomes together, Texas looks mainly at one number: what the paying parent earns. That makes the math simpler to estimate, but it also means a few specific terms — “net resources,” the cap, medical support — decide your real number. This guide walks through the formula, a worked example, and exactly where to apply, pay, and manage a case, with links to every official state portal.
One quick clarification before the details: child support is separate from spousal maintenance, which is what many people mean by “alimony.” Spousal maintenance is money paid to a former spouse; child support is for the children, and the two are calculated under different rules. This guide covers child support only.
Table of Contents
- How is child support calculated in Texas?
- What are the Texas child support guidelines?
- What counts as net resources?
- Is there a cap on Texas child support?
- How much is child support in Texas? A worked example
- Does Texas child support include medical and dental support?
- How do you apply for child support in Texas?
- How do you pay child support in Texas?
- How do you check your Texas child support account online?
- How do you modify a Texas child support order?
- What happens if you don’t pay child support in Texas?
- How long does child support last in Texas?
- Official Texas child support resources
- Frequently Asked Questions
How is child support calculated in Texas?
Texas uses a percentage-of-income model built around the paying parent — the parent the law calls the obligor. Instead of combining both incomes, the court takes the paying parent’s monthly net resources and multiplies it by a set percentage tied to the number of children. The receiving parent’s income usually doesn’t enter the core calculation.
The rules live in Chapter 154 of the Texas Family Code, and the guideline percentages are treated as the presumed correct amount. A judge can order more or less, but only with a reason the law recognizes — the child’s proven needs, a disability, travel costs for visits, and similar factors. Most orders land on the guideline number.
The custodial arrangement matters, too. Support is typically paid by the parent with less parenting time to the one with more; if you’re working out who that is, our guide to the custodial versus noncustodial parent explains how Texas frames those roles, and who counts as the custodial parent in a 50/50 split covers the equal-time case.
What are the Texas child support guidelines?
The guideline percentage depends on how many children are covered by the order. These are the standard rates for a paying parent who isn’t already supporting children from another relationship:
| Number of children | Percentage of monthly net resources |
|---|---|
| 1 child | 20% |
| 2 children | 25% |
| 3 children | 30% |
| 4 children | 35% |
| 5 children | 40% |
| 6 or more | At least 40% |
If the paying parent has other children they’re legally required to support, Texas applies a separate, slightly lower set of percentages so those obligations are accounted for. The OAG’s official calculator handles that adjustment automatically.
What counts as net resources?
“Net resources” is not the same as take-home pay, and getting it wrong is the most common reason an estimate is off. Texas starts with nearly all income — wages, salary, overtime, tips, commissions, bonuses, self-employment income, rental income, interest and dividends, pensions, Social Security retirement or disability benefits, unemployment, and severance. Needs-based benefits like SSI and TANF are not counted.
From that total, the law subtracts a specific list of items to reach net resources:
- Social Security and Medicare taxes
- Federal income tax (figured for a single person claiming one exemption and the standard deduction)
- State income tax — which Texas doesn’t have
- Union dues
- The cost of the child’s health insurance and dental insurance
What you do not subtract is just as important. Rent, car payments, credit-card debt, and other living expenses are not deducted. The deduction list is fixed by Texas Family Code §154.062, so two parents with the same gross pay usually land close to the same net-resources figure.
Is there a cap on Texas child support?
Yes. The guideline percentages only apply to the first slice of net resources, and that ceiling recently went up. As of September 1, 2025, the cap is $11,700 per month, raised from the $9,200 figure that had been in place since 2019. The Texas Attorney General adjusts the cap for inflation every six years, and this was the first increase in that cycle — published in the Texas Register ahead of the effective date.
Here’s what the cap means in practice. If a paying parent’s net resources are at or below $11,700 a month, the percentage applies to the whole amount. If they earn more, the guideline percentage applies only to the first $11,700, and a judge can order additional support above that only if the child’s proven needs justify it. The higher cap matters mainly for higher earners, and it generally applies to orders established or modified on or after September 1, 2025 — older orders keep their original cap unless they’re modified.
How much is child support in Texas? A worked example
Walk through a simple case. Say the paying parent has $5,000 a month in net resources and the order covers two children. Two children means 25%, and $5,000 is below the $11,700 cap, so the full amount counts:
$5,000 × 25% = $1,250 per month in basic child support.
On top of that, the order will assign responsibility for the children’s health and dental coverage — more on that below — so the real monthly cost is usually a bit higher than the percentage alone. For a personalized estimate that handles the tax deductions and the multiple-family adjustment for you, use the OAG’s free Monthly Child Support Calculator. Treat any calculator result as an estimate, not a court order — a judge has the final say.
To see how the percentages turn into dollars, here’s the guideline amount at a sample $5,000 in monthly net resources:
| Children | Guideline % | Monthly support at $5,000 net resources |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20% | $1,000 |
| 2 | 25% | $1,250 |
| 3 | 30% | $1,500 |
| 4 | 35% | $1,750 |
| 5 | 40% | $2,000 |
Your figure scales with your own net resources — swap in your number, multiply by the percentage, and add medical and dental support for a rough total. Above the $11,700 cap, the guideline amount stops climbing.
Does Texas child support include medical and dental support?
Yes, and these are separate from the cash percentage. Texas law requires every child support order to include medical support and dental support for the child, on top of the monthly amount. In most orders, the paying parent provides health and dental insurance if it’s available at a reasonable cost — often through an employer — or reimburses the other parent for providing it. When neither parent has affordable coverage available, the court can order cash medical support instead: a set dollar amount toward the child’s health costs, paid on top of the regular support.
Uninsured medical costs, like copays and deductibles, are typically split between the parents. Because medical and dental support are ordered in addition to the percentage, the total obligation is more than the headline number. Keep records of who pays what; our guide to documenting co-parenting expenses and communication explains how to track reimbursements in a way that holds up if there’s ever a dispute.
How do you apply for child support in Texas?
The OAG Child Support Division opens and manages cases for free, whether or not the parents were ever married. Applying online is the fastest route. You’ll provide details about yourself, the other parent, and the children — Social Security numbers, addresses, employers, and similar information — through the OAG’s application for child support services.
If you’d rather not apply online, you can request a paper application by mail or email, though those take longer to process. For help starting a case or questions about an existing one, the Child Support Division’s main line is (800) 252-8014. Parents who already have a court order from a divorce or custody case can also enroll it with the OAG so payments are processed and tracked by the state. If your case is tied up with custody filings, our overview of how to file for custody in Texas-style courts explains how the two processes connect.
How do you pay child support in Texas?
All Texas child support payments run through the Texas State Disbursement Unit (SDU), which receives the money and forwards it to the receiving parent. You don’t pay the other parent directly — paying through the SDU is what creates the official record that the payment was made.
The most common method is income withholding: the amount comes straight out of the paying parent’s paycheck through an employer order, and most Texas support is collected this way. Parents can also pay on their own through the state’s online system:
- Online at the Texas SDU’s Smart e-Pay portal using a debit or credit card, a digital wallet, or a bank auto-draft
- By phone at (855) 853-8286
- By mail or in person at participating retail locations
Card and wallet payments carry a small convenience fee, and online payments can take several business days to post, so don’t wait until the due date if you’re paying manually.
How do you check your Texas child support account online?
The OAG runs an online account — the Texas Child Support Portal — where both paying and receiving parents can see payment history, check the amount owed, and update some case information. You set up a profile and log in to the child support portal with your own ID and password.
The portal is the quickest way to confirm a payment posted, see your balance, or check the status of a request without calling in. The OAG’s page on setting up your online child support account walks through creating a profile and linking your case.
If you’ve dealt with Texas child support before, this is the same system once called Child Support Interactive (CSI) — and the older childsupport.oag.state.tx.us web address now points to the current portal, so old bookmarks still land in the right place. Inside your account you can find your OAG case number, which you’ll need for payments and whenever you call the agency. To handle something in person, the OAG Child Support Division runs local field offices in cities across the state, including Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, and El Paso.
How do you modify a Texas child support order?
A Texas order isn’t permanent. You can ask the court or the OAG to review it, and support changes when circumstances do. Under Texas Family Code §156.401, an order can be modified if either of these is true:
- There’s been a material and substantial change in circumstances — a job loss, a significant income change, a new medical need, or a shift in the parenting schedule, for example.
- It’s been at least three years since the order was set or last changed, and the guideline amount would now differ from the current order by either 20% or $100.
You can ask the OAG to review an existing case through its support modification process. One thing to know: support doesn’t change on its own when your income drops. Until a new order is signed, the old amount keeps accruing — so request a review as soon as a real change happens rather than waiting.
What happens if you don’t pay child support in Texas?
Texas enforces orders aggressively, and the tools don’t require going back to court each time. When payments fall behind, the OAG can:
- Withhold income directly from wages and other payments
- Suspend a driver’s license, professional license, or hunting and fishing licenses
- Place liens on bank accounts, property, and settlements
- Intercept federal tax refunds and lottery winnings
- Deny or revoke a U.S. passport when arrears exceed $2,500
- Report the debt to credit bureaus
- File for contempt of court, which can carry fines and jail time
The full list and how each step works is on the OAG’s child support enforcement page. If you genuinely can’t pay, the answer is to request a modification, not to stop paying — past-due support in Texas doesn’t disappear and can’t be erased in bankruptcy.
How long does child support last in Texas?
The standard rule: support continues until the child turns 18 or graduates from high school, whichever happens later. A child who is still in high school at 18 keeps receiving support through graduation. Support also ends earlier if the child marries, is emancipated, joins the military, or passes away.
There’s one major exception. If a child has a disability that began before they turned 18 and requires substantial care, a Texas court can order support to continue indefinitely into adulthood. The full duration rules are set out in Texas Family Code §154.001.
Official Texas child support resources
Every link below goes to an official Texas state source — the Attorney General’s office, the State Disbursement Unit, or the Family Code itself. Bookmark the ones you’ll use.
| Resource | What it’s for | Official link |
|---|---|---|
| OAG Child Support Division | Open a case, get help, find offices | texasattorneygeneral.gov/child-support |
| Monthly Child Support Calculator | Estimate your payment | csapps.oag.texas.gov/monthly-child-support-calculator |
| Apply for Child Support | Start a new case online | How to apply |
| Smart e-Pay (Texas SDU) | Make a payment | tx.smartchildsupport.com |
| Texas Child Support Portal | View your account and payment history | childsupport.oag.texas.gov |
| Modify an Order | Request a review or change | Support modification |
| Enforcement | What happens with unpaid support | Child support enforcement |
| Texas Family Code, Chapter 154 | The actual statute | statutes.capitol.texas.gov |
| Phone — Child Support Division | Questions and case help | (800) 252-8014 |
If the parents can agree on numbers themselves, a written agreement reviewed by the court is faster and cheaper than a contested case; our guide to reaching a custody agreement without a court fight and how a 50/50 schedule affects support are good starting points before you file.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is child support for one child in Texas?
For one child, Texas child support is 20% of the paying parent’s monthly net resources, applied to the first $11,700 of those resources. Net resources are gross income minus Social Security and Medicare taxes, federal income tax for a single filer, union dues, and the child’s health and dental insurance. So a parent with $4,000 in monthly net resources would owe about $800 a month for one child, plus medical and dental support.
What is the maximum child support in Texas?
Guideline percentages apply only to the first $11,700 of monthly net resources as of September 1, 2025, up from $9,200. For one child, that caps guideline support at about $2,340 a month. A court can order more above the cap, but only if the child’s proven needs justify it.
Did Texas child support change in 2025?
Yes. Effective September 1, 2025, the cap on net resources rose from $9,200 to $11,700 per month — the first inflation adjustment since 2019. The guideline percentages themselves (20% for one child, 25% for two, and so on) did not change. The increase mainly affects higher earners and applies to orders established or modified on or after that date.
How do I pay child support in Texas?
All payments go through the Texas State Disbursement Unit, not directly to the other parent. The most common method is automatic income withholding from the paying parent’s paycheck. You can also pay online through the Smart e-Pay portal with a card, digital wallet, or bank draft, by phone, by mail, or in cash at participating retailers.
Can child support be taken directly from a paycheck in Texas?
Yes. Income withholding is the standard method in Texas — the support amount is deducted from the paying parent’s wages through an order sent to their employer and forwarded to the State Disbursement Unit. Most Texas child support is collected this way, and it’s automatic once the order is in place.
How do I lower my child support payments in Texas?
You request a modification through the court or the OAG. Texas allows a change if circumstances have materially and substantially changed, or if it’s been three years since the order and the guideline amount now differs by 20% or $100. Support doesn’t drop automatically when your income falls — file for a review promptly, because the old amount keeps accruing until a new order is signed.
Do you still pay child support with 50/50 custody in Texas?
Usually, yes. Texas bases child support on the paying parent’s net resources, not on a side-by-side comparison of both parents’ incomes, so an equal 50/50 schedule doesn’t automatically cancel it out. In most equal-time cases the higher earner is still ordered to pay, though the amount may be adjusted, and a judge can vary from the guidelines when incomes and parenting time are genuinely balanced. Equal possession changes the math less in Texas than it does in income-shares states.
How much is child support for two or three children in Texas?
The percentage rises with each child: 25% of net resources for two children and 30% for three. At $5,000 in monthly net resources, that’s about $1,250 a month for two children and $1,500 for three, before medical and dental support. The percentages apply only to the first $11,700 of net resources, so for higher earners the amount levels off at the cap.
Does Texas child support cover college or daycare?
Not college. Texas child support generally ends when the child turns 18 or graduates from high school, and the state does not require parents to pay for college or other post-secondary education. Daycare isn’t a separate automatic add-on the way medical and dental support are, but a judge can weigh work-related childcare costs when deciding whether to set support above or below the guideline amount.
Is there back child support in Texas, and does it ever expire?
Yes. A parent can be ordered to pay retroactive support for a period before the order was established, and unpaid support — called arrears — keeps adding up, with interest, until it’s paid in full. Texas does not allow confirmed child support arrears to 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 build.
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 Texas.
