Minnesota child support guidelines
Minnesota uses an income-shares guideline written into Minn. Stat. § 518A.35 — support is based on both parents’ incomes. This page explains the rules and links the official DHS calculator; it doesn’t compute your amount.
How the Minnesota formula works
The statutory guideline works in steps:
- Determine each parent’s PICS — Parental Income for Determining Child Support (gross income with statutory adjustments);
- Combine the PICS and find the basic obligation on the § 518A.35 table for the number of joint children (the calculator caps combined income at $20,000/month);
- Divide it proportionally by each parent’s share of the combined income;
- Apply the parenting-expense adjustment and add medical and childcare support.
The current guidelines took effect January 1, 2023.
The parenting-expense adjustment, reserve, and modification
Minnesota’s parenting-time adjustment (§ 518A.36) reduces the obligation based on the paying parent’s share of court-ordered parenting time, since a parent covers costs directly while the child is with them. A self-support reserve protects a low earner — 130% of the federal poverty guideline, about $1,565/month as of 2025. To modify, there’s a presumption of a substantial change when applying the guidelines to current circumstances yields an order at least 20% and at least $75/month higher or lower. A court can also impute potential income (§ 518A.32) to a voluntarily unemployed or underemployed parent. Support runs to 18, or up to 20 if the child is still in secondary school.
Use the official calculator
The Minnesota Child Support Division (Department of Human Services) publishes the official Guidelines Calculator (linked above). Use it for an estimate; this page only explains the model. The court has final authority over the amount.
For a real case
The guideline amount is presumed correct but can be adjusted when appropriate. For advice on your situation, consult a Minnesota family-law attorney.
Reviewed by Aqil Abbas Khan, Founder & Editor of ToolsNexus
This page is general information, not legal advice. Child support in Minnesota is set by Minnesota’s official guidelines, and the amount in any real case is determined by the court or the state child-support agency using the official worksheet — not by this page. Guideline figures, schedules, and adjustments change over time and depend on facts specific to your situation (each parent’s income, parenting time, health-insurance and childcare costs, and other factors a court may consider). Use the official Minnesota calculator for an actual estimate, and consult a licensed family-law attorney in Minnesota for advice about your circumstances. ToolsNexus is not a law firm and does not provide legal representation.
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Frequently asked questions
- How is child support calculated in Minnesota?
- Minnesota uses an income-shares model in Minn. Stat. § 518A.35. It combines each parent's Parental Income for Determining Child Support (PICS), finds the basic obligation on the statutory table for the number of joint children, and divides it proportionally by each parent's share of the combined income, with a parenting-expense adjustment.
- What goes into the Minnesota formula?
- Both parents' gross incomes (adjusted to PICS), the number of joint children, parenting time, health and dental insurance, and childcare costs. The official calculator handles up to six joint children and caps combined income at $20,000 per month.
- How does the parenting-expense adjustment work?
- Minnesota reduces the obligation based on the paying parent’s share of court-ordered parenting time (Minn. Stat. § 518A.36), on the theory that a parent covers costs directly while the child is with them. A low-income obligor is also protected by a self-support reserve — 130% of the federal poverty guideline, about $1,565 a month as of 2025.
- Until what age is support paid, and when can it change?
- Support generally ends at 18, or up to age 20 if the child is still attending secondary school. Modification is presumed warranted when applying the guidelines to current circumstances produces an order at least 20% and at least $75 a month higher or lower than the existing one. Courts can impute potential income (§ 518A.32) to a voluntarily unemployed or underemployed parent.
- Where do I get an official estimate?
- Use the Minnesota Child Support Guidelines Calculator linked on this page, published by the Department of Human Services. This page explains the model but does not compute an amount, and it is not legal advice.