Ohio child support guidelines
Ohio uses an income-shares guideline — support is based on both parents’ combined income and a statutory schedule. This page explains the rules and links Ohio’s official calculator; it doesn’t compute your amount.
How the Ohio formula works
Ohio’s guideline, revised by House Bill 366 (effective 2019) after roughly 25 years, works in steps:
- Combine both parents’ gross incomes — the schedule is built on the household total, not just the paying parent’s;
- Look up the basic obligation on the Basic Child Support Schedule, which runs from $8,400 to $336,000 of combined annual income in $600 increments;
- Split it by income share — each parent is responsible for the percentage of the total they earn;
- Adjust for health insurance, childcare, and parenting time.
Because the amount comes from the statutory schedule and several adjustments, Ohio provides an official online calculator rather than a flat percentage.
Parenting time, the low-income reserve, and imputed income
Three mechanics move Ohio numbers the most. A paying parent with more than 90 overnights a year gets an automatic 10% reduction. A low-income parent is protected by the self-sufficiency reserve (pegged to 116% of the federal poverty level), which lowers the order rather than applying the full schedule. And a parent found voluntarily unemployed or underemployed can have income imputed — the amount they could earn given their work history, education, and the local job market — so cutting hours doesn’t cut the obligation.
How long support lasts, and changing it
Ohio support generally continues until the child turns 18 and graduates from high school, but it does not always end automatically — a termination request or notice may be required to stop wage withholding. Either parent can seek a modification when a recalculation differs from the current order by at least 10% (ORC § 3119.79).
Use the official calculator
The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, Office of Child Support publishes the official Guideline Calculator (linked above). Use it for an estimate; this page only explains the model.
For a real case
The guideline figure is presumed correct but can be adjusted in circumstances the statute allows. For advice on your situation, consult an Ohio family-law attorney.
Reviewed by Aqil Abbas Khan, Founder & Editor of ToolsNexus
This page is general information, not legal advice. Child support in Ohio is set by Ohio’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 Ohio calculator for an actual estimate, and consult a licensed family-law attorney in Ohio 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 Ohio?
- Ohio uses an income-shares model. It combines both parents' gross incomes, finds the basic obligation for that combined income and the number of children on the state's Basic Child Support Schedule, and each parent covers a share proportional to their income. Ohio overhauled the guidelines in 2019 (House Bill 366), the first major update in about 25 years.
- What income range does the Ohio schedule cover?
- The Basic Child Support Schedule runs from $8,400 to $336,000 of combined annual income, in $600 increments, for one through six or more children. Below the bottom of the schedule a self-sufficiency reserve applies; above $336,000 the court sets the amount using its discretion and the statutory factors.
- Does parenting time reduce support in Ohio?
- Yes. Ohio applies an automatic 10% reduction to the obligation when the paying parent has the child for more than 90 overnights a year (roughly every other weekend plus a weeknight). Courts can also adjust further for extended parenting time under the statute.
- What is the self-sufficiency reserve?
- Ohio's schedule includes a self-sufficiency reserve pegged to 116% of the federal poverty level for one person, so a low-income paying parent keeps enough to meet basic needs rather than owing the full scheduled amount. A minimum order can still apply.
- When can an Ohio order be modified, and when does support end?
- Under ORC § 3119.79 a recalculation that differs from the current order by at least 10% justifies a modification. Support generally continues until the child turns 18 and graduates from high school — but it does not always stop automatically, so a termination request or notice may be needed to end wage withholding.