Child Support in New York: The CSSA Percentages, the $193,000 Cap and Age 21
New York family law · Last reviewed October 7, 2026
New York sets child support under the Child Support Standards Act (CSSA), written into Domestic Relations Law § 240(1-b) and, in identical terms, Family Court Act § 413. The method is simple at its core: add the parents' incomes, multiply by a fixed percentage for the number of children, and divide the result in proportion to each parent's income. The parent who doesn't have primary physical custody pays his or her share to the other.
Support usually runs until the child turns 21, not 18.
The percentages
DRL § 240(1-b)(b)(3):
(i) seventeen percent of the combined parental income for one child; (ii) twenty-five percent of the combined parental income for two children;
The list continues: 29% for three children, 31% for four, and "no less than thirty-five percent of the combined parental income for five or more children."
New York child support calculator (CSSA)
Domestic Relations Law § 240(1-b) · combined income cap $193,000 (as of March 1, 2026) · basic support only, before child care, health and education add-ons
Step by step
- Find each parent's income. Start with gross income "as should have been or should be reported in the most recent federal income tax return," then add items such as investment income and certain benefits. Subtract the deductions the statute allows, including FICA taxes, New York City or Yonkers income taxes actually paid, maintenance paid to the other parent in this case, and child support actually paid for other children. A parent who earns less than he or she could can have income imputed, but since September 27, 2024 the court must first consider the parent's actual circumstances (assets, work history, skills, education, health, criminal record and other barriers to work, the local job market, and more), and every imputation must be "accompanied by specific written findings identifying the basis or bases for such determination."
- Account for maintenance. If one spouse pays maintenance to the other, it is calculated first and then subtracted from the payer's income and added to the recipient's for child support. See spousal maintenance.
- Add the incomes to get combined parental income.
- Multiply combined income, up to the cap, by the percentage.
- Prorate. The non-custodial parent pays his or her percentage share of the result.
- Add expenses for child care, health insurance and uncovered medical costs, and possibly education.
- Decide income above the cap, if any.
The cap: $193,000 since March 1, 2026
The percentages apply automatically to combined parental income up to $193,000, the figure in effect since March 1, 2026 (it was $183,000 from 2024 to 2026). It is adjusted for inflation every two years.
The cap is not a ceiling on support. Under § 240(1-b)(c)(3), where combined income is higher, "the court shall determine the amount of child support for the amount of the combined parental income in excess of such dollar amount through consideration of the factors set forth in paragraph (f) of this subdivision and/or the child support percentage." The court may apply the percentage to some, all or none of the extra income, and it must explain how it decided.
Low incomes
The statute protects parents at the bottom of the income scale, using two figures that change every March 1: the federal poverty guideline for one person ($15,960 in 2026) and the self-support reserve, set at 135% of that ($21,546 in 2026).
- If paying the formula amount would push the non-custodial parent below the poverty guideline, support is presumptively $25 a month.
- If it would push the parent below the self-support reserve but not below the poverty guideline, support is $50 a month or the parent's income above the reserve, whichever is greater.
The court can depart from either amount if it finds it unjust or inappropriate. When a parent's income is at or below the poverty level, unpaid support above $500 doesn't accrue as arrears.
Add-on expenses
On top of basic support, the court allocates these in proportion to income:
- Child care. Where the custodial parent is working or in school or training that will lead to work, the court must determine reasonable child care expenses and divide them. Child care while a parent is looking for work may be divided too.
- Health insurance and uncovered medical costs. The court addresses health coverage for the children and divides the cost of premiums and of reasonable health expenses not covered by insurance.
- Education. The court may order a parent to contribute to "post-secondary, private, special, or enriched education" when it finds that appropriate, considering the circumstances and the child's best interests. College contributions are common in New York orders, but they are not automatic.
There is no separate statutory add-on for extracurricular activities; parents often address them in a settlement.
When the court departs from the guidelines
The court must order the non-custodial parent's pro rata share unless it finds that amount "unjust or inappropriate" based on the factors in § 240(1-b)(f): the parents' and child's financial resources; the child's health and special needs; the standard of living the child would have had; tax consequences; non-monetary contributions; either parent's educational needs; a substantial difference in the parents' incomes; the needs of the non-custodial parent's other children; extraordinary visitation expenses; and any other relevant factor. The court must explain any departure in writing.
Parents can agree on a different amount, but the agreement must state what the guideline amount would have been and why they chose something else.
Shared custody
The CSSA has no formula that reduces support for equal or near-equal parenting time. When time is split equally, New York courts have generally treated the parent with the higher income as the non-custodial parent for support purposes, so equal time doesn't by itself end support.
How long support lasts
The statute defines a child as an "unemancipated child under the age of twenty-one years." Support can end earlier if a child becomes emancipated, for example by becoming self-supporting. For a developmentally disabled adult child who lives with and depends on a parent, support can continue until age 26 under DRL § 240-d.
Changing a child support order
Under § 236(B)(9)(b)(2), either parent can ask the court to modify an order on a showing of:
- a substantial change in circumstances; or, unless the parties validly opted out in writing,
- three years having passed since the order was entered, last modified or adjusted; or
- a change of 15% or more in either party's gross income since then.
A drop in income counts only if it was involuntary and the parent has tried diligently to find work, and "Incarceration shall not be considered voluntary unemployment." Every New York support order must say this on its face. Don't wait: a modification can't "reduce or annul any arrears of child support which have accrued prior to the date of application."
Collecting support
Payments can go through the state's child support program, which processes and enforces orders through local Support Collection Units, usually by automatic payroll deduction. You can enroll online at the New York State child support website. If you never received public assistance, there is a $35 annual service fee once more than $550 is collected in a year.
Taxes
Child support isn't deductible by the payer or taxable to the recipient, under federal or New York law.
Frequently asked questions
What percentage is child support in New York?
17% of combined parental income for one child, 25% for two, 29% for three, 31% for four, and at least 35% for five or more. The non-custodial parent pays his or her proportional share of that amount.
What is the child support cap in New York for 2026?
$193,000 of combined parental income, effective March 1, 2026. Above that, the court decides how much additional support to order using the statutory factors and/or the percentage.
At what age does child support end in New York?
At 21, unless the child is emancipated earlier. Support for a developmentally disabled adult child who meets the statute's conditions can continue to 26.
Do I pay child support with 50/50 custody in New York?
Usually, if you earn more. Courts generally treat the higher-income parent as the non-custodial parent when time is shared equally.
Is there a minimum child support amount in New York?
Low-income protections set the presumptive amount at $25 a month when paying more would push the parent below the poverty guideline, and at the greater of $50 a month or income above the self-support reserve when it would push the parent below the reserve.
Do New York parents have to pay for college?
Not automatically, but a court can order contributions to post-secondary education when it finds that appropriate, and many settlement agreements include college costs.