Quick answer: In Colorado, interest on child support arrears due on or after July 1, 2021 is 10% a year, which the judgment creditor may compound annually or waive. Each payment becomes a final money judgment when it is due and unpaid, and the obligor can ask a court to disallow interest for good cause.
This Colorado child support arrears calculator adds up the unpaid principal and the interest under C.R.S. 14-14-106, with a choice of annual compounding, and flags the license and passport thresholds. The enforcement unit can attach income through an income assignment, certify past-due amounts for tax refund and lottery intercepts, record a lien in IV-D cases and act on licenses.
Colorado child support arrears and interest at a glance
| Rule | What Colorado says |
|---|---|
| Interest rate | 10% a year for arrears and child support debt due on or after July 1, 2021: 2 points over the 8% statutory rate (C.R.S. 14-14-106(1)(b); 5-12-101) |
| Compounding | May be compounded annually; the creditor may waive the interest |
| Court disallowance | The obligor can ask the court to disallow some or all interest for good cause (14-14-106(2)) |
| Each payment | A final money judgment when due and not paid (14-10-122(1)(c)) |
| Collecting | A verified entry of support judgment can be filed with no 14-day wait; it revives unsatisfied support judgments |
| Intercepts | Past-due amounts can be certified for federal and state tax refund and lottery winnings intercepts without a court order |
| Licenses | Professional, occupational and recreational licenses: more than six months’ support owed and less than 50% of the current obligation paid (26-13-126) |
How do child support arrears work in Colorado?
- Rate and method. See the Colorado child support interest rate.
- Collection. See what happens if you do not pay child support in Colorado.
- Time limits and forgiveness. See whether Colorado child support arrears expire or can be forgiven.
What does this arrears calculator check?
You enter the monthly support, the number of installments unpaid and whether the interest is compounded annually. The calculator figures 10% a year on each unpaid installment from its due date, with compounding on each installment’s anniversaries and simple interest in the part-year, and flags the six-months-owed condition for license action and the $2,500 passport threshold. It does not model partial payments, a waiver or a court disallowance. To change the amount going forward, see the Colorado child support modification calculator, and for when the obligation stops, the Colorado child support end date calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What is the interest rate on child support arrears in Colorado?
10% a year on arrears and child support debt due on or after July 1, 2021: two percent over the 8% statutory rate, which may be compounded annually and collected by the judgment creditor.
Can Colorado child support interest be waived?
The judgment creditor may waive the interest, and the obligor can ask the court to find good cause to disallow some or all of it.
What does a Colorado court consider before disallowing interest?
Whether good cause existed for the nonpayment, whether paying the interest would cause undue hardship or substantial injustice to the obligor, and whether disallowing it would cause undue hardship or substantial injustice to the person owed.
Does Colorado child support become a judgment automatically?
Yes. A payment becomes a final money judgment when it is due and not paid, and it can be enforced as other judgments without further court action.
Can I lose a license for unpaid child support in Colorado?
Yes. Professional, occupational and recreational license action can follow when an obligor owes more than six months' support and pays less than half of the current monthly obligation, after notice; driver's license action follows a notice of noncompliance.
Official sources
- C.R.S. 14-14-106: interest on child support arrearages
- C.R.S. 5-12-101: statutory interest rate
- C.R.S. 14-10-122: support judgments, liens and modification
- C.R.S. 26-13-126: professional, occupational and recreational licenses
- C.R.S. 26-13-123: driver’s license and child support
- C.R.S. 14-14-111.5: income assignment