Quick answer: Minnesota child support judgments stopped accruing interest on August 1, 2022. Each unpaid installment is a judgment by operation of law on its due date, and interest that accrued before then stays in a renewed judgment. Credit reporting can start at three months unpaid and licenses are at risk at three times the monthly support.
This Minnesota child support arrears calculator adds up the unpaid installments, adds any interest that accrued before August 1, 2022 that you enter from your statement, and flags the reporting, license and passport thresholds under Minn. Stat. 548.091. Nothing new accrues as interest.
Minnesota child support arrears and interest at a glance
| Rule | What Minnesota says |
|---|---|
| Interest | Beginning August 1, 2022, interest does not accrue on a past, current or future child support judgment (Minn. Stat. 548.091, subd. 1a; 549.09) |
| Judgment | Each unpaid payment is a judgment by operation of law on and after its due date (548.091, subd. 1a) |
| Renewal | A child support judgment can be administratively renewed by notice, for unpaid principal plus unpaid interest accrued before August 1, 2022, and again until paid (548.091, subd. 3b) |
| Credit reporting | After three months unpaid and 30 days’ written notice (518A.685) |
| Licenses | Driver’s and occupational licenses at arrears of three times monthly support; recreational at six times (518A.65; 518A.66; 518A.68) |
| Payment agreement | Current support plus 20% of it until arrears are paid (518A.60) |
How do child support arrears work in Minnesota?
- Interest and method. See why Minnesota child support no longer accrues interest.
- Collection. See what happens if you do not pay child support in Minnesota.
- Time limits and forgiveness. See whether Minnesota 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, if you have it, interest that accrued before August 1, 2022. The calculator adds the two and flags the three-month reporting trigger, the three-times and six-times license triggers and the $2,500 passport line. It does not model partial payments. To change the amount going forward, see the Minnesota child support modification calculator, and for when the obligation stops, the Minnesota child support end date calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Does Minnesota charge interest on child support arrears?
Not on judgments from August 1, 2022. Interest does not accrue on a past, current or future child support judgment; interest that accrued before that date can remain in a renewed judgment.
Is a missed Minnesota child support payment a judgment?
Yes. An unpaid payment is a judgment by operation of law on and after its due date.
When can Minnesota report unpaid child support to credit bureaus?
After the obligor has not paid the current support plus any required arrearage payment for three months and has had 30 days' written notice.
When can a Minnesota driver's license be suspended for unpaid child support?
On motion, when arrears equal or exceed three times the monthly support and the obligor is not following an approved payment agreement; the order is stayed 90 days to sign one.
How much is a Minnesota payment agreement?
Current support plus an additional 20% of the current support obligation until the arrears are paid.
Official sources
- Minn. Stat. 548.091: support judgments; no interest from August 1, 2022
- Minn. Stat. 549.09: interest on judgments
- Minn. Stat. 518A.685: consumer reporting
- Minn. Stat. 518A.65: driver’s license suspension
- Minn. Stat. 518A.66: occupational license suspension
- Minn. Stat. 518A.68: recreational license suspension
- Minn. Stat. 518A.60: collection of arrears
- 15 U.S.C. 1673: restriction on garnishment
- 42 U.S.C. 652(k): denial of passports