Interest on Child Support Arrears in Minnesota: Rate, Simple vs. Compound and When It Applies

By the FigureMyTax Editorial Team · How we calculate

Minnesota child support interest stopped on August 1, 2022: interest no longer accrues on past, current or future child support judgments. Interest that accrued before then stays in a renewed judgment.

Does Minnesota charge interest on child support arrears?

Not any more. Beginning August 1, 2022, interest does not accrue on a past, current or future judgment for child support, confinement and pregnancy expenses or genetic testing fees (Minn. Stat. 548.091, subd. 1a). The general judgment-interest statute says the same: beginning August 1, 2022, interest shall not accrue on past, current or future child support judgments (549.09, subd. 1(c)(4)).

What about interest that accrued before August 1, 2022?

It is not erased by the change. When a child support judgment is administratively renewed, it is renewed in an amount equal to the unpaid principal plus the unpaid interest accrued before August 1, 2022, and it can be renewed multiple times until paid (548.091, subd. 3b). So an older judgment may still show interest on your statement. Enter it in the Minnesota arrears calculator to see your total.

Is interest charged on new arrears?

No. A support installment that is unpaid is a judgment by operation of law on and after its due date (subd. 1a), and from August 1, 2022 that judgment does not accrue interest. The balance grows only by the missed installments, not by a rate.

Why did Minnesota stop charging interest?

The statute states the rule without a reason: beginning August 1, 2022 interest does not accrue on past, current or future child support judgments (548.091, subd. 1a). Legislators and agencies have described it as a way to keep arrears from growing faster than a payer can pay, but we are relying on the statute’s text only.

Does a Minnesota parent owed support lose anything?

The right to the principal is unchanged and each installment is still a judgment. What is lost is interest on the delay, so asking for a payment agreement and income withholding early protects the balance more than before.

How do I check whether my judgment predates the change?

Ask for the date each installment became a judgment. Payments that became judgments on or after August 1, 2022 do not accrue interest; older judgments may show interest accrued before that date. The county or the court administrator can print the history for you.

Does the Minnesota change help someone who owes?

Yes, in the sense that the balance stops compounding, but it does not forgive anything. The principal and any pre-2022 interest remain owed, and enforcement tools such as license suspension and credit reporting depend on how many months are unpaid, not on interest.

Does the Minnesota change hurt someone who is owed?

It means unpaid support no longer earns interest to compensate for the delay, so collecting sooner matters more. Enforcement still runs on the principal.

Can I still collect interest from before August 2022?

The statute keeps pre-change interest in a renewed judgment (548.091, subd. 3b), so an obligee can still collect it. Ask the county or the court administrator for the split between principal and old interest, and confirm the date it was last renewed.

Does a payment plan change the interest rule?

No. A payment agreement sets how arrears are paid (current support plus 20% of it) and does not add interest (518A.60). Ask for it in writing.

Where do you get the official Minnesota figure?

From your county child support office or the court administrator, which can show principal and any interest that accrued before August 1, 2022. See whether arrears expire or can be forgiven and file to modify if your circumstances changed.

Frequently asked questions

Does Minnesota charge interest on child support?

Not on judgments from August 1, 2022.

What happens to Minnesota interest from before 2022?

Interest accrued before August 1, 2022 stays in a renewed judgment.

Is a missed Minnesota payment still a judgment?

Yes, by operation of law, but it does not accrue interest.

Did the Minnesota change forgive old child support?

No. Principal and pre-2022 interest remain owed.

Where can I check my Minnesota child support balance?

With your county child support office or the court administrator.

Official sources

Going through a divorce or custody case in Minnesota?

A local family law attorney can review your situation — many offer a free consultation.

Talk to a Minnesota attorney

This is general information, not legal advice. It is based on the cited Minnesota statutes, rules and court opinions, and every case turns on its own facts. Confirm how the law applies to your situation with a licensed Minnesota attorney.