Quick answer: When does child support end in Connecticut? Generally at the child’s 18th birthday. An unmarried full-time high school student is supported until the 12th grade is completed or age 19, whichever comes first. A disabled child can be supported to 21 or 26, and educational support orders can run to 23.
This Connecticut child support end date calculator finds the 18th birthday under C.G.S. 46b-84 and shows the 19th, 23rd and 26th birthdays that bound the extensions. College support is not part of a standard order: it requires an educational support order entered with the decree or expressly reserved in it. Past-due support stays owed, so check the balance in the Connecticut child support arrears calculator.
When does child support end in Connecticut? At a glance
| Rule | What Connecticut says |
|---|---|
| Minor child | Parents maintain a minor child according to their abilities if the child is in need of maintenance (C.G.S. 46b-84(a)) |
| High school | An unmarried child who has reached 18 and is a full-time high school student is maintained until the 12th grade is completed or age 19, whichever comes first, for decrees on or after July 1, 1994 (46b-84(b)) |
| Disability | Support of a child with a disability who lives with and depends on a parent: to 21 for decrees from Oct. 1, 1997 to before Oct. 1, 2023, to 26 after (46b-84(c)); guidelines do not apply |
| College | Only by an educational support order: up to four academic years, never past age 23 (46b-56c) |
| Timing of that order | At the decree, or later only if the decree explicitly allows a later motion |
| Emancipation order | A court order of emancipation relieves the parents of all obligation to support the minor (46b-150d(13)) |
| Past-due support | Stays owed (46b-215) |
How does the Connecticut end date work?
- Age 18, high school and the 19th birthday. See the Connecticut child support age limit and whether support stops at 18.
- College and disabled children. See child support for college and disabled children in Connecticut.
- Emancipation and ending the order. See emancipation and whether child support ends automatically in Connecticut.
What does this end date calculator check?
You enter the child’s birth date and the calculator returns the 18th birthday and the time left from today. It flags the high school extension, the disability extension and an educational support order. It cannot read your order: if the order names a different end date or event, the order controls. To change the amount before it ends, see the Connecticut child support modification calculator.
Frequently asked questions
At what age does child support end in Connecticut?
Generally at 18, unless the child is an unmarried full-time high school student, in which case support continues until the 12th grade is completed or age 19, whichever comes first.
Does Connecticut child support stop at high school graduation?
For a full-time high school student at 18, it runs until the 12th grade is completed or the child turns 19, whichever occurs first.
Can a Connecticut court order a parent to pay for college?
Only through an educational support order entered with the decree or reserved in it, for up to four academic years and never past age 23.
Can Connecticut child support continue for a disabled child?
Yes. A court may order support for a child with an intellectual, mental or physical disability who lives with and depends on a parent, to age 21 or 26 depending on when the decree was entered.
Does Connecticut child support end automatically?
At the age limits it ends by the terms of the statute, but the statutes we read describe no procedure that stops withholding by itself, so ask the court or agency. An emancipation order relieves the parents of all obligation to support the minor.
Official sources
- C.G.S. 46b-150d: effect of an emancipation order
- Connecticut Probate Court: Petition for Emancipation of Minor (PC-905)
- C.G.S. 46b-84: parents’ obligation; high school and disability extensions
- C.G.S. 46b-56c: educational support orders
- C.G.S. 46b-224: custody or guardianship transfer and support orders
- C.G.S. 46b-215: support of family; enforcement
- C.G.S. 52-362: income withholding