The Parenting Time Credit in Oregon
Oregon gives each parent a parenting time credit from a formula on annual overnights, about 15% of the basic obligation at 100 overnights and 50% at 183, and the parent with the greater net obligation pays.
The formula
Each parent’s credit percentage is 1 ÷ (1 + e−7.14 × (overnights ÷ 365 − 0.5)) − 2.74% + 2 × 2.74% × (overnights ÷ 365). The precise figure is preferred; the rule also publishes a table by overnight for hand calculation (OAR 137-050-0730(6)). The credit is multiplied by the minor children’s portion of the combined basic obligation.
Some values
Every overnight earns some credit, low time gives low credit, and the credit rises sharply near equal time:
| Overnights per year | Credit percentage |
|---|---|
| 100 overnights (27.4%) | 15.37% |
| 125 overnights | 23.65% |
| 150 overnights | 34.13% |
| 183 overnights (50.1%) | 50.25% |
| 250 overnights | 79.94% |
| 300 overnights (82.2%) | 92.64% |
Counting overnights
If there is a current written parenting time agreement or court order, the overnights are the average over two consecutive years, adding the overnights allowed with each child and dividing by the number of children; blocks of time of at least four hours may be counted as half-days or 12 hours as a day in an alternative schedule. With no current agreement or order, the parent with primary physical custody is treated as having all the parenting time.
Who pays after the credit
The credit reduces each parent’s own obligation, so the parent with the greater net obligation pays his or her net amount, not the difference. With 300 and 65 overnights, parent B owes $752; with 200 and 165, $289; with 183 and 182, $174; and if parent B has all the overnights, parent A owes $511.
Equal incomes, equal time
If each parent has the child 50% of the time and incomes are equal, no support would be owed; if one income is larger, that parent pays some support, and child care or health coverage costs could reverse the result.
Questions to bring to an attorney
Ask how the parenting plan counts overnights and whether the credit would change if the schedule changes.
The $100 minimum
When the paying parent’s total is under $100 the order is increased to $100, unless an exception applies, such as each parent having exactly 182.5 average overnights, disability benefits as the sole income, incarceration or public benefits.
Frequently asked questions
How many overnights give a parenting time credit in Oregon?
Any parenting time earns some credit under the formula, which rises steeply toward equal time.
What credit does 50% parenting time give in Oregon?
About 50%: the credit is 50.25% at 183 overnights and 49.75% at 182.
How does Oregon count overnights?
As the average of two consecutive years under a current written agreement or order, treating the primary custodian as having all the time if there is none.
Does equal parenting time end child support in Oregon?
Not necessarily: the parent with the greater net obligation pays, and a $100 minimum is presumed except at exactly 182.5 overnights.
Is the Oregon parenting time credit a simple percentage of time?
No. It is a logistic formula, not proportional to the overnights.
Official sources
A local family law attorney can review your situation — many offer a free consultation.
This is general information, not legal advice. It is based on the cited Oregon statutes, rules and court opinions, and every case turns on its own facts. Confirm how the law applies to your situation with a licensed Oregon attorney.