Colorado child support calculator (2026 guidelines)
Colorado guidelines effective March 1, 2026. Change state
For 2 children, with Parent A earning $60,000 and Parent B $40,000, Colorado's guideline amount is $1,017 a month (Parent A pays Parent B).
Colorado uses the income shares model; its current guidelines took effect March 1, 2026.
This is the guideline amount, not a court order.
Calculate your Colorado guideline amount
Guideline child support
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Colorado child support at a glance
| Children | $30,000 | $50,000 | $75,000 | $100,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 child | $391 | $587 | $789 | $1,002 |
| 2 children | $500 | $877 | $1,173 | $1,484 |
| 3 children | $500 | $1,040 | $1,383 | $1,743 |
| 4 children | $500 | $1,162 | $1,544 | $1,947 |
| 5 children | $500 | $1,278 | $1,699 | $2,142 |
How Colorado calculates child support
Colorado uses the income shares model: the schedule gives the basic obligation for the parents' combined monthly adjusted gross income, interpolated between rows, and each parent is responsible for their share of it.
Gross income from almost all sources counts, before taxes. Spousal maintenance between the parents is deducted from the payer's income and added to the recipient's after it is multiplied by 1.25, or by 1.33 when combined income is above $10,000 a month.
Every overnight counts. The parenting time table gives each parent a credit percentage for their overnights; that percentage of the total basic obligation is subtracted from the parent's share, and the parent who owes more pays the difference. With equal time each parent's credit is half, so the parent with the larger income share pays.
If the paying parent's adjusted gross income is $650 a month or less, the guideline is a minimum order of $10. Up to the self-support reserve (29 hours a week for 50 weeks a year at the Colorado minimum wage of $15.16 an hour), the basic obligation is a fixed low-income amount and the total is capped at 10% of income. Above the reserve, the basic obligation is limited to a share of the income above it, and up to full-time minimum-wage earnings the total is capped at 20% of income.
Work-related and education-related child care (after the federal tax credit), the children's health insurance premium and ongoing extraordinary medical expenses are added to the basic obligation and shared by income; the parent who pays them gets credit.
Child support a parent actually pays under another order is deducted from income. For other children living with a parent, 75% of the schedule amount for those children on that parent's income alone is deducted.
The schedule runs to $40,000 of combined income a month. Above that the court has discretion, but the basic obligation can't be less than the amount at the top of the schedule; this estimate uses that amount.
Colorado's guidelines set no rounding rule. This estimate interpolates the schedule and keeps amounts to the cent.
Parenting time in Colorado
Every overnight counts. The parenting time table gives each parent a credit percentage for their overnights; that percentage of the total basic obligation is subtracted from the parent's share, and the parent who owes more pays the difference. With equal time each parent's credit is half, so the parent with the larger income share pays.
| Overnights with Parent A | Guideline amount | Who pays |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | $1,115 a month | Parent A pays Parent B |
| 52 | $1,017 a month | Parent A pays Parent B |
| 104 | $808 a month | Parent A pays Parent B |
| 128 | $654 a month | Parent A pays Parent B |
| 182 (about equal) | $186 a month | Parent A pays Parent B |
Low and high incomes in Colorado
For 2 children with Parent B earning $40,000, the guideline amount is about $70 a month when Parent A earns $20,000 a year and about $2,867 a month when Parent A earns $250,000.
If the paying parent's adjusted gross income is $650 a month or less, the guideline is a minimum order of $10. Up to the self-support reserve (29 hours a week for 50 weeks a year at the Colorado minimum wage of $15.16 an hour), the basic obligation is a fixed low-income amount and the total is capped at 10% of income. Above the reserve, the basic obligation is limited to a share of the income above it, and up to full-time minimum-wage earnings the total is capped at 20% of income.
The schedule runs to $40,000 of combined income a month. Above that the court has discretion, but the basic obligation can't be less than the amount at the top of the schedule; this estimate uses that amount.
Child support by number of children in Colorado
- 1 child$678 a month
- 2 children$1,017 a month
- 3 children$1,212 a month
- 4 children$1,353 a month
- 5 children$1,489 a month
Parent A earns $60,000, Parent B $40,000; the children live mostly with Parent B.
Official sources and verification
- Law: C.R.S. § 14-10-115 (as amended by HB 25-1159 and HB 26-1217)
- Colorado child support guidelines
- JDF 1821 Support Worksheet For Child and Spousal Support
- Official Colorado child support calculator
- Colorado Department of Human Services, Child Support Services
- Changing a Colorado child support order
Guidelines effective March 1, 2026. Verified against the official Colorado sources on October 7, 2026. How we calculate →
Frequently asked questions
How is child support calculated in Colorado?
Colorado uses the income shares model: the schedule gives the basic obligation for the parents' combined monthly adjusted gross income, interpolated between rows, and each parent is responsible for their share of it. Gross income from almost all sources counts, before taxes. Spousal maintenance between the parents is deducted from the payer's income and added to the recipient's after it is multiplied by 1.25, or by 1.33 when combined income is above $10,000 a month.
What is the child support for one child in Colorado on $50,000?
If Parent A earns $50,000 a year, Parent B earns $40,000 and the child lives mostly with Parent B, Colorado's guideline amount for one child is about $587 a month (Parent A pays Parent B). Courts can deviate from the guideline amount.
Does 50/50 custody mean no child support in Colorado?
Not necessarily. With about equal parenting time, 2 children, Parent A earning $60,000 and Parent B $40,000, the guideline amount is about $186 a month (Parent A pays Parent B). Every overnight counts. The parenting time table gives each parent a credit percentage for their overnights; that percentage of the total basic obligation is subtracted from the parent's share, and the parent who owes more pays the difference. With equal time each parent's credit is half, so the parent with the larger income share pays.
What is the minimum child support in Colorado?
If the paying parent's adjusted gross income is $650 a month or less, the guideline is a minimum order of $10. Up to the self-support reserve (29 hours a week for 50 weeks a year at the Colorado minimum wage of $15.16 an hour), the basic obligation is a fixed low-income amount and the total is capped at 10% of income. Above the reserve, the basic obligation is limited to a share of the income above it, and up to full-time minimum-wage earnings the total is capped at 20% of income.
When does child support end in Colorado?
For orders entered on or after July 1, 1997, support ends automatically when the last child turns 19. It continues while a child is still in high school or an equivalent program, until the end of the month after graduation but not past 21. A court may continue support for a child with a mental or physical disability. Support past 19 or for college is only by the parents' written agreement. Marriage or active military duty emancipates a child.