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Mississippi child support: five percentages, support until 21, and the 2026 equal-time rule

Mississippi sets child support as a flat share of one parent's income: the parent who does not have custody pays 14% of adjusted gross income for one child, up to 26% for five or more. Since July 1, 2026 a new statute also tells courts how to handle support when parents split time equally.

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At a glance

ModelPercentage of the absent parent's adjusted gross income, a rebuttable presumption under Miss. Code 43-19-101
Percentages1 child 14%, 2 children 20%, 3 children 22%, 4 children 24%, 5 or more 26%
Income baseGross income from all sources minus taxes, Social Security and mandatory retirement or disability contributions, minus support ordered for other children
Written findingsRequired when adjusted gross income is over $100,000 or under $10,000 a year
Equal parenting timeSince July 1, 2026: each parent's award is computed as if that parent paid, and the higher earner pays the difference (93-5-24)
Support endsAge 21, the age of majority for Mississippi support orders, or earlier emancipation
AgencyDivision of Child Support Enforcement, Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS)

How Mississippi calculates child support

Mississippi's guideline looks only at the absent parent, meaning the parent the children do not primarily live with. The custodial parent's earnings do not enter the formula. The statute lists five percentages, one for each family size up to five or more children, and the result of applying the right one is presumed correct in every court and administrative case that sets or changes support.

The percentage applies to adjusted gross income, which is built in a fixed order. Start with income from every source the parent can reasonably expect: wages, self-employment, commissions, investment and trust income, workers' compensation, disability, unemployment, retirement and IRA benefits, alimony received and income from inherited property. A current spouse's income is excluded. Then subtract federal, state and local taxes actually owed (over-withholding does not count), Social Security, and mandatory retirement and disability contributions. Voluntary retirement savings stay in.

Support already ordered for other children comes off next, and the court may subtract an amount it considers appropriate for other children living with the parent. The annual figure is divided by 12 and multiplied by the percentage. A judge can depart from the result only with a written or on-the-record finding that the guideline would be unjust or inappropriate, using the criteria in 43-19-103.

Worked example: Mississippi

  1. Take a parent whose income from all sources, after taxes, Social Security and mandatory retirement, comes to $4,200 a month in adjusted gross income, with two children in the other parent's custody.
  2. The statutory rate for two children is 20%, so the presumed award is $840 a month, or $10,080 over a year. The custodial parent's own income does not change this figure.
  3. Health insurance is decided separately: the order must provide for the children's coverage, and if the custodial parent is the one required to buy it, its cost is taken into account when the award is set.
  4. From a gross paycheck instead: CoreParent's calculator estimates that a single filer earning $5,500 a month keeps about $3,869 after taxes, which puts the one-child award near $542. Mississippi deducts the taxes a parent actually owes, so a court uses real tax figures rather than this estimate.

This is an estimate, not legal advice. Figures are rounded to the dollar and leave out the insurance, childcare, and other adjustments your case may have. Try your own numbers in CoreParent's calculator, then confirm with the state's official calculator.

Joint custody and equal time in Mississippi after HB 1662

House Bill 1662, approved April 8, 2026 and in force since July 1, 2026, rewrote Miss. Code 93-5-24. It creates a rebuttable presumption that joint custody with equally shared parenting time is in the child's best interest, applied to initial temporary and final custody orders entered after July 1, 2026 but not to modifications. A judge who does not award equal time must document why, unless both parents asked for a different arrangement.

For support, the same law sets a three-step method when the court awards joint custody with equal time: figure a guideline award for each parent as if that parent were the payer, subtract the smaller award from the larger, and order the parent with the higher adjusted gross income to pay the difference to the other. With equal incomes the two awards cancel out. The court may depart from this method when it finds that doing so serves the child's best interest. The statute does not define an overnight count for equal time, and outside that situation shared arrangements remain a deviation factor under 43-19-103(g).

Medical support and other costs

Every Mississippi support order must include reasonable medical support. The court has to find, on the record or in the judgment, whether health insurance for the children is available to each party and what it costs, then order coverage in the way that best serves the children. If coverage is not available at a reasonable cost compared with the parents' incomes, the judgment must say so and provide another way to pay the children's medical bills.

Child care is not a line item in the formula. Instead, 43-19-103 lists it among the reasons a court may depart from the percentage, along with extraordinary medical, psychological, educational or dental expenses, the child's own income, seasonal swings in a parent's income, the greater needs of older children, and the assets of both parents and the child.

Very low and very high incomes

Mississippi has no income cap and no self-support table. Instead, when adjusted gross income is above $100,000 or below $10,000 a year, the court must make a written finding on whether applying the percentage is reasonable, and the statute directs it to consider the basic subsistence needs of a parent with limited ability to pay. Since 2022 the law also bars imputing income from a standard amount: when there is no reliable work history, the court looks at the parent's actual circumstances, such as job skills, education, health, criminal record and the local job market.

The percentages themselves have not changed. MDHS's 2022 quadrennial review, the first substantial study since they were adopted, proposed raising them and adding a low-income schedule, and a 2026 bill to move Mississippi to an income shares model died in committee, so 14% to 26% remains the law.

Support until 21 and early emancipation

The age of majority for Mississippi support orders is 21, not 18. Support ends automatically earlier if the child marries, joins the military full time, or is convicted of a felony and sentenced to two or more years. On a petition, a court may also find emancipation once a child of 18 stops attending school full time (unless disabled), or moves out, lives independently and works full time without continuing school before 21. Arrears can still be collected after the child turns 21.

Reviews and modification

According to MDHS, either parent may request a review every three years from the date the order was entered or last modified, and a review on that cycle does not require proof of a substantial change. A request inside the three years requires a substantial change in circumstances, such as a large rise or drop in the paying parent's income. MDHS reviews active TANF cases every three years and other cases on written request.

Collection and enforcement

The MDHS Division of Child Support Enforcement establishes paternity and orders and enforces them. Most orders carry immediate income withholding. For unpaid support the agency can intercept tax refunds and unemployment benefits, report to credit bureaus, place liens, freeze and seize bank accounts, suspend state-issued licenses, and have a passport denied once arrears reach $2,500.

Documents you will need

Mississippi child support FAQ

What percentage is child support in Mississippi?

14% of the paying parent's adjusted gross income for one child, 20% for two, 22% for three, 24% for four and 26% for five or more. At $4,200 a month of adjusted gross income, two children means $840 a month.

Does the custodial parent's income count in Mississippi?

Not in the standard calculation, which uses only the absent parent's adjusted gross income. It matters in two places: the 2026 equal-time method, where both parents' awards are computed and offset, and in deviation factors such as the total assets of both parents and the child.

Does 50/50 custody mean no child support in Mississippi?

Not unless incomes are equal. Under 93-5-24 as amended in 2026, each parent's guideline award is calculated as if that parent paid, and the higher earner pays the difference, unless the court finds a different result better serves the child.

At what age does child support stop in Mississippi?

At 21, the age of majority for Mississippi support orders, unless the child is emancipated sooner by marriage, full-time military service, a felony sentence of two years or more, or a court finding after the child turns 18.

How often can Mississippi child support be reviewed?

Every three years from the date of the last order without proving a substantial change, according to MDHS. Before three years, the parent asking must show a substantial change in circumstances.

Next steps

Sources

Verified against these official sources in October 2026:

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This is general educational information, not legal advice, and official figures change. Last verified: October 2026. Consult a licensed family-law attorney in Mississippi.