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Oregon child support: the scale, the parenting time credit, and a worked example

Oregon's guidelines are administrative rules written by the Department of Justice, and their most unusual feature is the parenting time credit: a smooth curve that gives each parent some credit for every overnight, with no threshold to cross. Support for a student can also run past 18, to age 21.

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At a glance

ModelIncome shares on combined adjusted gross income (OAR 137-050-0700 to 0765)
ScaleObligation Scale B, $50 rows up to $30,000 combined a month; between rows use the lower one
Parenting timeA credit for each parent from the first overnight, on a formula curve; no threshold
Self-support reserve$1,729 a month since July 1, 2026 (1.303 x the poverty guideline)
Minimum order$100 a month, rebuttable, with exceptions
Support endsAge 18, or up to 21 for a qualifying Child Attending School
ReviewProgram review after 35 months, or sooner on a significant change

Income, adjusted income and the scale

Income is a parent's actual or potential gross income. Actual income covers wages, recurring overtime, bonuses, self-employment income after ordinary expenses, rents, interest and dividends, Social Security, unemployment, workers' compensation and VA disability benefits, inheritances, gifts and prizes. Potential income looks at the parent's work history, hours actually available, qualifications, health and local job market; the commentary warns against simply assuming full-time minimum wage for someone who has never earned it. When nothing is known, full-time work at the lowest Oregon minimum wage is used.

Adjusted income subtracts mandatory union dues, the parent's own health insurance premium, and spousal support owed, adds spousal support owed to the parent, and subtracts a deduction for non-joint children the parent supports. The combined adjusted income is read on the scale, and each parent's share of the basic obligation equals their share of the combined adjusted income, limited to what remains after the self-support reserve.

The scale itself is old. Its own header says it rests on 1998 to 2004 spending data updated to 2006 prices, taxes and poverty levels, and the commentary notes it reflects no tax changes since 2006. The Department reviews the guidelines every four years.

Worked example: Oregon

  1. Parent A's adjusted income is $6,000 a month and Parent B's is $4,000: $10,000 combined.
  2. On Obligation Scale B, the $9,951 to $10,000 row shows $1,542 for two children. Parent A's 60% share is $925 and Parent B's is $617.
  3. If Parent A had no overnights at all, Parent A would pay that full $925 a month, about $11,100 a year. In Oregon that is rare, because almost any parenting time earns a credit, as the next section shows.
  4. Child care, the children's health coverage cost and any cash medical support are then added by income share, and each parent is credited for what they pay directly.

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.

Oregon's parenting time credit curve

OAR 137-050-0730 gives every parent a credit percentage computed from their average annual overnights by a published formula: credit = 1/(1+e^(-7.14 x (overnights/365 - 0.5))) - 2.74% + 2 x 2.74% x overnights/365. A table in the rule lists the result for each overnight count; 80 overnights is 10.33%, 120 is 21.81%, and 183 is 50.25%. Each parent's credit is that percentage of the basic obligation, and it is subtracted from that parent's own share.

Only the parent whose net obligation is larger pays. With 80 overnights, roughly an every-other-weekend schedule plus some holiday time, Parent A pays about $766 a month instead of $925. With exactly equal time each parent's credit is 50%, so Parent A pays only the gap between the income shares, about $154, and the $100 minimum order presumption does not apply at exactly 182.5 overnights each.

Overnights are averaged over two consecutive years from a current written parenting plan or court order. Where a parent has long daytime blocks instead of overnights, 12 continuous hours can count as a day and 4 to 12 hours as a half day.

Child care and health coverage

Documented child care for a child under 13 or disabled, needed for a parent's work, job search or training, is split by income share up to per-child monthly maximums. In the Portland, Bend, Eugene, Corvallis, Springfield, Monmouth and Ashland areas the cap is $1,705 up to age 3, $1,400 for ages 3 to 6 and $1,100 from 6; elsewhere it is $1,190, $1,083, $860 and $629 by age band. Subsidized care counts only the co-pay.

The scale already includes $250 per child per year of ordinary medical costs. Private coverage is reasonable in cost when it costs no more than 4% of the parents' adjusted incomes, and a parent earning at or below full-time highest Oregon minimum wage can be ordered to provide coverage only if it is free.

Self-support reserve and the $100 minimum

A parent's total obligation, including shares of basic support, child care and medical costs, cannot exceed income available for support: adjusted income minus the $1,729 reserve in effect since July 1, 2026, which the Department updates yearly. At the same time, a paying parent is presumed able to pay at least $100 a month, unless the parent's only income is disability benefits, the parent is incarcerated, receives public benefits, or the order is suspended.

Social Security or VA benefits paid to the child because of the paying parent's own disability or retirement may reduce support dollar for dollar.

Rebutting the guideline amount

The guideline amount is presumed correct, but a finding can set a different figure when it would be unjust or inappropriate. Listed reasons include a parent's other resources, other dependents, special hardships such as extraordinary travel for parenting time, the value of staying home with young children, tax consequences, and the financial advantage a new spouse's income gives a household (that income is never counted directly).

Students 18 to 21

Support normally ends at 18, but most Oregon orders continue for a Child Attending School up to 21. The young adult must be enrolled at least half time, make satisfactory progress, give written notice of the intent to attend, and consent to the school releasing enrollment and grade information to the paying parent. An 18-year-old still living at home and finishing high school is treated like a minor in the calculation.

Reviews and modification

Through the Oregon Child Support Program, either parent can ask for a review once the order has been in effect at least 35 months, or sooner with proof of a significant change such as a custody change, new child care or coverage costs, or a change in either parent's income. A change in the guideline rules themselves is not a substantial change. A modified administrative order takes effect the first of the month after the last party is served.

Documents you will need

Oregon child support FAQ

How is child support calculated in Oregon?

Add the parents' adjusted gross incomes, read the basic obligation on the scale, split it by income share, add child care and medical costs, then subtract each parent's parenting time credit. The parent with the larger net obligation pays.

How many overnights do you need for a credit in Oregon?

None in particular. The credit starts at the first overnight and rises along a curve: 10.33% at 80 overnights, 21.81% at 120, and 50.25% at 183.

What is the minimum child support in Oregon?

$100 a month is presumed, unless an exception applies, such as disability benefits as the only income, incarceration, public benefits, or exactly equal parenting time.

Does child support stop at 18 in Oregon?

Not if the young adult qualifies as a Child Attending School: enrolled at least half time with satisfactory progress. Support can then continue to 21.

What is Oregon's self-support reserve in 2026?

$1,729 a month, effective July 1, 2026. A parent's support obligation cannot use income below that amount.

Next steps

Sources

Verified against these official sources in October 2026:

Child support in every other state

All states

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