Child support in Nevada starts with a fixed percentage of the paying parent’s gross monthly income: 18% for one child, 25% for two, 29% for three, 31% for four, and an additional 2% for each child after that. Courts adjust that number for custody arrangements, low income, and a presumptive maximum cap, and they can deviate up or down when strict application would be unfair. Orders are enforced aggressively, with interest on unpaid amounts, wage withholding, license suspensions, and criminal charges available when a parent falls behind.
How the Amount Is Calculated
The formula under NRS 125B.070 begins with gross monthly income, which means total income from any source before deductions for taxes, retirement contributions, or personal expenses.1Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code 125B.070 – Amount of Payment: Definitions; Adjustment of Presumptive Maximum Amount Wages, salaries, commissions, bonuses, pensions, Social Security benefits, and investment income all count. For self-employed parents, it’s gross receipts minus legitimate business expenses. Public assistance such as SSI, SNAP, TANF, and Section 8 vouchers is generally excluded.2Social Security Administration. Exceptions to SSI Income and Resource Limits
If a parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed without good reason, the judge can impute income based on education, work history, and available opportunities. Irregular income like bonuses or commissions is usually averaged over a reasonable period to produce a consistent monthly figure.
The Percentage Schedule
Applied to gross monthly income:
- One child: 18%
- Two children: 25%
- Three children: 29%
- Four children: 31%
- Each additional child: an extra 2%
A parent earning $5,000 per month with two children would owe $1,250 before any adjustments.1Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code 125B.070 – Amount of Payment: Definitions; Adjustment of Presumptive Maximum Amount
Low-Income Adjustments
Parents with gross monthly income between 75% and 150% of the federal poverty level for a one-person household pay reduced percentages. The Nevada Judiciary publishes an annual schedule that phases in the obligation, starting at roughly 66% of the standard rate at the lowest tier and scaling up to the full rate as income approaches 150% of the poverty line.3Nevada Judiciary. 2025 Child Support Obligation of Low-Income Payers The schedule updates each year with federal poverty guidelines.
The Presumptive Maximum
Nevada caps the presumed support amount per child per month. The cap is adjusted annually for the Consumer Price Index, and updated figures are published each July.4Nevada Judiciary. Presumptive Maximum Amounts of Child Support A judge can order more than the cap, but only with specific factual findings justifying the higher amount.
How Custody Changes the Number
Nevada distinguishes primary physical custody, where one parent has the child more than 60% of overnights in a year, from joint physical custody, where time is more evenly split.
Under primary custody, the non-custodial parent pays the full calculated amount to the custodial parent. Under joint custody, each parent’s obligation is calculated separately, and the parent with the higher figure pays the difference to the other. This offset reflects that both parents cover direct costs during their own parenting time. Courts can also add childcare, travel for visitation, and the child’s health insurance premiums into the picture. A significant change in custody is grounds to recalculate.
When a Judge Can Deviate From the Formula
The percentages are a presumption, not a hard rule. Under NRS 125B.080, a court can go higher or lower if strict application would be unjust or inappropriate. Typical reasons include extraordinary medical or educational expenses, significant income disparity between the parents, the cost of health insurance, and a parent’s legal obligation to support children from another relationship. The court has to write down its reasoning whenever it departs from the formula.1Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code 125B.070 – Amount of Payment: Definitions; Adjustment of Presumptive Maximum Amount
When Support Ends
Nevada defines a minor child for support purposes as a child under 18, or under 19 if still in high school, or under a legal disability, or not yet emancipated by court order.5Nevada Legislature. Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 125B – Obligation of Support Support ends when the child no longer fits any of those categories. Nevada does not extend support for college.
One exception matters: a parent must keep supporting a child with a handicap past the age of majority if the disability began before age 18 and the child cannot engage in substantial gainful activity. That obligation runs until the child is no longer disabled or becomes self-supporting.5Nevada Legislature. Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 125B – Obligation of Support
Reaching the end of a support obligation does not erase unpaid arrears. If you owe back support when the child is emancipated, the existing order keeps running until the balance is paid.
Paternity for Unmarried Parents
For unmarried parents, legal fatherhood has to be established before a court can order support. The simplest route is a Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity, signed by both parents and filed with the Nevada Office of Vital Records.6Division of Social Services. Establishing Paternity The form must be notarized or witnessed, and after 60 days it becomes a binding legal determination.7Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health. Declaration of Paternity
Either parent can rescind within 60 days of filing, or within 60 days of turning 18, whichever comes later. Even after rescission, the father’s name stays on the birth certificate until a court declares he is not the legal father.7Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health. Declaration of Paternity
When paternity is disputed, the child, the mother, the alleged father, or an interested third party can file a court action under NRS 126.071, and the district attorney can also initiate proceedings on request.8Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code 126.071 – Who May Bring Action; When Action May Be Brought Courts routinely order genetic testing in contested cases. Once paternity is established, the father gains custody and visitation rights, and the child gains access to inheritance, health insurance eligibility, and Social Security benefits through the father.
Changing an Existing Order
Child support orders can be changed. Under NRS 125B.145, the court must review an order at least every three years when someone requests it, and a modification is available between those reviews based on changed circumstances.9Justia. Nevada Code 125B.145 – Review and Modification of Order for Support
A change of 20% or more in either parent’s gross monthly income automatically qualifies as changed circumstances requiring a review.9Justia. Nevada Code 125B.145 – Review and Modification of Order for Support Other qualifying triggers include a new custody arrangement, one child aging out while others remain on the order, or a major shift in the child’s needs like a new medical condition.
File a motion with the court along with supporting documents such as recent pay stubs, tax returns, or medical records. If both parents agree, they can submit a written stipulation for the court to approve. Otherwise the court sets a hearing. One detail that trips people up: modifications are not retroactive before the filing date. If your income dropped six months ago and you waited to file, the court adjusts only from the filing date forward. File as soon as the change happens.
What Happens If Payments Stop
Unpaid support, called arrears, accrues interest under NRS 99.040 at the prime rate of the largest bank in Nevada plus 2%, adjusted every January 1 and July 1.10Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code 99.040 – Interest Rate When Not Fixed by Contract Older materials sometimes cite a flat 10%; the actual rate moves with the market. Arrears stay enforceable until fully paid, even after the child is emancipated. Nevada’s Division of Welfare and Supportive Services can intercept state and federal tax refunds, seize financial assets, place liens on property, and in some cases intercept gambling winnings.
Automatic Wage Withholding
Under NRS 31A.025, every support order with income withholding takes effect immediately. Employers deduct payments from wages before the check is issued.11Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code 31A.025 – Initiation of Procedure for Withholding of Income Immediate withholding can be delayed only if both parties agree in writing or the court finds good cause, such as a clean 12-month payment history. If the parent later falls behind, withholding starts automatically.
License Suspensions
If a court finds a parent has fallen behind or failed to comply with a subpoena in a paternity or support case, it sends its order to every licensing agency in the state. The parent has 30 days to satisfy the arrearage or comply with the subpoena. If they don’t, professional, occupational, and recreational licenses are suspended automatically.12Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code 425.540 – Dissemination and Contents of Court Order Driver’s licenses can also be suspended.
Criminal Charges
Knowingly failing to pay court-ordered support is a misdemeanor under NRS 201.020, punishable by up to six months in county jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.13Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code 201.020 – Penalties; Jurisdiction14Nevada Legislature. Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 193 – Punishment of Misdemeanors Once arrears total $10,000 or more accumulated over any period since the original order, the offense becomes a category C felony, carrying one to five years in state prison and a fine of up to $10,000.15Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code 193.130 – Categories and Punishment of Felonies Parents who owe more than $2,500 in past-due support may also be denied a U.S. passport.
Where Payments Go
Payments run through the Nevada State Collection and Disbursement Unit, or SCaDU. Send payments there rather than directly to the other parent. Money handed to the other parent is often treated as a gift and may not be credited against your obligation if a dispute arises later.16Clark County District Attorney’s Office. Family Support Division Payment Options SCaDU payments take three to five business days to process.
If informal enforcement isn’t working, the receiving parent can file a motion for contempt, which can result in wage garnishment, license suspension, or jail time. Parents who need help establishing or enforcing an order can contact the Nevada Division of Welfare and Supportive Services, which provides child support enforcement services regardless of whether the family receives public assistance.17Division of Social Services. Child Support Services