South Dakota Child Support Laws (2026): Guidelines & Calculator

South Dakota calculates child support using the Income Shares Model, which estimates the total cost of raising a child and splits that amount between both parents in proportion to their combined monthly net income. Support amounts are set by the Schedule of Basic Obligation under SDCL 25-7-6.2. Use the South Dakota child support calculator below to estimate a guideline amount, or open the South Dakota child support calculator for a full-page tool.

South Dakota requires both parents to contribute financially to raising their children, whether married, divorced, or never married. The state's child support system is governed primarily by South Dakota Codified Laws Chapter 25-7 and administered by the Division of Child Support Services (DCS) within the Department of Social Services.

This guide covers everything you need to know about South Dakota child support, from applying for services to calculating payments, modifying orders, and understanding enforcement actions.

How to Apply for Child Support in South Dakota

The Division of Child Support Services (DCS), part of the South Dakota Department of Social Services, provides services including parent location, paternity establishment, order establishment, and enforcement.

To apply for services:

• Download and complete the Application for Support Services Form (DSS-SE-408)
• Read all instructions carefully before completing the three-page application
• Submit the completed form to the Division of Child Support Services

Locate child support offices in your area

Fees for services:

Parents receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Medicaid, or Title IV-E foster care automatically qualify for DCS services without submitting a separate application or paying the application fee.

The DCS does not provide divorce assistance, legal advice, or alimony order establishment. The DCS only enforces health insurance if the court ordered the parent to provide coverage and insurance is available through the parent's employment.

For questions, contact the DCS at 605-773-3641.

How is Paternity Established in South Dakota?

Under South Dakota law, when a child is born to a married couple, the husband is presumed to be the father until proven otherwise.

For unmarried parents, two methods exist to establish paternity:

Voluntary Establishment:

• The father signs a "Paternity Affidavit Form" at the hospital or in front of a notary.
• Signing the affidavit automatically establishes legal paternity.
• Forms are available at hospitals, Department of Social Services offices, local Register of Deeds offices, and Department of Health offices.

Involuntary Establishment:

• Either parent files a "Petition to Establish Paternity" at the local circuit court.
• The DCS can obtain a court order requiring genetic (DNA) testing.
• If DNA testing confirms paternity, a support order can be established.

If either parent denies paternity, the other parent can petition the court for mandatory DNA testing.

How is Child Support Calculated in South Dakota?

South Dakota uses the Income Shares Model to calculate child support. This model estimates the total cost of raising a child based on economic data and then divides that cost between parents in proportion to their respective incomes.

Child support guidelines are codified in South Dakota Codified Laws Chapter 25-7. The court uses the Schedule of Basic Obligation (found in SDCL 25-7-6.2) to determine support amounts based on:

• The combined monthly net income of both parents
• The number of children requiring support
• Each parent's proportionate share of the combined income

The schedule covers combined monthly net incomes up to $30,000. For combined incomes above that amount, the court establishes support at an appropriate level, considering the needs and standard of living of the child.

Defining Gross and Net Income

Gross income includes all income from all sources. To arrive at net income for guideline purposes, the following mandatory deductions are subtracted:

• Federal income tax (calculated assuming a single taxpayer with one withholding allowance)
• Social Security and Medicare taxes (FICA)
• Allowable deductions listed under SDCL 25-7-6.7, such as other court-ordered child support for prior-born children

Self-Support Reserve

South Dakota's guidelines include a self-support reserve to protect a paying parent's ability to meet basic needs. For parents in the low-income range, the court compares the child support amount to the parent's proportionate share and uses whichever is lower.

South Dakota's self-support reserve is currently $871 per month. A 2026 bill, House Bill 1040, would have updated the obligation schedule and raised the self-support reserve to $1,148 per month following recommendations from the 2025 South Dakota Commission on Child Support. HB 1040 passed the House 40-25 on February 19, 2026, but failed in the Senate 12-22 on March 5, 2026, so it did not become law and the self-support reserve did not change.

When the noncustodial parent's obligation falls within the emboldened low-income area of the schedule, the court compares that amount to the parent's proportionate share of the combined-income calculation and uses whichever is lower.

How to Calculate Child Support

Step 1: Use one of these official calculation tools:

• Online Child Support Obligation Calculator
• Child Support Obligation Worksheet (download)
• Shared Parenting Child Support Obligation Worksheet (for parents with at least 180 overnight visits per parent each year)

Step 2: Compare the result to the Child Support Basic Obligation Schedule in SDCL 25-7-6.2.

These calculators and worksheets provide estimates only. The judge or DCS has final authority on the actual support amount ordered.

Imputed Income

If a parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed, the court will impute income based on earning capacity. Under South Dakota law, there is a rebuttable presumption that a parent can work at least 35 hours per week at minimum wage.

Factors the court considers when imputing income include the parent's education, occupational skills, work experience, age, health, criminal record, and employment opportunities in the geographic area.

Under SDCL 25-7-6.26, no income may be imputed to a parent who has been sentenced to serve a term of incarceration or confinement of more than 180 days, or to a parent whose physical or mental disability prevents them from earning income. The statute does not substitute a set figure for those parents, so support is calculated from actual income, which in practice falls at the bottom of the schedule.

Shared Parenting Adjustment

Under SDCL 25-7-6.14, when a custody order provides that the child resides with the obligor (paying parent) six or more nights in a month, the court may grant an abatement of the basic child support obligation for those nights, ranging from 38% to 66% depending on the obligor's non-duplicated, fixed costs for the child during that time. The order granting the abatement must specify the number of nights allowed and the abatement amount, and if the obligor does not exercise the extended parenting time in a given year, the abated amount must be repaid to the custodial parent.

Split Custody

In split custody cases where each parent has primary custody of at least one child, the court calculates each parent's obligation separately and then determines the net difference owed.

Medical Support

Under SDCL 25-7-6.16, every child support order must address how the child's health care needs will be met. The order must include a provision for medical insurance if:

• The insurance is accessible for the child (available within the geographic coverage area)
• The cost is reasonable (equal to or less than 8% of the parent's net income after proportionate medical support credit)

The parent with primary physical custody is solely responsible for the first $250 in unreimbursed health care expenses per child per calendar year. Expenses above that threshold are divided between parents proportionally based on income.

Grounds for Deviation from Guidelines

Under SDCL 25-7-6.10, deviation from the schedule must be considered if either party raises it, and may be granted only on the entry of specific findings based on one of seven listed factors:

• The income of a subsequent spouse or a third party's contribution to a parent's income or expenses, but only if applying the schedule works a financial hardship on either parent
• Any financial condition of either parent that would make applying the schedule inequitable
• Any necessary education or health care special needs of the child
• The effect of agreements between the parents about extra forms of support for the direct benefit of the child
• Either parent's obligation to provide for subsequent natural children, adopted children, or stepchildren (though an existing order may not be modified for this reason alone)
• A parent's voluntary and unreasonable act that leaves the parent unemployed or underemployed
• The federal income consequences of claiming the child as a dependent

If the total support obligation, including any adjustments for health insurance and child care costs, exceeds 50% of the obligor's monthly net income, the statute presumes that the obligation imposes a financial hardship on the obligor. That presumption can be rebutted using the other factors in the section.

The judge must provide a written explanation for any deviation from the guidelines.

How to Modify Child Support in South Dakota

Only the circuit court has authority to modify child support orders in South Dakota. The modification rules depend on when the current order was entered.

Orders entered or modified after July 1, 1997 (under SDCL 25-7A-22):

• If the petition is filed within three years of the order date, the parent must show a substantial change in circumstances.
• If the petition is filed three or more years after the order date, no change in circumstances is required.

What counts as a substantial change in circumstances:

• Significant increase or decrease in either parent's income
• Daycare expenses that are no longer incurred
• A child included in the order has graduated from high school while other minor children remain
• Changes in custody or parenting time arrangements
• Changes in health insurance availability or cost

Filing process:

1. File a Petition for Modification with the Clerk of Court.
2. Pay the $50 filing fee (public assistance recipients are exempt; fee waivers may be available).
3. The Clerk reviews your petition for completeness.
4. The court appoints a referee who schedules and conducts a hearing.
5. Within 60 days, the referee mails recommendations to both parties.
6. If neither party objects within 10 days, the court enters an order. If either party objects, a second hearing is scheduled.

Download instructions for filing a petition for modification (Form DSS-SE-415)

All documents must be on standard 8.5 x 11 inch paper. Non-compliant petitions will be rejected. If you fail to appear for a scheduled hearing (in person or by telephone), the referee may dismiss your request.

Appeals of final court orders go to the South Dakota Supreme Court and must be filed within 30 days.

What Happens If You Do Not Pay Child Support in South Dakota?

Willful failure to pay child support is a crime in South Dakota under SDCL 25-7-16. The state uses numerous enforcement tools to collect unpaid support.

Administrative Enforcement Actions

License Suspension Details

Under SDCL 25-7A-56.1, a circuit court can revoke, suspend, or restrict a parent's driver's, professional, occupational, sporting, or recreational license when the parent owes past-due support. The statute sets no minimum dollar threshold. A parent in this situation has options:

• Pay the full arrearage amount
• Enter into a stipulated repayment agreement with DCS
• Receive a one-time, six-month temporary license while making arrangements

If the parent fails to comply with a repayment agreement, the DCS can administratively revoke the license.

Contempt of Court

The DCS escalates cases to a prosecutor who schedules "show cause hearings" when parents who have the ability to pay willfully refuse to do so. At these hearings, the accused parent can explain their failure to pay. If the reason is valid (such as involuntary job loss), the court may order a modification or establish a payment plan instead of imposing penalties. If a prosecutor has set a show cause hearing in your case, ask a South Dakota family lawyer for a free case evaluation on explaining your reasons and seeking a modification or payment plan (attorney advertising).

Criminal Non-Support

Nonsupport of a child by a parent is a Class 1 misdemeanor under South Dakota law. Leaving the state to avoid paying child support elevates the offense to a felony. Penalties may include:

• Up to one year in jail for a misdemeanor
• Prison time for a felony conviction
• Fines
• Interest charges on arrears

When Does Child Support End in South Dakota?

Under South Dakota law, child support continues until the child turns 18. Support may extend until the child's 19th birthday if the child is still enrolled full-time in a secondary school (high school), whichever occurs first.

Special circumstances:

• Support may continue indefinitely if the child has a severe mental or physical disability and cannot support themselves.
• South Dakota does not require parents to pay for college or university expenses. However, parents may voluntarily agree in writing to extend support for higher education costs.

Emancipation

Under SDCL 25-5-26, South Dakota allows minors at least 16 years old to petition the circuit court for emancipation. The minor must demonstrate:

• Living separately from parents or guardian with their consent or acquiescence
• Managing their own financial affairs
• That their income is not derived from any criminal activity

A child may also become emancipated through marriage or by joining the United States military.

Emancipation alone does not automatically terminate a child support order. The custodial parent or obligor must file a petition to modify or terminate the order after emancipation occurs.

2026 Legislative Update

The 2025 South Dakota Commission on Child Support reviewed the state's guidelines and recommended updating the obligation schedule. That recommendation became House Bill 1040, which would have adjusted guideline amounts for inflation and raised the self-support reserve from $871 to $1,148 per month. HB 1040 passed the House but failed in the Senate on March 5, 2026 (a 12-22 vote), so the obligation schedule and self-support reserve were not changed. The schedule in SDCL 25-7-6.2 and the $871 self-support reserve remain in effect.

A separate 2026 bill, House Bill 1045, was signed into law by Governor Rhoden on March 12, 2026. HB 1045 does not touch the obligation schedule or the self-support reserve. Instead, it revises how courts impute income to a parent (restating the presumption as at least 1,820 hours per year at the state minimum wage, the annualized equivalent of 35 hours per week) and allows a court to credit an obligor for child support arrears that accumulated during a period when the obligor had actual physical custody of the child.

Parents with existing orders who want to check whether a change in circumstances warrants a modification may file a Petition for Modification with the circuit court.

More South Dakota Laws

• South Dakota Alimony Laws
• South Dakota Child Custody Laws
• South Dakota Divorce Laws

Frequently Asked Questions

How is child support calculated in South Dakota?

South Dakota uses the Income Shares Model, which estimates the total cost of raising a child and divides it between both parents based on their proportionate shares of combined monthly net income. The court references the Schedule of Basic Obligation in SDCL 25-7-6.2, which covers combined monthly net incomes up to $30,000. You can estimate your obligation using the official calculator at apps.sd.gov.

When does child support end in South Dakota?

Child support ends when the child turns 18. If the child is still enrolled full-time in high school, support continues until the child turns 19 or graduates, whichever comes first. Support may continue indefinitely for a child with a severe disability who cannot support themselves.

How do I modify a child support order in South Dakota?

File a Petition for Modification with the Clerk of Court and pay a $50 filing fee. If your order was entered or modified after July 1, 1997, and less than three years have passed, you must show a substantial change in circumstances such as a significant income change. If three or more years have passed since the order, no change in circumstances is required.

What happens if I do not pay child support in South Dakota?

South Dakota can enforce unpaid child support through income withholding, credit bureau reporting, license suspension (driver's, professional, hunting, and fishing), tax refund intercepts, bank account levies, and passport denial for arrears of $2,500 or more. Willful non-payment is a Class 1 misdemeanor, and leaving the state to avoid payment can be charged as a felony.

Does South Dakota require parents to pay for college expenses?

No. South Dakota law does not require either parent to pay for college or university expenses as part of a child support obligation. However, parents may voluntarily agree in writing to contribute to higher education costs as part of a separation agreement or other arrangement.

What is the self-support reserve in South Dakota?

The self-support reserve protects a low-income paying parent's ability to meet basic needs. South Dakota's self-support reserve is $871 per month. A 2026 bill (House Bill 1040) that would have raised it to $1,148 per month passed the House but failed in the Senate, so it did not take effect. When the noncustodial parent's obligation falls in the low-income range of the schedule, the court uses whichever amount is lower: the individual parent's share or the proportionate share from the combined-income calculation.