North Carolina Child Support Calculator

North Carolina uses the income shares model under N.C. General Statutes § 50-13.4, combining both parents' gross monthly incomes and applying the Schedule of Basic Child Support Obligations. Each parent's share is proportional to their percentage of combined income. The guidelines apply to combined incomes up to $40,000 per month; above that threshold, courts determine support based on the child's reasonable needs rather than the standard schedule.

North Carolina counts gross income from all sources, including wages, salaries, commissions, bonuses, rental income, retirement benefits, capital gains, insurance benefits, and self-employment income. Adjustments are made for pre-existing child support obligations and other children living in the household. The court may also impute income to a parent who is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed.

North Carolina uses three worksheets based on custody arrangements. Worksheet A applies when one parent has primary custody (more than 243 overnights). Worksheet B applies to shared custody (each parent has at least 123 overnights), increasing the combined obligation by 50% to account for duplicated expenses. Worksheet C covers split custody where each parent has primary custody of at least one child.

North Carolina allows child support modification when there is a substantial change in circumstances, such as a significant change in either parent's income, a change in custody arrangement, or increased needs of the child. Either parent can file a motion to modify with the court. The new guidelines effective January 1, 2023, also constitute grounds for modification if the existing order was calculated under prior guidelines.

Beyond the basic support obligation from the schedule, North Carolina child support includes work-related childcare costs, health insurance premiums for the children, and extraordinary expenses such as special education needs or travel costs for visitation. Under N.C.G.S. § 50-13.11(a1), health insurance is considered reasonable if it does not exceed 5% of the providing parent's gross income.

North Carolina sets a minimum child support obligation of $50 per month for low-income obligors who fall within the self-support reserve on the guidelines schedule. The standard guidelines apply to combined monthly incomes up to $40,000 ($480,000 annually). Above that cap, courts have discretion to set support based on the child's actual reasonable needs, standard of living, and the parents' estates and earnings.

North Carolina child support generally continues until the child turns 18 years old. Under N.C.G.S. § 50-13.4(c) and § 110-129(2), support extends beyond age 18 if the child is still enrolled in primary or secondary school, continuing until graduation, the child stops attending regularly, or the child reaches age 20—whichever comes first. Support ends earlier if the child marries, joins the military, or is legally emancipated.

North Carolina enforces child support through multiple mechanisms under N.C.G.S. § 110-136, including wage garnishment of up to 40% of disposable earnings, state and federal tax refund interception, liens on real and personal property, bank account levies, and suspension of driver's licenses and professional licenses. A non-paying parent can be held in civil or criminal contempt of court, which may result in fines or incarceration. There is no statute of limitations on child support arrears in North Carolina.