ALL 50 STATES · UPDATED FOR 2026
Kentucky Child Support Calculator
Estimate Kentucky child support with the KRS 403.212 guidelines table, the self-support reserve and the shared parenting time credit for 88 or more days.
Helpful resources for parents
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
A few genuinely useful products for organizing custody paperwork, budgeting, and co-parenting.
Keeping receipts, court papers and a simple monthly budget in one place makes any child support review easier. These are optional tools. Our calculator and guides stay free, and the estimate does not depend on anything you buy.
How to Use the Kentucky Child Support Calculator
Enter what you know and press Calculate Estimate. The calculator follows KRS 403.211, 403.212 and 403.2122, the Kentucky child support guidelines table in force since July 1, 2025, and the shared parenting time credit that took effect July 15, 2024.
- Enter each parent's gross monthly income as Parent A and Parent B.
- Choose the number of children (1 to 6 or more) and the parent the children live with most of the time.
- Enter the days per year the children spend with the other parent. At 88 or more days the shared parenting time credit can apply. Below 88 days it does not.
- Add the monthly work-related child care and the children's health insurance premium, and say which parent pays them.
Your numbers are sent with the form, not placed in the page address, and this site does not store them. This is a planning estimate. A Kentucky court decides the actual amount.
New Kentucky Child Support Laws and Changes for 2026
Looking for new child support laws in Kentucky for 2026? We did not find a new Kentucky child support guideline that starts in 2026. The most recent changes we found are these:
- June 29, 2021 (House Bill 404): added a self-support reserve, extended the guidelines table to $30,000 of combined monthly income, and raised the threshold for extraordinary medical expenses.
- 2022 (2022 Ky. Acts ch. 122, HB 501): rewrote KRS 403.212 and enacted a shared parenting time credit scheduled to start March 31, 2023, which the 2024 law below later replaced.
- July 15, 2024 (2024 Ky. Acts ch. 219): created the current shared parenting time credit in KRS 403.2122 with the 88-day minimum and the percentage chart below.
- July 1, 2025: the amended KRS 403.212 and table took effect. The Attorney General now writes the child support worksheet rules.
A new guideline does not automatically change an existing order. A parent generally has to ask the court for a modification, and the statute says a 15% change in the number of timesharing days is the starting point for asking.
How Kentucky Calculates Child Support
Kentucky uses an income shares approach on gross income. The worksheet steps are:
- Find each parent's monthly gross income and subtract court-ordered maintenance for prior spouses, support paid for prior-born children and maintenance ordered in the current case. This gives the combined monthly adjusted parental gross income.
- Look up the child support obligation in the table for that combined income and the number of children.
- Divide the obligation between the parents in proportion to their adjusted incomes.
- Add child care and health insurance costs, divided by income share, and credit the parent who pays them.
- If the paying parent has the child 88 or more days a year and asks for it, subtract the shared parenting time credit.
The guideline amount is a rebuttable presumption. A court can deviate with written findings, for example for a child's extraordinary medical or educational needs, a parent's own extraordinary needs, the child's own resources, or an agreement between informed parents.
The Kentucky Child Support Guidelines Table
The table in KRS 403.212(9) covers 1 to 6 or more children in $100 steps of combined monthly adjusted income from $0 to $30,000. A sample of the table:
| Combined monthly income | 1 child | 2 children | 3 children |
|---|
| $2,000 | $322 | $472 | $570 |
| $4,000 | $621 | $912 | $1,102 |
| $6,000 | $831 | $1,200 | $1,439 |
| $8,000 | $996 | $1,426 | $1,704 |
| $10,000 | $1,099 | $1,533 | $1,844 |
| $15,000 | $1,430 | $1,966 | $2,364 |
| $25,000 | $1,863 | $2,519 | $2,991 |
Under $1,000 of combined income the table amount is the $60 minimum, and at $1,000 it is $85. Above $30,000 a month the court uses its discretion, and this calculator stops there rather than guess. Between two table rows this calculator interpolates in a straight line, because the statute does not say how to treat an income between rows.
Shared Parenting Time Credit in Kentucky (KRS 403.2122)
A parent who has the child for at least 88 days a year can ask the court for a shared parenting time credit. A "day" is more than 12 consecutive hours in a 24-hour period under that parent's care, or as the court finds on substantially equivalent care. The credit applies to parenting time that is court-ordered or exercised by consent of the parties. The process in the statute is:
- Calculate the table obligation from the combined adjusted income.
- Count the days the child spends with the paying parent in a year.
- Find the adjustment percentage in the chart below.
- Multiply the percentage by the total table obligation. That is the credit.
- Subtract the credit from the paying parent's monthly obligation.
| Days with the paying parent | Credit (share of the table amount) |
|---|
| 88 to 115 | 15% |
| 116 to 129 | 20.5% |
| 130 to 142 | 25% |
| 143 to 152 | 30.5% |
| 153 to 162 | 36% |
| 163 to 172 | 42% |
| 173 to 181 | 48.5% |
| 182 to 182.5 | 50% |
If both parents have the child equal time, the parent with the higher gross monthly income is the paying parent. The self-support reserve and the shared parenting credit are not applied together: the paying parent owes the lesser amount. The court has discretion over the credit if the other parent receives KCHIP, KTAP, SNAP or Medicaid for the child, and it can consider whether a parent consistently uses the schedule, whether all children follow the same schedule, distance, military service and who provides health insurance.
Child Care, Health Insurance and Medical Costs in Kentucky
- Child care: reasonable and necessary costs from employment, a job search or education leading to employment are divided between the parents in proportion to their adjusted incomes, in addition to the table amount (KRS 403.211(6)).
- Health insurance: the cost of covering the child is divided in proportion to adjusted income, in addition to support (KRS 403.211(7)(a)). A parent who has 100% of the combined income deducts the entire premium from gross income instead (KRS 403.211(7)(b)), which is how the CS-71.1 worksheet works.
- Extraordinary medical expenses: uninsured costs over $250 per child per calendar year are divided in proportion to income. This calculator has no field for them.
Self-Support Reserve and the $60 Minimum
Kentucky protects a low-income paying parent through a self-support reserve of $915 a month. If the paying parent's adjusted gross income is at or below the amount for the number of children, the obligation is calculated on that parent's income alone, using the table:
- $1,100 or less with one child
- $1,300 or less with two children
- $1,400 or less with three children
- $1,500 or less with four or five children
- $1,600 or less with six or more children
The paying parent owes the lesser of the proportional amount, the reserve amount and, where it applies, the shared parenting amount. The minimum order is $60 a month, except where the shared parenting credit lowers it.
Kentucky Child Support Examples
In each example the children live with Parent A, and Parent B is the other parent. Amounts are monthly.
Example 1: Two children, 60 days with the other parent
A earns $4,000 and B earns $6,000. Combined income is $10,000, and the table gives $1,533 for two children. B's 60% share is $919.80 a month. B has fewer than 88 days, so no shared parenting credit applies.
Example 2: Child care and health insurance paid by A
Same incomes. A pays $600 of child care and $100 of health insurance. B's 60% share of the $700 is $420, so B owes $919.80 + $420 = $1,339.80 a month.
Example 3: 120 days with B (credit 20.5%)
Same incomes. The chart gives 20.5% for 116 to 129 days. The credit is 20.5% × $1,533 = $314.26. B's share $919.80 minus the credit is $605.54 a month.
Example 4: Equal time (182 days)
Same incomes. With equal time the higher earner, B, is the paying parent. The credit is 50% × $1,533 = $766.50. B's share $919.80 minus $766.50 is $153.30 a month.
Example 5: Self-support reserve
A earns $4,000 and B earns $1,000, one child. B is at or below $1,100, so Kentucky uses B's income alone: the table row for $1,000 is $85.00 a month.
Example 6: Very low income
A earns $500 and B earns $200. The table amount is the minimum: $60.00 a month.
These are illustrations produced from the statutes, not court rulings.
What Counts as Income in Kentucky
Kentucky counts gross income from any source: salaries, wages, retirement and pension funds, commissions, bonuses, dividends, severance pay, interest, trust income, annuities, capital gains, Social Security, workers' compensation, unemployment, disability benefits, SSI, gifts, prizes and alimony received. It excludes means-tested public assistance such as Title IV-A assistance and food stamps.
For self-employment, rent or business income, gross income is gross receipts minus ordinary and necessary expenses, with straight-line depreciation only. If a parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed, a court can use potential income. An incarcerated parent is not found voluntarily unemployed, and potential income is not determined for an incarcerated parent.
What This Kentucky Estimate Does Not Include
- Maintenance and support for other children, which reduce adjusted income. Gross income is used as you enter it.
- Extraordinary medical expenses over $250 per child per year.
- Split custody, where each parent has custody of at least one child, which uses two worksheets.
- Combined incomes above $30,000 a month, deviations, and the court's discretion on the credit.
Kentucky Child Support Terms
- CS-71
- The Kentucky worksheet for the monthly child support obligation.
- CS-71.1
- The version of the worksheet used when one parent has 100% of the combined income.
- Self-support reserve
- The low-income protection of $915 a month.
- Shared parenting time credit
- The reduction for a parent with at least 88 days a year.
- Obligor
- The parent who pays support.
Frequently Asked Questions About Kentucky Child Support
Is this the official Kentucky child support calculator?
No. ChildSupportCalculator.xyz is an independent tool and is not affiliated with the Commonwealth of Kentucky. It applies KRS 403.211, 403.212 and 403.2122. Kentucky courts and the child support agency decide actual amounts.
How is child support calculated in Kentucky?
Kentucky adds both parents' adjusted gross incomes, looks up the obligation in the guidelines table for the number of children, divides it by income share, and adds child care and health insurance costs divided by income share. A parent with at least 88 days a year can ask for a shared parenting time credit.
Are there new child support guidelines in Kentucky in 2026?
We did not find a new guideline that takes effect in 2026. The latest changes are the shared parenting time credit (July 15, 2024) and the amended KRS 403.212 and table (July 1, 2025).
Does Kentucky use gross or net income?
Gross income. Kentucky uses gross income from all sources, minus court-ordered maintenance and support for other children in the amounts actually paid.
How many days do I need for shared parenting in Kentucky?
At least 88 days a year, as defined in KRS 403.2122, and you must ask for the credit. The credit grows from 15% at 88 to 115 days up to 50% at 182 days.
Is there a Kentucky child support calculator for 50/50 custody?
Yes. Enter 182 days for the other parent. When time is equal, the parent with the higher gross income is treated as the paying parent and receives the 50% credit.
What is the maximum income in the Kentucky child support table?
$30,000 of combined monthly adjusted parental gross income. Above that, the court uses its discretion.
What is the minimum child support in Kentucky?
$60 a month, except where the shared parenting time credit lowers the amount.
What is the self-support reserve in Kentucky?
A $915 a month low-income protection. If the paying parent's income is at or below $1,100 (one child), $1,300 (two), $1,400 (three), $1,500 (four or five) or $1,600 (six or more), support is calculated on that parent's income alone.
Does the Kentucky calculator need my personal details or a login?
No. This site needs no login and does not store your numbers.
Official Kentucky Child Support Resources
Published: October 13, 2026
Last reviewed: October 13, 2026
Researched and reviewed by Eric John, founder and editor, using official state statutes and guidance. How we build and check our calculators · Corrections
Related Child Support Calculators
