SupportDecode

Reviewed for current 2026 law

Arkansas Child Support Arrears Calculator

Arkansas law adds 10 percent a year to child support that is due and unpaid. The state child support office collects that interest only after a court judgment or a certified calculation.

Reviewed by SupportDecode Editorial Team Page content reviewed Sources Methodology Update log

arrears calculator

Arrears owed

The unpaid support amount itself, before any interest.

Accrual period
How do you want to enter the period?

Estimated arrears with interest: $5,500.00

Interest of $500.00 at 10% simple per year (Ark. Code Ann. § 9-14-233(a)).

How this estimate was computed
Line itemAmount
Arrears principalArk. Code Ann. § 9-14-233(a)-(b), interest and attorney’s fees on child support (Act 1248 of 2001) (Arkansas General Assembly)$5,000.00
Simple interest at 10% per year for 12 month(s) (Ark. Code Ann. § 9-14-233(a))Child support that becomes due and remains unpaid accrues 10% per annum unless the judgment owner or counsel requests in writing, before a judgment on arrears, that interest not accrue. The statute does not say simple or compound; this projection assumes simple interest. The state child support office adds interest to its ledger only after a court judgment, another state’s certified sum, or a certified calculation.Ark. Code Ann. § 9-14-233(a)-(b), interest and attorney’s fees on child support (Act 1248 of 2001) (Arkansas General Assembly)$500.00
Arrears principal plus interestArk. Code Ann. § 9-14-233(a)-(b), interest and attorney’s fees on child support (Act 1248 of 2001) (Arkansas General Assembly)$5,500.00

Assumptions

  • Accrual period expressed as 12 month(s); partial months prorate.

Estimate only. The court or state agency calculation controls.

Arkansas arrears interest under Ark. Code Ann. § 9-14-233(a); rules last reviewed 2026-09-25.

Arkansas retains a 10% annual rate

Under Ark. Code § 9-14-233(a), all child support that becomes due and remains unpaid accrues interest at 10 percent a year. A 2023 bill to cut the rate to 2 percent, HB 1794, died in the House, and no later act changed the rate.

Interest runs unless the judgment owner, or the owner’s lawyer, asks in writing before a judgment on arrears is entered that interest not accrue. That is an advance request, not a waiver after the fact.

In practice, the Office of Child Support Enforcement adds interest to the debt only when a court has reduced it to a judgment, another state sends a certified amount, or the custodial party provides a certified calculation from a licensed accountant with supporting documents.

Each installment that has accrued is a final judgment until a motion to change the order is filed, and a court cannot reduce support that came due before that motion. The statute says “per annum” without saying simple or compound, so this calculator assumes simple interest.

Annual rate
10%source
Stopping interest
Owner’s written request before judgment on arrearssource
Agency collects interest
After a judgment or certified calculationsource
2023 cut to 2%
Died in the Housesource
Time limit
5 years after the child turns 18source
Attorney’s fees
At least 10% of support due in court actionssource

Use the official principal ledger

The calculator applies 10 percent simple interest to the balance and months you enter. Simple interest is our assumption, because the statute does not say. Interest runs from each missed payment, so staggered installments need a ledger.

The agency’s ledger may show no interest unless a judgment or certified calculation exists. The agency suggests asking your local child support office about getting a judgment on the arrears. If the order came from another state, that state’s interest law applies.

What this estimate includes

  • Statutory 10% estimate
  • How interest is stopped or collected
  • Time limits and enforcement thresholds

What it leaves out

  • Ledger allocation
  • Judgment status
  • Interest the agency has not added

Arkansas arrears calculator FAQs

What is the child support interest rate in Arkansas?

10 percent a year on child support that is due and unpaid (Ark. Code § 9-14-233(a)). A 2023 bill to cut it to 2 percent died in the House.

Can interest be stopped?

Only in advance. The judgment owner or the owner’s lawyer can ask in writing, before a judgment on arrears is entered, that interest not accrue on past-due support.

Does the state collect interest automatically?

No. The Office of Child Support Enforcement adds interest to the debt only when a court has reduced it to a judgment, another state sends a certified amount, or the custodial party pays for a certified calculation from a licensed accountant and attaches the supporting documents.

Does it compound?

The statute says per annum and does not say simple or compound. This estimate assumes simple interest.

Are missed payments judgments?

Yes. Each installment that has accrued is a final judgment, subject to garnishment or execution, until a party files a motion to change the order. A court cannot reduce support that came due before that motion.

How long can arrears be collected?

An action can be brought up to 5 years after the child turns 18, and the agency applies this at age 23 for arrears not reduced to judgment. No time limit applies to a parent who leaves or stays out of Arkansas to avoid paying. After the deadline, federal tax refund offsets and passport denial are still allowed.

Do arrears end when current support ends?

No. Current support usually ends at 18, or later if the child is still in high school, but unpaid support must still be paid. The agency keeps collecting and cannot forgive unpaid child support.

What enforcement tools does Arkansas use?

The agency reports overdue support to credit bureaus once the balance is or was over $1,000. It can levy bank accounts when arrears reach $500 or three months of support, whichever is greater, with no payment in 45 days. Licenses can be suspended at three months of support owed, passports are denied at $2,500, and tax refunds can be taken: federal at $500 ($150 if owed to the state) and state at $100 ($50 if owed to the state).

How can I avoid a license suspension?

Keep up with an agreed payment plan, or pay current support plus at least 20 percent toward the arrears, according to the agency.

Can I be jailed for not paying?

A parent who is not incapacitated and willfully refuses to pay past-due support can be jailed, and the court may allow release for work. The agency refers a case for state prosecution when more than $10,000 is owed, no regular payments were made in 180 days, the case has been open at least 12 months, and the custodial party files an affidavit asking for it.

Good to know in Arkansas

  • A court may credit against future support the time the paying parent had the child beyond normal visitation, with the other parent’s knowledge and consent (Ark. Code § 9-12-314(c)).
  • Paying the other parent directly instead of as ordered may be treated as a gift, so you could still owe the money, according to the agency’s parent handbook.
  • In open enforcement cases the agency withholds 13 percent of each clearinghouse payment, up to $18, except for families required to cooperate because of SNAP, Medicaid, TEA, or ARKids First.

Official sources

Official sources last verified: .

Changelog: page reviewed . Material changes appear in the update log.