Updated for 2026 guidelines
Maryland Child Support Arrears Guide 2026
Separate a discretionary prejudgment award from the general postjudgment statute instead of inventing one statewide rate.
Reviewed by SupportDecode Editorial Team Page content reviewed Sources Methodology Update log
Check a Maryland arrears balance
Estimated arrears with interest: $5,000.00
Interest of $0.00 under Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 11-107; 2025 Md. App. No. 1439s24.
| Line item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Arrears principalMd. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 11-107 (judgment interest: 10% general money judgments; NO child-support provision) (Maryland General Assembly (mgaleg.maryland.gov)) | $5,000.00 |
| Interest not computed: no verified numeric rate (Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 11-107; 2025 Md. App. No. 1439s24)Pellet v. Pellet affirms a discretionary prejudgment-interest award on child-support arrears; the parties stipulated to 6% simple, noncompounded interest for that case, so 6% is not a universal rate. Section 11-107 separately provides 10% on general money judgments, but its support-specific application and timing remain unresolved. No interest is computed without the controlling order, judgment, and ledger.Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 11-107 (judgment interest: 10% general money judgments; NO child-support provision) (Maryland General Assembly (mgaleg.maryland.gov)) | $0.00 |
| Arrears principal plus interestMd. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 11-107 (judgment interest: 10% general money judgments; NO child-support provision) (Maryland General Assembly (mgaleg.maryland.gov)) | $5,000.00 |
Assumptions
- Accrual period expressed as 12 month(s); partial months prorate.
- No verified numeric interest rate for this state; interest shown as 0 and the result is an estimate of principal only.
Estimate only. The court or state agency calculation controls.
Maryland arrears interest under Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 11-107; 2025 Md. App. No. 1439s24; rules last reviewed 2026-08-28.
Maryland requires the judgment and ledger
Pellet v. Pellet confirms that a Maryland circuit court may exercise discretion to award prejudgment interest on child-support arrears.
The Pellet parties stipulated to 6% simple, noncompounded interest for that case. The opinion does not make 6% an automatic or universal Maryland arrears rate.
Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 11-107 separately sets 10% interest for general money judgments. Its support-specific application and postjudgment start date still require the controlling judgment and legal review.
Maryland still enforces arrears through income withholding, intercepts, credit reporting, license actions, passport denial, and court remedies. The official Child Support Administration or court ledger controls.
How to read the principal-only result
The calculator preserves the principal because it cannot know whether a court awarded discretionary prejudgment interest, what case-specific rate and period apply, or how a later money judgment is treated. Principal only is fail-closed, not a 0% claim.
Use the order, any interest award, judgment date and wording, payment history, and court or agency ledger rather than substituting Pellet’s stipulated 6% or § 11-107’s general 10% rate.
What this estimate includes
- Entered arrears principal
- The discretionary prejudgment and separate postjudgment paths
- Explicit unresolved status
What it leaves out
- A universal 0% claim
- Judgment-interest arithmetic
- Payment histories and ledger adjustments
- Current support
Maryland arrears FAQs
Does Maryland child support arrears interest equal 0%?
No universal 0% conclusion is supported. Pellet confirms that a court may award prejudgment interest on arrears, while the rate and period remain case-specific.
Does Pellet make Maryland arrears interest 6%?
No. The parties in Pellet stipulated to 6% simple, noncompounded interest, and the appellate court affirmed the discretionary award. That stipulation does not create a universal statewide rate.
What is the Maryland 10% rate?
Section 11-107(a) is the separate general money-judgment rate. Its application and timing for a particular support judgment must be confirmed from the controlling judgment and law; it is not the rate used in Pellet’s prejudgment award.
Why is no interest calculated?
The page cannot determine the court’s discretionary award, case-specific rate and period, or postjudgment treatment from a principal balance alone.
How are arrears enforced?
Maryland uses withholding, intercepts, credit reporting, license and passport actions, and court enforcement.
What if another state issued the order?
Use the issuing state’s certified ledger and controlling interest law; accrued amounts do not disappear on transfer.
Is this an official payoff?
No. Request the account statement or payoff from CSA or the court.
Official sources
Official sources last verified: .
- Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 11-107 (judgment interest: 10% general money judgments; NO child-support provision)
Maryland General Assembly (mgaleg.maryland.gov) Last checked
- Pellet v. Pellet — discretionary prejudgment interest on child-support arrears
Appellate Court of Maryland Last checked
- Md. Code, Fam. Law § 10-122 (support earnings withholding at federal CCPA limits; arrears apportionment of at least $1 and at most 25% of the current support payment)
Maryland General Assembly (mgaleg.maryland.gov) Last checked
- Maryland DHS Child Support Resources (calculator link; quadrennial review reports)
Maryland DHS Child Support Administration Last checked
Reviewed by SupportDecode Editorial Team Page content reviewed Sources Methodology Update log
Changelog: page first published with the no-accrual-interest rule and the reduced-to-judgment nuance. Material changes are dated in the update log.