Updated for 2026 guidelines
Texas Child Support Arrears Calculator 2026
Unpaid Texas child support grows at 6 percent simple interest per year. This page explains how arrears work and lets you estimate a past-due balance.
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Estimate a Texas arrears balance
Estimated arrears with interest: $5,300.00
Interest of $300.00 at 6% simple per year (Tex. Fam. Code 157.265).
| Line item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Arrears principalTex. Fam. Code ch. 157 (157.265 arrears interest 6% simple) (Texas Legislature) | $5,000.00 |
| Simple interest at 6% per year for 12 month(s) (Tex. Fam. Code 157.265)Applies to payments due on or after 2002-01-01; a payment is delinquent if not received before the 31st day after the stated payment date (Tex. Fam. Code 157.266). Pre-2002 arrears use prior-law rates (12% before the 2000 amendments; historical rates official-confirmation-required).Tex. Fam. Code ch. 157 (157.265 arrears interest 6% simple) (Texas Legislature) | $300.00 |
| Arrears principal plus interestTex. Fam. Code ch. 157 (157.265 arrears interest 6% simple) (Texas Legislature) | $5,300.00 |
Assumptions
- Accrual period expressed as 12 month(s); partial months prorate.
Estimate only. The court or state agency calculation controls.
Texas arrears interest under Tex. Fam. Code 157.265; rules last reviewed 2026-08-06.
How arrears and interest work in Texas
Arrears are child support payments that were ordered but never paid. The missed amounts do not go away. In Texas, each unpaid payment becomes a final judgment on its own as it comes due, without anyone filing anything.
A payment counts as delinquent if it is not received before the 31st day after its due date. From there, interest starts to build.
Texas charges 6 percent simple interest per year on delinquent child support. The same 6 percent rate applies to confirmed arrears judgments and retroactive support judgments.
Simple interest means the rate applies only to the missed support itself. Interest does not earn interest on top of itself, the way credit card interest can.
These rules apply to payments that came due on or after January 1, 2002. Older arrears follow the law in effect at the time, which used different rates.
How to use this estimate
Enter the total unpaid support as one amount (the principal), then the accrual period, either as a number of months or as a start and end month. The tool applies 6 percent simple interest to that principal for that period and shows the estimated total of principal plus interest.
Because the tool treats the balance as one amount over one period, it is a rough estimate. Real arrears build up payment by payment, each with its own delinquency date, so the official ledger will differ. For a closer estimate, run shorter periods separately and add the results.
The official record controls. The state child support system and the court keep the ledger that counts, and payments recorded there change the balance. This estimate cannot see partial payments, credits, or offsets.
Balances from before 2002 follow older law with different rates. This tool does not estimate pre-2002 interest.
What this estimate includes
- 6 percent simple interest under the current statute
- One principal amount over one accrual period
- The period entered as a month count or a start and end month
What it leaves out
- Payment-by-payment accrual from each delinquency date
- Payments due before January 1, 2002
- Partial payments or credits
- Enforcement costs, fees, and license or passport actions
Texas arrears FAQs
What is the interest rate on unpaid child support in Texas?
Texas charges 6 percent simple interest per year on delinquent child support, under Tex. Fam. Code § 157.265. The same rate applies to confirmed arrears and retroactive support money judgments.
Did Texas cut the arrears interest rate to 3 percent?
No. Bills filed in the 2025 legislative session to lower the rate to 3 percent (HB 4213 and SB 629) both died in committee. Some websites still claim a 3 percent rate took effect in 2026. That claim is wrong. The rate remains 6 percent simple.
What does simple interest mean?
The 6 percent rate applies only to the unpaid support itself. The interest that builds up does not earn its own interest. A $1,000 missed payment grows by about $60 a year, every year, until it is paid.
When does a missed payment start counting as delinquent?
A payment is delinquent if the full amount is not received before the 31st day after its due date. Interest accrues on delinquent amounts from that point under the statute.
Do arrears need a court case to become a judgment?
Each unpaid payment becomes a final judgment automatically as it accrues, under Tex. Fam. Code § 157.261. Courts can later confirm the total arrears in a single money judgment, which also earns the 6 percent rate.
What about support I missed before 2002?
The 6 percent rate applies to payments that came due on or after January 1, 2002. Older amounts follow the law in effect when they came due, which set different rates. For a pre-2002 balance, the official ledger from the state or the court is the reliable source.
Official sources
Official sources last verified: .
- Tex. Fam. Code ch. 157 (157.265 arrears interest 6% simple)
Texas Legislature Last checked
- H.B. 678, 79th Leg., R.S. (2005), enrolled: amends Fam. Code 157.265(d)-(f) (arrears-interest transition rules around 2002-01-01)
Texas Legislature (capitol.texas.gov) Last checked
Reviewed by SupportDecode Editorial Team Page content reviewed Sources Methodology Update log
Changelog: page first published with the 6 percent simple interest rule. Material changes are dated in the update log.