MINNESOTA SUPPORT GUIDELINE
Minnesota child support calculator & worksheet
Minnesota Statutes chapter 518A splits child support into basic support, child-care support, and medical support using parental income for determining child support (PICS).
Current module status
| State | Minnesota |
|---|---|
| Status | Active base worksheet module |
| Guideline model | income shares monthly table |
| Primary income field | Combined monthly PICS |
How Minnesota child support law works
Legal starting point. Minnesota Statutes chapter 518A uses parental income for determining child support, commonly called PICS. The statute separates basic support, child-care support, and medical support rather than treating every child-related cost as one number. Read Minnesota Statutes §§ 518A.29–518A.35.
How the guideline is calculated
For basic support, each parent’s monthly PICS is combined, the statutory table supplies the obligation, and the amount is apportioned by income share. Parenting expense adjustments, nonjoint-child deductions, split custody, child care, medical support, and deviations follow separate provisions.
What this site’s worksheet covers
Uses Minn. Stat. § 518A.35 basic support guideline table. Minnesota determines each parent’s parental income for determining child support (PICS), combines monthly PICS, looks up the basic support obligation for one through six joint children, and divides basic support by each parent’s proportionate share. For combined monthly PICS over $20,000, the statute presumes the $20,000 table amount unless an excess amount is demonstrated under § 518A.43. The interactive Minnesota module applies court-ordered parenting time under § 518A.36, the more-than-55% presumption and the 2026 self-support reserve. This base-table function is only an intermediate schedule allocation. Nonjoint-child deductions, child care, medical support, split custody, third-party custody, public-assistance exceptions and deviations require the official calculator.
Documents that make the worksheet more useful
Minnesota Child Support Guidelines Worksheet using each party’s PICS. Gather the records that support the income, parenting-time, insurance, child-care, and other adjustment entries that apply to the family. All 188 schedule rows match the statute. Basic support now includes the cubic parenting formula, the more-than-55% presumption, minimum-support exceptions for parenting, and the 2026 $1,596 reserve. Twenty-four synthetic cases match the official calculator, including whole-percent and whole-dollar rounding. Medical support, child care, nonjoint-child formula deductions, public-assistance exceptions, different child schedules and discretionary findings remain outside this numerical module.
For a filing or agreement, complete the official court forms linked on this page. They use the same guideline structure explained here, and the court applies it to the facts of the case.
Before you enter your numbers
What is included in Minnesota's PICS?
Parental income for determining child support, or PICS, is a defined worksheet amount, not a synonym for bank deposits. Minnesota starts from its statutory gross-income definition and applies the relevant adjustments. Basic support, child-care support, and medical support are then separate components of the obligation.
Prepare this: Gather income documents for both parents and identify any nonjoint-child adjustment. Keep basic support, child care, and medical support on separate lines when comparing estimates.
Read the relevant official instructions: Minnesota section 518A.29: gross income; Minnesota section 518A.34: calculation of child support.
These preparation notes explain one part of the state guideline. A new estimate does not change an existing order; a modification request does.
How Minnesota cases actually get to a number
Each parent’s monthly PICS is combined, the statutory table supplies basic support, and the amount is apportioned by income share. Child-care and medical support are separate statutory computations, not footnotes on basic support.
Minnesota Statutes chapter 518A splits child support into basic support, child-care support, and medical support using parental income for determining child support (PICS). That is a different path from neighboring states that use another model, so do not import a table, percentage, or overnight credit from somewhere else.
Parenting time in Minnesota
The parenting-expense adjustment is statutory and depends on the court-ordered parenting time. Minnesota is not a simple overnight-credit state copied from a neighbor. Use the 518A adjustment that matches the order.
Costs Minnesota usually treats separately
- Child-care support under 518A
- Medical support and insurance
- Uninsured medical costs
- Nonjoint-child deductions the statute allows
When Minnesota courts leave the guideline
Deviation factors are in chapter 518A. A child’s needs, a parent’s other children, and income imputation disputes are common. Do not collapse medical and child-care support into basic support to ‘simplify.’
Official Minnesota forms to keep beside this guide
Minnesota Child Support Guidelines Worksheet using each party’s PICS. All 188 schedule rows match the statute. Basic support now includes the cubic parenting formula, the more-than-55% presumption, minimum-support exceptions for parenting, and the 2026 $1,596 reserve. Twenty-four synthetic cases match the official calculator, including whole-percent and whole-dollar rounding. Medical support, child care, nonjoint-child formula deductions, public-assistance exceptions, different child schedules and discretionary findings remain outside this numerical module. The primary authority is the published Minnesota source. Fill the official form from source documents. Use this page only to check that you chose the right Minnesota path—primary versus shared, table versus percentage, add-ons versus basic support.
Where this is typically filed
District Court hears family cases; the Child Support Division handles IV-D. Use the current PICS table and worksheets, including parenting-expense adjustment updates.
Questions specific to Minnesota
Why are there three Minnesota support numbers?
Basic, child-care, and medical support are separate statutory obligations that add to a total.
What is PICS?
Parental income for determining child support—the defined monthly income figure after allowed deductions.
Does parenting time change basic support or only expenses?
Minnesota has a parenting-expense adjustment to basic support as well as separate expense categories.
Run the calculator
Open the free support calculator, select Minnesota, complete the state worksheet, and print or export the output for review.