North Carolina adopts child-support guideline revisions for 2027

The Conference of Chief District Court Judges adopted revisions to North Carolina’s Child Support Guidelines at its fall meeting on October 7, 2026, according to a North Carolina Judicial Branch announcement. The revisions take effect January 1, 2027, and apply to child-support actions heard on or after that date.

The announcement says the review considered recommendations from judges and attorneys, written comments, a June 4 public hearing, and economic-data work by the Administrative Office of the Courts and the Center for Policy Research. The announcement summarizes several changes: the schedule’s upper limit rises to $50,000 in combined monthly gross income; cases above that amount continue to be determined from the child’s reasonable needs and the parties’ circumstances; the self-support reserve uses the 2026 federal poverty level; and, absent deviation, the minimum order is $100 for obligors with adjusted gross income below $1,600 a month. It also identifies clarifications about one-time income, prospective and retroactive support, and arrears.