Washington child-support schedule changes took effect in January 2026

Washington’s 2025 child-support act raised the self-support reserve percentage and expanded the presumptive range of the economic table. Those provisions took effect January 1, 2026. The law was approved May 13, 2025; the effective date of these sections is separate from its enactment.

Section 1 changes the reserve from 125% to 180% of the federal poverty level for a one-person family. It retains a presumptive minimum support payment of $50 per child per month and describes exceptions, including when application of the reserve would be unjust after consideration of the child’s best interests and the parents’ circumstances. The act also addresses a parent whose income exceeds the reserve.

The same section makes the economic table presumptive for combined monthly net income up to and including $50,000, rather than $12,000. For income above $50,000, the court may exceed the presumptive amount upon written findings. Section 14 sets out the revised table. These provisions do not establish a single support amount for every family; the statutory conditions and the applicable calculation must be considered.

Sections 1 through 3 and 14 took effect January 1, 2026. Other provisions of the act have different effective dates, including sections 4 through 12 on April 1, 2027. This report addresses the reserve and table range, not every change made by the act.