Nevada calculates child support as a percentage of the paying parent’s monthly gross income, using a schedule in NAC 425.140 that sets the percentage by the number of children and by income brackets. For one child, the base obligation is 16% of the first $6,000 of monthly gross income, plus 8% of any income between $6,000 and $10,000, plus 4% of any income above $10,000. The court reviews the result and can adjust it, but the guideline amount is the legal starting point.
Didn’t Nevada use flat percentages? The rules changed in 2020
Yes — and much of what appears online about Nevada child support is out of date. For decades, NRS Chapter 125B set flat percentages of gross monthly income (with statutory caps). That system is obsolete. Under NRS 425.620, the Legislature directed the Division of Welfare and Supportive Services to adopt child support guidelines by regulation, and those regulations — NAC Chapter 425 — took effect on February 1, 2020. Any page that quotes a single flat percentage with a “presumptive maximum” cap is describing the pre-2020 law.
One transition detail written into the regulations: under NAC 425.170, the adoption of the new guidelines is not, by itself, a change in circumstances that justifies modifying an existing order. An order entered under the old law keeps its terms until a court modifies it for a recognized reason.
What is the current formula?
NAC 425.140 sets the base child support obligation as a sum of tiered percentages of the obligor’s (paying parent’s) monthly gross income:
| Number of children | First $6,000 of monthly gross income | Portion over $6,000 up to $10,000 | Portion over $10,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16% | 8% | 4% |
| 2 | 22% | 11% | 6% |
| 3 | 26% | 13% | 6% |
| 4 | 28% | 14% | 7% |
| Each additional child | +2% | +1% | +0.5% |
The brackets work like tax brackets: each rate applies only to the slice of income inside that bracket, and the slices are added together.
Illustrative arithmetic only (not a prediction for any real case):
- One child, monthly gross income of $4,000: 16% × $4,000 = $640 per month.
- One child, monthly gross income of $8,000: 16% × $6,000 ($960) + 8% × $2,000 ($160) = $1,120 per month.
- Two children, monthly gross income of $12,000: 22% × $6,000 ($1,320) + 11% × $4,000 ($440) + 6% × $2,000 ($120) = $1,880 per month.
These figures are the guideline base obligation before any low-income schedule, adjustment, or deviation the court may apply.
What counts as gross income?
NAC 425.025 defines gross income broadly. It includes, among other things: salary and wages (including overtime pay if it is substantial, consistent, and can be accurately determined); interest and investment income (not the principal); Social Security disability and old-age insurance benefits; pension and retirement payments; workers’ compensation or personal-injury awards that replace income; unemployment insurance; military allowances and veterans’ benefits; compensation for lost wages; certain undistributed business income; alimony; and generally all other income, whether or not it is taxable.
The definition excludes: child support a party receives, foster care or kinship care payments, SNAP benefits, county cash benefits, Supplemental Security Income, other public assistance payments, and personal-injury compensation that is not intended to replace income.
Under NAC 425.125, if a court finds that a parent is unemployed or underemployed without good cause, it may impute income — that is, calculate support using what the parent could earn, considering factors such as work history, job skills, health, the local job market, and prevailing wages.
What if the paying parent has a low income?
NAC 425.145 provides a separate low-income schedule. If the court finds that a parent’s total economic circumstances limit the ability to pay the full guideline amount, support must be set using this schedule, which is tied to the federal poverty guidelines. The figures are not fixed forever: the Administrative Office of the Courts must publish the updated low-income schedule every year on or before March 31, so the dollar amounts change periodically. If a parent’s income falls below the lowest level on the schedule, the court may set an appropriate amount based on total economic circumstances, balancing the parent’s need for self-support against the duty to support the child.
Can the court order more or less than the formula amount?
Yes, within defined limits. NAC 425.100 presumes that the guideline amount meets a child’s basic needs, but the presumption can be rebutted. A court that sets support above or below the guideline amount must make written findings of fact explaining the deviation and must state what the guideline amount would have been.
NAC 425.150 lists the adjustment factors a court may use, based on the child’s specific needs and the parties’ economic circumstances: any special educational needs of the child; each party’s legal responsibility to support others; the value of services either party contributes; public assistance paid to support the child; the cost of transporting the child for visitation; the relative income of both households; other necessary expenses for the child’s benefit; and the obligor’s ability to pay.
Two costs sit alongside the base formula. Under NAC 425.130, the court must consider reasonable child care costs paid by either or both parties and divide them equitably. Under NAC 425.135, every Nevada support order must include a provision for the child’s medical support, such as insurance coverage that meets the regulation’s cost and accessibility standards.
Who pays whom — and what happens with joint custody?
The obligation is calculated per obligor — the parent who owes support. Under NAC 425.115, if one parent has primary physical custody, the other parent is the obligor and pays the guideline amount. If the parents share joint physical custody, each parent’s obligation is calculated from that parent’s own income, and the two amounts are offset: the parent with the higher obligation pays the other parent the difference. The custody label matters, which is why the support formula connects directly to how child custody works in Nevada.
Does a court have to sign off on the amount?
Yes. Child support in Nevada is set by court order, and the court confirms the final number. Parents may stipulate (agree) to an amount that departs from the guidelines, but NAC 425.110 requires the written stipulation to state each parent’s gross income, state what the guideline amount would be, certify that the child’s needs are met, and be approved by the court — and the court may reject an agreement that shortchanges the child or resulted from coercion.
After an order exists, NRS 125B.145 allows a review at least every three years on request, and at any time when circumstances change; a 20% change in a parent’s gross monthly income is deemed a change in circumstances requiring review. Support obligations also do not run forever — Nevada law sets a defined end point, explained in when child support ends in Nevada. Support questions often arise inside a divorce case, where the same guidelines apply; see the overview of divorce in Nevada.