Colorado’s New Child Support Law (HB 25-1159): What Changed in 2026

This article is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. GoFile is not a law firm. Using our platform or reading this article does not create an attorney-client relationship. If you need legal advice for your specific situation, consult a licensed Colorado attorney.

In This Article

• What Is HB 25-1159?
• One Worksheet Replaces Two
• The 93-Overnight Cliff Is Gone
• Updated Support Schedule
• Income Cap and Self-Support Reserve
• What the New Calculation Looks Like
• What Did Not Change
• Does This Affect Existing Orders?
• Finding the Right Form
• Other Changes Worth Knowing
• FAQ

Last Updated: June 2026

On May 31, 2025, Governor Polis signed House Bill 25-1159 into law. The calculation changes took effect March 1, 2026, and they represent the most significant overhaul of Colorado’s child support formula in over a decade. The bill was sponsored by Representatives English and Joseph in the House and Senators Mullica and Bright in the Senate, implementing recommendations from the Colorado Child Support Commission.

If you’re going through a child support modification right now — or thinking about one — the rules look different than they did a year ago. Some of those differences work in your favor. Some don’t. And a few will surprise you if you’re relying on forms or advice from before March 2026.

Here’s what actually changed, what stayed the same, and what it means for the paperwork.

One Unified Worksheet Replaces Worksheet A and Worksheet B

Before March 1, 2026, Colorado used two separate child support worksheets. Worksheet A (JDF 1820) applied when one parent had the children for 273 or more overnights per year — what the system called “sole physical care.” Worksheet B (the old JDF 1821) applied when both parents had at least 93 overnights each — “shared physical care.” The worksheet you used determined whether parenting time factored into the calculation at all.

HB 25-1159 eliminated that split. There is now a single unified worksheet: JDF 1821, titled “Support Worksheet (child support & maintenance),” revised March 2026. It applies to every case regardless of how overnights are divided.

This matters because the old two-worksheet system created a binary that didn’t reflect how most families actually share time. A parent with 92 overnights per year was treated identically to a parent with zero overnights on Worksheet A — no credit whatsoever for those 92 nights. One more overnight tipped the case to Worksheet B with a completely different calculation. That cliff is gone.

The 93-Overnight Cliff Is Gone

This is the change most parents will notice first.

Under the old law, C.R.S. § 14-10-115(8)(e) granted a parenting time credit only when a parent reached 93 overnights per year. Below that number: nothing. At 93 or above: a substantial adjustment through Worksheet B. The gap between 92 and 93 overnights could swing child support by hundreds of dollars per month, which meant parents — and their attorneys — fought over individual nights on the calendar.

HB 25-1159 replaced that cliff with a graduated Parenting Time Table at C.R.S. § 14-10-115(8)(h). Under the new formula, every overnight produces a credit. The credit percentage increases as overnights increase, starting from the first night. A parent with 50 overnights gets a smaller credit than a parent with 120, but both get something.

Here’s what that looks like in practice. Say a parent earns $11,350/month and has 88 overnights per year with two children. Under the old Worksheet A, those 88 overnights earned zero credit — the parent was four nights short of the 93-night threshold. Under the new unified worksheet with the Parenting Time Table, 88 overnights produce approximately an 11-13% credit. On a basic support obligation of $2,646, that credit is worth roughly $290-$344 off the parent’s share.

The flip side: a parent who previously received a large Worksheet B adjustment at 93 overnights may see a smaller credit under the new graduated table, because the old system front-loaded the benefit at the 93-night threshold. The new table spreads it more evenly across the full range of overnights.

The Support Schedule Got Its First Update Since 2014

The Schedule of Basic Child Support Obligations — the lookup table that determines the base support amount for a given combined income and number of children — hadn’t been updated since 2014. HB 25-1159 replaced it with a new schedule based on 2023 Betson-Rothbarth economic data adjusted for inflation.

The practical effect: base support obligations are higher under the new schedule for most income levels. The 2014 schedule reflected costs of raising children a decade ago. The 2026 schedule reflects current costs — food, housing, transportation, childcare — all of which have increased substantially since 2014.

This interacts with the parenting time credit in ways that aren’t always intuitive. A parent who gains a new overnight credit under the graduated table may also face a higher base obligation under the updated schedule. The net effect depends on the specific numbers.

Take the same parent from above — $11,350/month, 88 overnights, two children. The other parent earns $4,750/month. Combined income: $16,100. Under the old 2014 schedule with Worksheet A (no parenting time credit), the basic obligation for two children at that combined income was roughly $2,225. Under the new 2026 schedule, it’s approximately $2,646 — a $421 increase in the base amount before any credits are applied. The new parenting time credit at 88 overnights reduces the parent’s share, but the higher schedule partially offsets that credit. Whether the parent ends up paying more or less than the current order depends on the full calculation.

The Income Cap Went Up and There Is a New Self-Support Reserve

Two other structural changes in HB 25-1159 affect the calculation boundaries.

The combined monthly income cap rose from $30,000 to $40,000. The support schedule now extends to $40,000 in combined monthly adjusted gross income. Before March 2026, cases with combined income above $30,000 required courts to extrapolate beyond the table, which produced inconsistent results depending on the judge and the method. The extended table provides standardized figures up to $40,000.

HB 25-1159 also introduced a Self-Support Reserve (SSR) that replaces the old low-income adjustment. The SSR for 2026 is $1,831.83 per month, derived from Colorado’s minimum wage of $15.16/hour. If an obligor’s income falls below that threshold, the support calculation adjusts so the paying parent retains enough income to meet basic needs.

What the New Five-Step Calculation Looks Like

The core income-shares framework didn’t change. Colorado still combines both parents’ incomes and divides the obligation proportionally. But the specific steps now work like this:

Step 1 — Determine each parent’s monthly adjusted gross income (AGI). This includes wages, salary, commissions, self-employment income, bonuses, pensions, and other sources defined under C.R.S. § 14-10-115(3). The definition of income itself was not changed by HB 25-1159.

Step 2 — Combine both parents’ AGIs and look up the Basic Child Support Obligation (BCSO) in the new 2026 schedule at C.R.S. § 14-10-115(7)(b). The schedule provides separate columns for one through six children.

Step 3 — Allocate the BCSO proportionally based on each parent’s share of combined income.

Step 4 — Apply the parenting time credit from the Parenting Time Table at C.R.S. § 14-10-115(8)(h). Each parent’s overnight count determines a credit percentage. The credit reduces each parent’s allocated share.

Step 5 — Add allocations for child-care costs, health insurance premiums, and extraordinary medical expenses. These are divided between parents in the same income proportion.

The net payment is the difference between the two parents’ adjusted obligations after credits.

What HB 25-1159 Did Not Change

Not everything moved. Several foundational elements of Colorado child support law are exactly where they were before March 1, 2026:

The 10% modification threshold under C.R.S. § 14-10-122 is untouched. A modification still requires a showing that the recalculated support amount differs from the current order by at least 10% — or that a “substantial and continuing” change in circumstances has occurred.

The definition of income at C.R.S. § 14-10-115(3) was not changed. What counts as income for child support purposes — and what doesn’t — remains the same.

The requirement to file a motion still applies. There is no automatic recalculation. Even if the new formula would produce a dramatically different number for a given case, that case keeps its current support amount until someone files a Motion to Modify (JDF 1403) or both parents file a Stipulation (JDF 1404).

And modifications remain prospective from the filing date — not retroactive to March 1, 2026.

Does This Affect Existing Orders?

No existing child support order changes automatically because of HB 25-1159. The new formula applies to new calculations — not to orders already in place.

For parents with orders entered before March 1, 2026, the current support amount stays in effect unless and until someone files a motion to modify under C.R.S. § 14-10-122. At that point, the court applies the new formula to the current financial picture.

Here’s the transitional rule that matters: the order date controls which formula applies, not the filing date. Cases filed before March 1, 2026 that hadn’t reached a final order by that date use the new law.

Because the support schedule hadn’t been updated since 2014, many existing orders were calculated using numbers that are now twelve years out of date. When those cases are recalculated under the 2026 schedule, the new base obligation will often be higher than the old one. For some parents, that change alone — combined with the new parenting time credit — produces a recalculated amount that differs from the current order by more than 10%, meeting the modification threshold without any change in income or circumstances.

Whether that’s true for a given case depends entirely on the specific incomes, overnight counts, and other variables involved.

The New JDF 1821 and How to Make Sure You Have the Right One

This is where the paperwork gets confusing, and it catches people off guard.

Before March 2026, JDF 1821 was “Worksheet B — Child Support Obligation: Shared Physical Care.” The Judicial Branch retired the old Worksheet A (JDF 1820) and repurposed the JDF 1821 form number for the new unified “Support Worksheet (child support & maintenance).”

That means a parent who searches for “JDF 1821” expecting the familiar shared-care Worksheet B will download a completely different form. Same number, different document.

Third-party form sites make this worse. Sites like pdfFiller, USLegalForms, and signnow.com still serve 2013-era versions as of this writing. Completing an outdated worksheet is one of the more common mistakes in self-filed modifications — and it can delay the entire case.

The only reliable way to confirm you have the correct form is to check the revision date printed in small type on the first page. “R: March 2026” means the new unified worksheet. “R: July 2023” or earlier means the legacy version. The authoritative source is the Colorado Judicial Branch’s self-help forms portal at coloradojudicial.gov/self-help-forms.

The Judicial Branch has posted the new JDF 1821 as a Word document (.docx), not a PDF. You can download it directly at coloradojudicial.gov/self-help-and-forms/self-help-forms/support-worksheet-child-support-maintenance.

Other Changes Worth Knowing

HB 25-1159 made several additional changes beyond the headline items:

Extraordinary medical expenses — The old $250-per-child annual threshold is eliminated. Under the new law, both parents share extraordinary medical costs from the first dollar, allocated in the same income proportion as the base support obligation.

Tax dependency exemptions — The rules for allocating the child tax dependency exemption between parents were rewritten. This provision took effect on May 31, 2025 — the date the bill was signed — not March 1, 2026.

Maintenance imputation — For cases involving both child support and spousal maintenance, HB 25-1159 harmonized the imputation period to 24 months under C.R.S. § 14-10-114(8)(c)(IV).

Frequently Asked Questions

Does HB 25-1159 automatically change my current child support order?

No. Existing orders remain in effect at their current amount, as explained in Does This Affect Existing Orders? The new formula applies only when a new calculation is done — either through a new case or a modification filing under C.R.S. § 14-10-122.

Is the passage of the new law itself a “changed circumstance” that lets me file for modification?

The law change alone is not a “changed circumstance” under C.R.S. § 14-10-122. However, if recalculating the support amount under the new formula produces a number that differs from the current order by 10% or more, that numerical difference can satisfy the modification threshold.

I had 92 overnights under Worksheet A and got zero credit. Do I automatically get credit now?

Not automatically — the existing order stands until modified. But if a modification is filed, the new Parenting Time Table at C.R.S. § 14-10-115(8)(h) would apply to the recalculated amount, and overnights below the old 93-night threshold now produce a credit under the graduated table.

Where can I find the full text of HB 25-1159?

The enrolled bill is available at leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb25-1159.

Which worksheet do I use for a modification filed after March 1, 2026?

The new unified Support Worksheet, JDF 1821 (R: March 2026). Worksheet A (JDF 1820) is discontinued. Download from coloradojudicial.gov/self-help-forms to make sure you have the current version.

What if my case was filed before March 1 but doesn’t have a final order yet?

The new formula applies. The order date controls — if the final order is entered on or after March 1, 2026, the court uses the new schedule, the new Parenting Time Table, and the unified worksheet.

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Here’s what to take away. HB 25-1159 changed the formula — the schedule amounts, the parenting time credit structure, the income cap, the low-income adjustment, and the form itself. It did not change the process for modifying an order, the 10% threshold, or the definition of income. No existing order changes unless someone files.

The full text of HB 25-1159 is at leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb25-1159. The Colorado Judicial Branch maintains all self-help forms at coloradojudicial.gov/self-help-forms, and its page on changing court orders at coloradojudicial.gov/self-help/change-court-orders walks through which forms apply to which modification types.