How it works · official guideline
How child support is calculated in South Carolina
South Carolina’s Child Support Guidelines (S.C. Code Regs. 114-4710 through 114-4750) use the income shares model: a basic support obligation table gives a monthly amount for the parents' combined income and number of children, and each parent’s share follows their portion of income. The current guidelines, with updated tables and a higher self-support reserve, took effect January 1, 2024.[1]
Key facts: child support in South Carolina
| Guideline model | Income shares[1] |
|---|---|
| Review cycle | Quadrennial review of Regs. 114-4710 through 114-4750[1] |
| Review cycle | Current guidelines effective January 1, 2024[1] |
| Low income | Self-support reserve based on the federal poverty guideline for one person[1] |
| Official calculator | Child Support Calculator (SC DSS) |
| Guideline last checked | October 26, 2026 |
South Carolina’s model
Income shares
Income shares: combined income of both parents, then basic support obligation table, shared by income.
Official calculator · South Carolina Department of Social Services, Child Support Services Division
Child Support Calculator (SC DSS)Link checked October 26, 2026
Why no calculator here? We publish a calculator only after it reproduces the state’s official numbers exactly. We haven’t matched South Carolina’s yet, so use the official calculator for a number.
From the official text
The rules behind South Carolina’s numbers
The guideline is SC DSS Child Support Guidelines Review Committee Final Report (2024), describing Regs. 114-4710 to 114-4750. Open each rule to read the exact words.
- Review cycle
Quadrennial review of Regs. 114-4710 through 114-4750
DSS must review the guidelines every four years under state law and federal rules.[1]
Official text · SC DSS Guidelines Review Committee Final Report (2024)
“The Department of Social Services is required to perform a quadrennial review of Regulation 114-4710 through 114-4750, known as the Child Support Guidelines,”
- Review cycle
Current guidelines effective January 1, 2024
The revised regulations, with new basic support obligation tables, provide for an effective date of January 1, 2024.[1]
Official text · SC DSS Guidelines Review Committee Final Report (2024)
“*The regulation provides for an effective date of January 1, 2024”
- Low income
Self-support reserve based on the federal poverty guideline for one person
A self-support reserve, based on the federal poverty guideline for one person adjusted for South Carolina price levels, keeps support from pushing a low-income parent below poverty; the 2024 revision increased it.[1]
Official text · SC DSS Guidelines Review Committee Final Report (2024)
“The proposed Child Support Guidelines will increase the Self-Support Reserve as the federal poverty guideline has increased substantially since the time the current guidelines were promulgated.”
Guideline: SC DSS Child Support Guidelines Review Committee Final Report (2024), describing Regs. 114-4710 to 114-4750, checked October 26, 2026.
Estimate and general information only — not legal advice. MediationList is a directory, not a law firm, and doesn’t endorse any mediator. Guidelines change; confirm with the official calculator (sources checked October 26, 2026). See also divorce laws in South Carolina and child support in every state.
Sources
South Carolina’s child support guideline, rules and official tools, read on the official sites, with the date we checked each.