How it works · official guideline
How child support is calculated in South Dakota
South Dakota looks up the support obligation in a schedule written into SDCL 25-7-6.2 using both parents' combined monthly net income and the number of children, then divides it in proportion to their net incomes; the noncustodial parent’s share is the order. A self-support reserve, parenting-time abatements and a shared-parenting cross credit can adjust the amount.[1]
Key facts: child support in South Dakota
| Guideline model | Income shares[1] |
|---|---|
| Low income | Self-support reserve of $871 per month built into the schedule[1] |
| Minimum order | Lowest schedule amount: $79 per month (combined net income $0–950)[1] |
| Top of the guidelines | Schedule ends at $30,000 combined net/month; above it, set by the child's needs[2] |
| Official calculator | Child Support Obligation Calculator |
| Guideline last checked | October 26, 2026 |
South Dakota’s model
Income shares
Combined monthly net income of both parents, then statutory schedule amount, split by income share.
Official calculator · South Dakota Department of Social Services, Division of Child Support
Child Support Obligation CalculatorLink 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 Dakota’s yet, so use the official calculator for a number.
From the official text
The rules behind South Dakota’s numbers
The guideline is SDCL 25-7-6.2. Open each rule to read the exact words.
- Low income
Self-support reserve of $871 per month built into the schedule
The bold low-income areas of the schedule include an $871 monthly self-support reserve; if the payer’s own-income amount falls there, the lower of that amount and the payer’s proportional share is ordered.[1]
Official text · SDCL 25-7-6.2
“The emboldened areas of the schedule include a self-support reserve of eight hundred seventy-one dollars per month that accounts for the subsistence needs of the obligated parent with a limited ability to pay.”
- Minimum order
Lowest schedule amount: $79 per month (combined net income $0–950)
The schedule’s first row, for combined monthly net income up to $950, shows $79 for one through six children.[1]
Official text · SDCL 25-7-6.2 (schedule)
“0-950 79 79 79 79 79 79”
- Top of the guidelines
Schedule ends at $30,000 combined net/month; above it, set by the child’s needs
The schedule’s top row is $29,951–$30,000 ($3,651 for one child); for higher combined incomes support is set at an appropriate level based on the child’s actual needs and standard of living.[2]
Official text · SDCL 25-7-6.9
“For a combined net income above the schedule in § 25-7-6.2, the child support obligation shall be established at an appropriate level, taking into account the actual needs and standard of living of the child.”
- Shared parenting time
Abatement of 38%–66% when the child spends 6+ nights a month with the payer
If the child stays with the paying parent six or more nights a month under a custody order, the court may abate 38% to 66% of the basic obligation for those nights.[3]
Official text · SDCL 25-7-6.14
“If the child resides with the obligor six or more nights in a month pursuant to a custody order, the court may, if deemed appropriate under the circumstances, grant an abatement of not less than thirty-eight percent nor more than sixty-six percent of the basic child support obligation for the nights the child resides with the obligor.”
- Shared parenting time
Shared parenting cross credit: at least 180 nights a year in each home; obligation × 1.5, prorated and offset
With a detailed shared parenting plan giving each parent at least 180 nights a year, the court may multiply the combined obligation by 1.5, split it by income and by nights, and offset the two amounts.[4]
Official text · SDCL 25-7-6.27
“Multiply the parents' combined child support obligation under the schedule by 1.5 to establish the parents' combined shared parenting child support obligation;”
Guideline: SDCL 25-7-6.2 (South Dakota Legislature), 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 Dakota and child support in every state.
Sources
South Dakota’s child support guideline, rules and official tools, read on the official sites, with the date we checked each.