Maryland child support arrears forgiveness

ESTIMATE — based on the rules Maryland published, checked October 2026. Only the agency can approve a reduction, and approvals are discretionary.

What can be reduced

State-owed arrears: −50% after 12 months of full payments; eliminated (to $0) after 24 months. Credit for uninterrupted payments made just before enrolling; seasonal/no-fault unemployment considered. "Any arrears owed to the family will not be reduced."

Who may be eligible to apply

• MD court order + arrears owed to the State (custodial party received public assistance)
• gross income <225% of federal poverty level
• not previously terminated from PIP 3 times

Where to apply

Application to local child support office / online via MD DHS; 1-800-332-6347. (DHS page noted the form "temporarily unavailable" at check — phone route is live)

The split still decides it

State-owed (assigned) arrears are the state's to compromise. Family-owed arrears can only be reduced by the other parent's voluntary, documented agreement — no agency can force it. Tennessee is the verified inversion: family-owed arrears are the compromisable slice there with court approval, and state-owed cannot be forgiven. If you do not know your split, the first move is a written request to the agency for the split as separate lines.

Interest and limits

Interest: no verified interest rate is published for this state on this site, so the calculator shows principal only unless you enter a rate from your own judgment or order — labeled as your figure.

What no one can do: a judge cannot erase arrears that already accrued for hardship, job loss, or incarceration when no modification was filed at the time (Bradley Amendment, 42 U.S.C. §666(a)(9)(C)). Arrears are not dischargeable in bankruptcy.

Federal lines: arrears over $2,500 can be certified for passport denial or revocation; only the state agency can request a release, and release practice is set by the state.

Run the arrears decoder for Maryland

Source: MD Dept. of Human Services, "Payment Incentive Program" (dhs.maryland.gov) — state's own page ◆; Md. Fam. Law §10-112.1 · Rules checked October 2026.