US To Revoke Passports Of Parents Owing Child Support

The United States Department of State has warned that Americans owing more than $2,500 in unpaid child support could have their passports revoked under existing federal regulations.

In a statement published on its official website on Thursday, the department said individuals with significant child support debt were barred from obtaining or renewing US passports and may also lose passports already issued to them.

“Individuals with significant child support debt should contact their state child support agency immediately to make payment arrangements and avoid passport revocation,” the department stated.

“If you owe more than $2,500, federal regulations do not allow us to issue you a U.S. passport and we may revoke your valid U.S. passport,” it added.

According to the State Department, affected passport holders would receive revocation notices either through email or via the mailing address provided in their most recent passport application.

The agency urged indebted parents to immediately contact the state where the child support debt is owed in order to negotiate repayment arrangements before they can regain eligibility for a passport.

It also clarified that even after outstanding debts were settled, any passport previously revoked would no longer be valid for travel, meaning affected individuals would have to apply for a completely new passport.

The department further warned that the process of removing a debtor’s name from government records after repayment may take time, especially for individuals with urgent travel plans.

“If you have urgent travel, be aware the process for your state and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to remove your name from its records may take a minimum of 2-3 weeks,” the statement said.

The State Department noted that US citizens currently overseas whose passports were revoked because of unpaid child support would only qualify for limited-validity passports that permit direct return travel to the United States until their debts were cleared and verified.

The agency also disclosed that applicants who have already submitted passport applications must first settle all outstanding child support obligations owed to relevant state enforcement agencies before their applications can proceed.

Under the arrangement, the Department of Health and Human Services is responsible for notifying the State Department once a debtor’s name has been removed from federal records following repayment.

The passport restriction policy is based on a 1996 federal law that authorises the State Department to deny or revoke passports of individuals owing more than $2,500 in child support arrears.

Although the law has existed for nearly three decades, enforcement was previously focused mainly on passport renewal applications. However, improved data-sharing between the Department of Health and Human Services and the State Department now allows authorities to more systematically identify and revoke passports of delinquent child support obligors.