If you owe child support, it is very important to understand the penalties you could face if you fail to stay current. Aside from losing your driver’s license and potentially facing contempt of court charges, missing child support could impact other aspects of your life. For example, you could lose your passport privileges, which could prevent you from attending an important family event overseas, enjoying a trip you have planned for years or taking part in an important business meeting.
Some parents do not realize that back child support can affect their passport, and you should take a closer look at how this works.
Passport denial due to unpaid child support
The Administration for Children and Families goes over the Passport Denial Program, which prevents parents who owe more than $2,500 in back child support from receiving a U.S. passport. Aside from the inability to obtain a passport, the government could also revoke your current passport. For example, if you need to change your name, or you hand your passport over because you need additional pages, the government will revoke your passport.
Addressing back support to restore passport privileges
When the government revokes or denies passports, they send a letter informing the parent of the action and telling them to reach out to the child support agency in their state. Depending on the state you owe child support in, you could have the ability to arrange a payment plan, and some states require payment in full.
It is important to stay current on child support and address back child support swiftly in order to avoid consequences such as the loss of your passport privileges.
