Your passport can be denied or revoked if you reach a past-due child support amount of $2,500 or more. The denial remains in effect until your past-due balance is paid in full. The Division of Child Support reports your debt on a weekly basis to the federal Office of Child Support Services, which reports your debt to the U.S. Department of State, the federal agency overseeing passports.
Most U.S. passports are valid for 10 years. If you owe $2,500 or more in past-due support and your passport is still valid, you may still travel. However, if you lose your passport, need to update your name or photo, request additional pages or attempt to register a foreign birth, any passport agency, embassy or consulate may revoke your passport.
You will receive a notice from the federal Department of Treasury when your case qualifies for passport revocation. This notice includes the amount of past-due support and information on how to dispute the debt or request a review. If you apply for a passport after receiving the notice, the U.S. Department of State will notify you that your application is on hold for 90 days, during which time you must resolve the debt with DCS.
If you are out of the country and find out that your passport could be denied or revoked, you can return to the U.S. using a limited-validity passport. If you plan to travel elsewhere, you must either pay your child support debt in full or qualify for an exception.
If you’re unsure whether DCS has reported your past-due balance to the federal Office of Child Support Services, contact your case manager at DCS.