As a parent who owes child support, you need to understand that there are serious consequences associated with falling behind on your payments. In addition to losing your driver’s license, you could face time behind bars due to back support. In fact, you could also lose your passport privileges.
For some parents, such as those who need to travel overseas for business purposes or have loved ones living in another country, passport denial is especially devastating. Even if you simply want to visit another country on vacation, it is vital to understand how missing child support can affect your passport privileges.
When are passports affected by child support?
The Administration for Children and Families discusses the Passport Denial Program, which results in the restriction, revocation and denial of U.S. passports for parents who do not pay child support in accordance with their court order. In fact, if you owe $2,500 or more in back child support, an agency could forward your name to the Department of State, after which you will not have the ability to successfully apply for a U.S. passport.
In addition, if you need to change your name, add pages or renew your passport, the government will revoke your passport if you are on this list.
How can you address back child support to restore privileges?
If you want to restore your passport privileges, you need to deal with unpaid child support that you owe. Reach out to the child support agency in your state and go over your options. Some states allow partial payments or help parents set up a payment plan, while others require payment in full.