Child Support Payments and Getting a U.S. Passport

 

If you owe $2,500 or more in child support, you are not eligible to receive a U.S. passport.

You should make arrangements to pay the state where child support is owed BEFORE you submit your application for a U.S. passport. All questions about your child support arrears or the status of a payment should be directed to the appropriate state child support enforcement agency.

Once payment is arranged, it may take 2-3 weeks before Passport Services is permitted to process your application. See details of this process in the chart below:

State Child Support Chart for Obtaining your U.S. Passport
Before applying for a U.S. passport YOU Should: -Contact the state agency to which you own child Support to arrange payment of your arrears -> Then
 State Child Support Enforcement Agency must -- Report to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that acceptable payment arrangements have been made.--> Then  


U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must -Remove your name from their list of outstand arrears - Provide the U.S. Department of State with the updated list -> Then

Passport Services must -Receive the updated list of outstanding arrears from HHS -Verify that HHS removed your name from that list -Only after this is verified, Passport Services may process your application for a U.S. passport

IMPORTANT NOTES:

  • Passport Services has no information concerning individuals' child support obligations and has no authority to take action until HHS removes your name from its list.
  • All of the above information is detailed in Section 51.60 (a) (2) of Title 22 of the Code of Federal Regulations