What Happens If Child Support Isn't Paid?
The child support program works with both parents to collect consistent, timely child support payments. When child support is not paid regularly, we can take actions to collect monthly and past-due amounts:
- Income withholding
- Deny a passport
- Suspend licenses (driver’s, occupational, and recreational)
- Levy financial accounts
- Intercept a state or federal income tax refund
- Withhold other one-time or recurring federal payment such as retirement, salary, payments to vendors or contractors, and other federal payments
- Set liens on property
- Report child support debts to credit bureaus
- Connect parents to employment and other services
Top Resources
Federal Tax Refund Offset Program
Published: April 6, 2015Provides an overview and answers questions about the Federal Tax Refund Offset ProgramPassport Denial
Published: December 29, 2011Provides an overview of the Federal Location and Collections Passport Denial programCollecting Child Support – Chapter 5 Child Support Handbook
Information on how child support is collectedChild Support and the Insurance Match Program
Published: July 27, 2016Provides information on the background of the federal insurance match programAdministrative Offset Program
Published: December 29, 2011Provides an overview of the Administrative Offset Program, which allows for the interception of certain federal paymentsMultistate Financial Institution Data Match
Published: December 29, 2011Provides an overview of the Multistate Financial Institution Data Match program
Last Reviewed: April 26, 2016