The U.S. State Department is poised to initiate the revocation of passports for thousands of Americans with significant unpaid child support, according to government officials.
Starting Friday, the department will target parents who owe $100,000 or more in overdue child support. This initial phase affects approximately 2,700 passport holders, as reported by the Department of Health and Human Services.
Federal law stipulates that individuals with outstanding child support exceeding $2,500 can have their passport applications denied or existing passports revoked. This policy was highlighted in a State Department announcement on Thursday. The department is enhancing its collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services to enforce this rule more rigorously for those above the mentioned threshold.
The initiative aims to compel parents to fulfill their court-mandated child support responsibilities, officials explained.
An image shows a hand holding a U.S. passport and an approved vaccination card, alongside luggage and a laptop bag, ready for a business trip amid evolving travel regulations. (iStock)
According to the State Department’s guidelines, once a passport is revoked, it cannot be used for travel, even if the outstanding debt is eventually settled. The department urges Americans with substantial child support arrears to contact their state agency to settle their debts before any passport-related actions are taken.
“Eligibility for a new passport will only be restored after child support debt is paid to the relevant state child support enforcement agency and the individual is no longer delinquent according to HHS records,” they said.
Passengers wait in line to use Automated Passport Control Kiosks at Miami International Airport in Miami, Fla., on March 4, 2015. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Affected individuals must work with the state child support enforcement agency where the debt is owed. HHS must then update its records before the State Department can process a new passport, a process the department says can take at least two to three weeks.
It was not clear on Thursday how many passport holders owe more than $2,500 because HHS is still collecting data from state agencies that track the figures, but it could encompass many more thousands of people, officials told the Associated Press.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the State Department will halt all Afghan passport visas after visiting the Civil-Military Coordination Center in southern Israel on Oct. 24, 2025. (Getty Images)
A passport holder who is abroad at the time of revocation will need to contact the state where the debt is owed and may visit a U.S. embassy or consulate for passport application procedures. The State Department says such individuals may be eligible only for a limited-validity passport for direct return to the United States until HHS verifies repayment of the debt.
“The State Department is putting American families first through our passport process,” they said.
The passport denial program has existed for decades and is used by federal and state officials as a tool to enforce past-due child support obligations. The Administration for Children and Families says state child support agencies submit qualifying cases, and federal officials forward those records to the State Department.
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