How to Get a Passport Denied or Revoked for Child Support Nonpayment

California Child Support Recovery System | Justice Foundation

Federal law provides one of the most powerful pressure tools in the child support enforcement arsenal: passport denial and revocation for obligors owing more than $2,500 in arrears. If the paying parent needs a passport — for international travel, for work, for a planned trip — this leverage point can motivate payment when other enforcement tools have failed.

The Federal Passport Denial Program

Under the Passport Denial Program administered by the U.S. State Department in cooperation with the Department of Health and Human Services, any individual owing more than $2,500 in child support arrears is placed on the passport denial list. This means they cannot obtain a new U.S. passport, cannot renew an existing passport, and cannot have a damaged passport replaced until the arrears fall below $2,500 or a satisfactory payment arrangement is made.

For Existing Passports

The program also allows for revocation of existing passports held by delinquent obligors in certain circumstances — particularly when the obligor is a significant flight risk or has used international travel to evade enforcement. Revocation is a more significant step and is typically pursued in cases with very large arrears or where the obligor has demonstrated intent to move assets or themselves out of the country.

How to Activate This Tool

If you have an open DCSS case, passport certification happens automatically when arrears exceed $2,500 and are certified to the federal system. If your case is not through DCSS, you can request that DCSS open a case for the purpose of passport certification even if you don’t need other enforcement services. The certification is submitted to the federal Office of Child Support Enforcement, which transmits it to the State Department.

Using It as Leverage

The passport denial tool is most effective when you know the obligor has an upcoming international trip — a vacation, a business trip, a family visit. Obligors who discover their passport application has been denied or their existing passport revoked while planning international travel often contact DCSS or the court immediately to arrange payment. Notify your DCSS caseworker if you have knowledge of the obligor’s travel plans so that passport certification is activated before the trip. The Justice Foundation kit covers passport certification procedures and follow-up steps when the tool generates a payment response.