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The US State Department will begin revoking the passports of thousands of Americans who owe unpaid child support, according to officials.
The waivers will begin Friday and will initially focus on parents who owe $100,000 or more in past due child support. That group includes about 2,700 passport holders, according to figures provided by the Department of Health and Human Services.
Under federal law, anyone who owes more than $2,500 in unpaid, court-ordered child support can be denied a passport or arrested in their presence, according to a State Department release Thursday. Officials said the department is expanding its partnership with the Department of Health and Human Services to include parents beyond that limit.
Enforcement is aimed at forcing delinquent parents to comply with court-ordered child support obligations, officials said.
Hand holds US passport and approved vaccination card next to luggage and laptop bag, prepared for business trip amid new travel requirements. (Stock)
If the passport has been revoked, it may not be used again for travel, even if the debt will be paid later, according to the guidance of the Department of State. The State Department advises any American who owes a large amount of child support to contact the appropriate state agency and arrange for payment before any passport action is taken.
GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT TO ISSUE ADDITIONAL PASSPORTS TO PARENTS WHO OWE CHILD SUPPORT
“Eligibility for a new passport will be restored only after the child support arrearage has been paid to the federal child support enforcement agency and the person 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 should work with the state child support enforcement agency where the debt is owed. HHS must then review its records before the State Department can process the new passport, a process the department says could take at least two to three weeks.
It was not clear Thursday how many passport holders owe more than $2,500 because HHS is still collecting data from federal agencies that track these figures, but it could include many thousands of people, officials told The Associated Press.
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the State Department will freeze all Afghan passport visas after visiting the Civil-Military Coordination Center in southern Israel on Oct. 24, 2025. (Getty Images)
A passport holder abroad at the time of revocation will need to contact the state where the debt is owed and may visit a US embassy or consulate for passport application procedures. The State Department says such individuals may only be eligible for a valid passport to be repatriated directly to the United States until HHS certifies payment of the debt.
“The State Department puts American families first through our passport program,” they said.
The passport denial system has been in place for decades and is used by federal and state officials as a tool to enforce past child support obligations. The Administration for Children and Families says state child support agencies submit eligible cases, and federal officials forward those records to the State Department.
