By federal law, parents who owe $2,500 or more in past due child support are reported to the U.S. Department of State for passport denial or revocation. The State Department must deny an application for or renewal of a passport and may revoke an existing passport to parents who owe that amount. Click here to go to the State Department’s page on Passports and Child Support Debt.
On May 7, 2026, the State Department announced that U.S. passports for people who owe past due child support would be revoked. The initial phase targeted those with a current passport owing $100,000 or more. The dollar amount has since decreased to $25,000 and may be lowered as the effort continues.
OCSE does not have information about and cannot confirm if a passport has been revoked.
What should I do if my passport is revoked or my application is denied?
If your passport has already been revoked or denied, you must pay your past due child support in full. If you are unable to pay in full and must travel out of the country for work, due to a medical emergency in your immediate family, or directly related to your military service, contact your local child support office.
If you believe your passport was revoked or denied in error, please call your child support office as soon as possible.
What if my passport is revoked while I am outside the United States?
If you are overseas and you received a notice that your U.S. passport has been revoked or it has expired, go to the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. See the U.S. Department of State’s page on Passports and Child Support Debt for more information.
How can I avoid passport denial or revocation?
Keep your total past due child support balance below $2,500. If you owe support in more than one child support case, the amounts are combined to meet the threshold.
If you owe past due support in more than one state, you must contact each state’s child support office. For contact information for other state’s child support programs, go to the federal Office of Child Support Enforcement website.