If you fall behind on your child support payments, the government has ways to incentivize you to pay. According to the Office of Child Support Enforcement, noncustodial parents owe about $23,000. The Passport Denial Program is a tool the government uses to collect past-due support.
If you want to travel for work, vacation or other reasons, you may lose your opportunity if you fall behind on child support.
How can you lose your passport?
Before you lose your eligibility to obtain a passport, you will receive a Pre-Offset Notice. The letter explains how much you owe and the remedies the government can use to collect the repayments. One of the remedies is the Passport Denial Program. You can appeal or contest the amount you owe when you receive the letter. The OSCE will also provide you with instructions on filing an appeal.
You can lose your U.S. passport if you owe at least $2,500 in past-due support payments. To lose your passport, the child support agencies submit information to the OCSE and the OCSE gives the names to the State Department to revoke passports or deny passports.
How can you reinstate your passport?
If you want to reinstate your passport, you must catch up with your payments. If you owe $2,2500 and over, you need to pay the support. However, if you cannot pay in full, you may be able to work out a payment plan to catch up. Once you have a payment plan in place, you may be able to reinstate your password or continue to apply for it.
When reinstating your passport, working with the government may help you obtain it faster.
