Do you need to get a new passport but don’t know if you’ll be allowed to? Can you get a passport if you owe child support? Is there a specific amount of owed money that disables you from receiving a passport?
In this blog post, you will get the full idea and know exactly what the correlation is between owed child support and US passport issuance.
If you owe child support, can you still get a passport?
According to the US Department of State website, child support arrears will make passport acquisition significantly harder. The general rule states that you should complete the pending payments before submitting your passport application.
Getting a US passport requires that the applicant owe no more than $2,500 in child support. Any sum above that will make it impossible to acquire a passport.
To remedy that, you would have to pay the arrears to the child support enforcement agency residing in your state. Only after the payment has been made and booked can you get a US passport.
The whole process will look as follows:
- You arrange the payment of your pending child support fees.
- The child support agency will confirm the payment you’ve made to the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
- The HHS will officially remove your name from the list of child support arrears list.
- The Department of State will check if the HHS has wiped your name off the list.
Once your child support fees have been paid or are currently within the acceptable range, you will be allowed to successfully apply for a passport. Removing you from the list of people with child support arrears will be completed within 2 (two) or 3 (three) weeks.
Related readings:
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- Passport for a Baby in Texas – How to Apply
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Can you get a passport if you owe back child support – summary
A pending child support fee that exceeds $2,500 will make it impossible to acquire a US passport. Only if you manage to pay what you owe will you be able to get a passport.
You can pay up to at least a portion of the required payment. Once the fee drops below the maximum acceptable sum, can you begin the process of getting your name off the arrear list.
Can you get a passport if you owe child support: FAQ
Here’s where you’ll find the most common questions about child support payments and how they can cause delays in passport acquisition.
Can child support stop you from getting a passport?
If the amount you owe goes beyond $2,500, such a level of pending child support fees will stop you from getting a US passport.
How can you get a passport if you owe child support?
You will need to either pay full child support or get that fee to drop below $2,500. Once the payment is completed, contact HHS. You’ll be off the child support arrears list in about 3 (three) weeks time. After that, you will be free to apply for a passport.
Sources
Graduated from the University of Warsaw, Michał, is a biometric photography expert with an undying thirst for adventure and a writer at Passport-Photo.Online. A self-proclaimed book and movie critic as well, he’s always eager to visit to the most underrated or less popular travel destinations.
