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The U.S. State Department is poised to initiate the revocation of passports for thousands of Americans, targeting those with significant unpaid child support, as announced by government officials.
Starting Friday, the revocation effort will initially target parents who owe $100,000 or more in overdue child support. According to data provided by the Department of Health and Human Services, this group encompasses roughly 2,700 passport holders.
Federal law stipulates that individuals with over $2,500 in unpaid, court-ordered child support are subject to passport denial or revocation, as outlined in a recent State Department statement. Officials noted that the department is ramping up its collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services to address not just those owing $100,000 or more, but also those surpassing the $2,500 threshold.
This enforcement strategy aims to compel parents who are in arrears to fulfill their court-mandated child support responsibilities, according to officials.
In a related image, a hand holds a U.S. passport and an approved vaccination card, accompanied by luggage and a laptop bag, ready for a business trip under new travel regulations. (iStock)
Once a passport is revoked, it may no longer be used for travel, even if the debt is later paid, according to State Department guidance. The State Department advised any American with significant child support debt to contact the relevant state agency and arrange payment before any passport action is taken.
“Eligibility for a new passport will only be restored after child support debt is paid to the relevant state child support enforcement agency and the individual 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 must work with the state child support enforcement agency where the debt is owed. HHS must then update its records before the State Department can process a new passport, a process the department says can take at least two to three weeks.
It was not clear on Thursday how many passport holders owe more than $2,500 because HHS is still collecting data from state agencies that track the figures, but it could encompass many more thousands of people, officials told the Associated Press.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the State Department will halt all Afghan passport visas after visiting the Civil-Military Coordination Center in southern Israel on Oct. 24, 2025. (Getty Images)
A passport holder who is abroad at the time of revocation will need to contact the state where the debt is owed and may visit a U.S. embassy or consulate for passport application procedures. The State Department says such individuals may be eligible only for a limited-validity passport for direct return to the United States until HHS verifies repayment of the debt.
“The State Department is putting American families first through our passport process,” they said.
The passport denial program has existed for decades and is used by federal and state officials as a tool to enforce past-due child support obligations. The Administration for Children and Families says state child support agencies submit qualifying cases, and federal officials forward those records to the State Department.
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