The Trump administration has reinstated a policy allowing the revocation of passports for parents who owe $50,000 or more in child support. Since the policy's implementation in May 2026, the State Department has revoked over 6,000 passports and continues to revoke about 1,000 each week.

This enforcement tool, part of the Passport Denial Program used since 1996 in partnership with the Office of Child Support Enforcement at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has proven effective in compelling noncustodial parents to pay overdue child support. Parents have paid nearly $1.5 million in past-due child support since the policy's reinstatement.

The program originally focused on denying new passport applications and renewals for parents owing $2,500 or more, but the recent enforcement targets those owing $50,000 or more. For example, a parent in Maryland who had not made child support payments since 2021 paid over $100,000 after receiving a passport revocation notice. Similarly, a father in Texas made a $6,000 payment after media coverage of the policy.

While passports only need to be renewed every 10 years, the Passport Denial Program has generated more than $660 million in collections since its inception. In 2024, the child support program collected $4.24 for every $1 spent, according to the Office of Child Support Enforcement.

The law allowing passport revocation for failure to pay child support has existed for years but was not actively enforced due to the complexity and collaboration required between the State Department and HHS. The renewed enforcement aims to prioritize children's welfare by ensuring timely child support payments.

Sources