US to Revoke Passports of Parents With Major Unpaid Child Support

07/05/2026

WASHINGTON, May 7: The United States will begin revoking the passports of parents who owe significant amounts of unpaid child support, the State Department told The Associated Press on Thursday.

The move is set to begin Friday and will initially target American passport holders who owe $100,000 or more in unpaid child support. According to figures provided to the State Department by the Department of Health and Human Services, about 2,700 passport holders fall under this category.

Officials said the program will later be expanded to include parents who owe more than $2,500 , the threshold established under a 1996 law that has rarely been enforced.

The exact number of passport holders who owe more than $2,500 remains unclear, as the Department of Health and Human Services is still gathering data from state agencies. However, officials said the expanded enforcement could affect many thousands more people.