The Trump administration has implemented a policy to revoke passports of individuals who owe substantial child support arrearages, a move that has already led to the collection of nearly $1.5 million in overdue payments and the revocation of over 6,000 passports.
The initiative, launched in May by the Administration for Children and Families in collaboration with the State Department, targets parents owing $50,000 or more in child support. This marks a shift from the previous Passport Denial Program, which focused on denying new passport applications and renewals for those owing $2,500 or more.
This intensified enforcement has prompted numerous noncustodial parents to make significant payments to retain or retrieve their passports. Since the policy's inception, parents have paid amounts ranging from $6,000 to over $170,000 to settle their child support debts. For instance, a father in Nevada paid $119,000 to take his son on a post-graduation trip, while a Connecticut parent paid nearly $180,000 to facilitate a business trip to Europe.
Collectively, parents have paid nearly $1.5 million in past-due child support since the new passport revocation policy took effect. The State Department is revoking approximately 1,000 passports per week under this program. While the legal framework for revoking passports due to unpaid child support has existed since 1996, this administration has prioritized active enforcement.
The Passport Denial Program, established in partnership with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), had previously collected over $660 million in reported payments since its inception. However, the biannual renewal cycle of passports meant that the program often missed opportunities for immediate payment.
Beyond passport enforcement, the Office of Child Support Enforcement utilizes various mechanisms to collect delinquent support, including federal tax refund offsets, liens, levies on financial accounts and property, and insurance claim intercepts. Other tools include property seizures and the suspension of driver's and professional licenses. Income withholding from employers remains the most common method, accounting for 74% of child support collected in 2024.
The administration views the passport revocation policy as a critical tool for prioritizing the needs of children and families and ensuring accountability for non-paying parents, framing passport privileges as a tool to compel financial responsibility.