Parents who owe large amounts of unpaid child support may soon lose or be denied U.S. passports under a new expansion of federal enforcement announced by the Trump administration in early February 2026.
What the New Policy Does
Federal officials tell news outlets that the State Department will begin actively revoking existing passports for parents with “substantial” child support arrears, rather than waiting for them to apply to renew or replace a travel document.
The legal basis is a 30‑year‑old law that already allows the U.S. government to deny or revoke passports when a parent owes more than $2,500 in unpaid child support, but in practice, the government has mostly acted only when someone reapplies for a passport or requests consular services.
Under the expanded plan, the State Department will use data from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to identify those in arrears and then cancel or block passports without the parent first initiating contact, according to the Associated Press.
Who Will Be Targeted First
Officials say the first wave will focus on passport holders who owe more than $100,000 in past‑due child support, a group they estimate at fewer than 500 people. These individuals may be able to keep or restore their passports if they enter into a formal payment plan with HHS after receiving notice of the pending revocation.
Officials acknowledge that lowering the arrears threshold below $100,000 would increase the number of affected parents sharply, but they have not yet set a timeline or exact figure for such a broader phase.
Past‑due Child Support and Existing Law
Current law, last adjusted in 2007, requires the State Department to deny passport applications for anyone certified by HHS as owing more than $2,500 in child support, US News reported.
Those who already have a passport can still have it revoked, restricted, or blocked if they fall into that category, though actually canceling a physical passport usually requires the person to submit it through a renewal or replacement request.
The HHS “Passport Denial Program” has already collected hundreds of millions of dollars in overdue child support since the 1990s, with officials highlighting nine individual cases each producing more than $300,000 in recovered payments.
Reactions and concerns
Supporters argue that the expanded enforcement will pressure parents to meet their legal child‑support duties and help families receive money they are owed. Critics, however, warn that revoking passports can make it harder for parents to travel for work or family reasons, potentially reducing their ability to earn income and pay off arrears.
State Department officials say the goal is to ensure parents with large unpaid obligations “fulfill their legal and ethical duties to their children,” stressing that anyone who clears their arrears or makes acceptable payment arrangements can have their passport eligibility restored, as per local10.
Originally published on parentherald.com
