The U.S. State Department will revoke the passports of parents who owe more than $2,500 in child support.
According to The Associated Press (AP), the agency informed the outlet that beginning May 8, 2026, the department will focus on revoking the passports of any person who owes $100,000 or more.
The arrears threshold would apply to roughly 2,700 American passport holders, according to figures provided to the State Department by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
“Any American with significant child support debt should arrange payment to the relevant state or states now to prevent passport revocation,” the State Department warns in a media note published on their website.
State Department officials said it remains unclear how many passport holders owe more than that amount. Officials confirm that HHS is gathering data from state agencies that track the figures.
In Feb 2026, AP first reported the Passport Denial Program’s expansion. Prior to the reform, the State Department only acted when someone applied to renew their travel document or sought other consular services.
The department, since then, has shifted towards applying imminent pressure on “deadbeat parents.”
"We are expanding a commonsense practice that has been proven effective at getting those who owe child support to pay their debt," Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Mora Namdar said. "Once these parents resolve their debts, they can once again enjoy the privilege of a U.S. passport."
Following the AP’s initial report, the department confirmed it witnessed “data that hundreds of parents took action and resolved their arrears with state authorities.”
"While we can't confirm the causation in all of those cases, we are taking this action precisely to impel these parents to do the right thing by their children and by U.S. law," the department said.
“The State Department is putting American families first through our passport process,” the State Department affirmed.
