According to present United States law, you are ineligible to receive a U.S. passport if the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) certifies to the Department of State that you owe more than $2,500 in child support.  If this applies to you, we strongly encourage you to contact the appropriate State child support enforcement agency to make payment arrangements before applying for a passport.   The State agency must certify to HHS that acceptable payment arrangements have been made, and then HHS must notify the Department of State of your renewed eligibility for a passport by removing your name from the electronic child support arrears list.  This process can take 2-3 weeks from the time you make payment arrangements.  Neither the U.S. Embassy nor the Department of State has any information about your child support obligations or the authority to remove your name from the list.

Please direct any questions to the appropriate State child support enforcement agency.  You may go to the Department of Health and Human Services, State Child Support Enforcement website for a listing of State agencies.