If you owe back child support, a letter about your passport can feel like it came out of nowhere. In Michigan, once your missed child support payments reach a certain amount, federal law allows the government to deny a new passport application or revoke a passport you already hold. For a parent with a trip planned, a job that requires travel, or family overseas, this can turn a financial problem into a much bigger one very quickly.
At Clarity Law, our child support attorneys help clients across Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties sort out these issues before they escalate, including passport holds. Here is what the law actually says, and what you can do about it.
Contact: Discuss your case confidentially with a dedicated family law attorney at Clarity Law today.
Understanding Child Support Arrears
Under federal law, if your child support arrears reach $2,500 or more, the U.S. Department of State can deny a new passport application and can revoke, restrict, or limit a passport you already have. This rule applies nationwide, including in Michigan, and it is enforced through a certification process that starts with the Office of Child Support agency, not the Secretary of State itself.
As of May 2026, the State Department began actively revoking passports already in circulation for parents with significant arrears, rather than only catching the issue when someone applies for a new one or a renewal. That is a real shift, and it means a parent who has not applied for a passport in years could still be affected.
Federal Policies Affecting Passport Eligibility
The legal authority for this comes from the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 lowered the arrears threshold from $5,000 to $2,500, where it still stands today.
The passport denial program process generally works like this:
- Michigan’s Friend of the Court identifies a case where arrears exceed $2,500.
- The case is reported to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, which certifies it to the federal Office of Child Support Enforcement.
- The Office of Child Support Enforcement transmits the certification to the U.S. Department of State.
- The State Department denies new passport applications and, under the 2026 enforcement expansion, may revoke an existing passport.
The $2,500 threshold counts all certified arrears across every open child support case, not just the balance in one county or one order. A parent who owes smaller amounts in more than one case can still cross the threshold when the balances are combined.
Did you know? Learn more about
how parenting time can affect a child support order
in Michigan.
Michigan’s Approach to Child Support and Passports
Passport enforcement is one of several enforcement tools the Friend of the Court can use once a parent falls behind. Others include income withholding, driving privileges, and professional license suspension after two months behind under MCL 552.628, state and federal tax refund interception, and credit reporting. Passport denial tends to get noticed because it affects travel plans directly, but it is rarely the first enforcement step taken.
If you are the parent who is owed support, this is also useful to understand. It is one more tool available when other collection methods have not worked, though the county Friend of the Court manages the certification, not our office directly.
Resolving a Passport Hold
There is no shortcut around the $2,500 threshold, but there are a few real paths forward.
- Pay the arrears in full. Payment in full is the most direct way to clear the certification.
- Set up a payment arrangement. The agency handling your case may accept a plan that satisfies the requirement, though terms vary by case.
- Request a modification. If your income has changed, a court-approved child support modification going forward will not erase existing arrears, but it can help you avoid falling further behind while you address the balance.
- Ask about emergency travel documents. In limited situations, such as a death or serious illness of an immediate family member abroad, a temporary travel document may be available even with an open certification.
Even after arrears are paid or a plan is approved, clearing the certification and getting the State Department’s records updated takes time, often a few weeks. If you have travel booked, do not wait until close to your departure date to address this.
Find out more: Speak to an experienced child custody lawyer to discuss your case.
Legal and Practical Solutions
If you have received a passport revocation notice or you think your child support debt may be approaching $2,500, do not wait to see what happens. Contact the Friend of the Court in the county handling your case to confirm your current balance, since errors do happen. From there, a trusted family attorney can help you understand your options, including whether a modification or payment plan makes sense for your situation.
How Clarity Law Firm helps
We help clients understand exactly where they stand with a child support case, including arrears, enforcement actions, and options for moving forward. Ali Chokr and our family law team work directly with clients across Metro Detroit and Wayne County to find a path that fits their family’s needs, without promising a specific outcome we cannot guarantee. We also offer payment plans for our own services, since we understand that a family already dealing with a support issue does not need another financial barrier.
If a child support obligation is putting your passport privileges, your travel, or your peace of mind at risk, we can help you understand your options. Book your free consultation with Clarity Law Firm today.
It depends on the terms your case requires. Some arrangements can resolve a certification, but you will need to confirm this directly with the agency handling your case.
Yes. As of the 2026 enforcement changes, the State Department can revoke a passport already in your possession if your arrears meet the threshold, not only when you apply or renew.
No. A passport hold only affects international travel and passport issuance. It does not affect your ability to travel within the United States.
Contact the Friend of the Court to review your account. Mistakes in the balance or in identifying the correct payer can happen, and they need to be corrected at the state level before the certification can be resolved.
No. Michigan can also suspend driver’s and professional licenses, intercept tax refunds, and report the debt to credit bureaus, among other tools.
