Can I use my passport if I owe more than $5000 in child support?

by Rudolph
(Miami, Fl USA)

Question: If you owe more than $5000 in child support and you try to travel internationally round trip on your existing, valid passport, will you be denied travel? What will happen?

Answer: First of all, the amount for which a person can be denied a passport has been changed to $2500.

You should only have a problem with your current, valid passport if it has been revoked. It that had occurred, you would have received notice of the fact.

According to federal law, "Passport revocation may be effected when the person obtained the passport fraudulently, when the passport was issued in error, when the person’s certificate of naturalization was canceled by a federal court, or when the person would not be entitled to a new passport under 22 CFR 51.70 (a) or (b)."

It goes on to say, "The physical revocation of a passport is often difficult, and an apparently valid passport can be used for travel until officially taken by an arresting officer or by a court."

Seriously problems can arise if you your passport is lost or stolen while traveling abroad and need to obtain another in order to return to the United States.