Passport Revocations for Child Support Debt Now Reach New York Parents Owing $15,000

NEW CITY, NY, October 05, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Federal officials will begin revoking the U.S. passports of parents who owe $15,000 or more in past-due child support starting October 5, according to the San Juan Daily Star. It marks the sixth time the threshold has dropped since May, when the State Department began proactively revoking passports of parents owing $100,000 or more, as reported by PBS NewsHour. The underlying 1996 federal law reaches anyone owing more than $2,500, and officials have said enforcement will continue to expand toward that figure.

Kantrowitz, Goldhamer, Graifman, Perlmutter & Carballo, P.C. notes that the shift leaves far more Rockland County parents exposed, including those who travel abroad for work or to see family. The firm's child support lawyer in New City, NY represents parents on all sides of support orders, from initial calculations through modification and enforcement.

What Parents Should Know Before Arrears Grow

1. Missed payments cannot be erased later. Under New York Family Court Act § 451, a court cannot reduce support that accrued before a parent filed a petition to modify the order. A parent who lost a job last year and never filed still owes every payment missed since.
2. A change in circumstances may justify a new order. New York generally allows a modification after a substantial change in circumstances, after three years have passed, or when either parent's income has changed by 15% or more.
3. Paying the balance does not restore travel right away. Once arrears are resolved, a parent must apply for a new passport after payment is confirmed, so trips planned on short notice may be lost.

"Most parents who fall behind on child support aren't trying to dodge it. They lost income and assumed the order would adjust on its own," said Paul Goldhamer, founding partner of the firm. "It's important to understand that the order stands until a court changes it, so the time to act is as soon as your finances change."

About Kantrowitz, Goldhamer, Graifman, Perlmutter & Carballo, P.C.

Walter L. Kantrowitz and Paul Goldhamer founded Kantrowitz, Goldhamer, Graifman, Perlmutter & Carballo, P.C. in 1975. For more than 50 years, the firm has represented individuals, families, and businesses throughout New York and New Jersey from full-service offices serving Rockland County and Bergen County. Mr. Goldhamer has spent four decades focused on matrimonial law, guiding clients through divorce, child support, custody, alimony, and property settlement. The firm's attorneys also handle personal injury, national class action, employment, estate, and commercial real estate matters. Evening and weekend consultations are available by appointment. Parents with a support question can call (866) 971-0927 or contact the firm.

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