Noncustodial parents in Idaho who owe more than $100,000 in delinquent child support will now lose their U.S. passports in the wake of a new national policy.

The U.S. Department of State announced on May 8 it would begin revoking passports of severely delinquent noncustodial parents. This is distinct from existing U.S. law, which grants the State Department the ability to deny passport applications for individuals owing more than $2,500 in child support.

A release from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (IDHW) said compliance with the policy was effective immediately with the State Department’s announcement.

Idaho Child Support Services is currently monitoring 150 noncustodial parents who are more than $100,000 delinquent in child support payments and who, in turn, meet the threshold for passport revocation. It is not known how many noncustodial parents have passports who are also behind their child support payments, a release from IDHW said.

Starting June 1, the threshold for passport revocation will be lowered to $75,000.

“This is an exciting step in helping children thrive in Idaho because they have the full support of their parents,” IDHW Director Juliet Charron said in the release. “This will allow us to make sure parents are providing the court-ordered support their children need and are entitled to.”

Prior to receiving the ability to revoke U.S. passports, Idaho Child Support Services has had several avenues available to enforce the collection of unpaid child support including:

Withholding support payments from incomeReporting debts to credit bureausGarnishing bank accounts and assetsSuspending Idaho driver’s, hunting, fishing, and occupational licensesFiling liensDenying passports before they are issued

Parents who have passports revoked are directed to address questions to the State Department contact listed in their revocation letter. After paying their debt, they will be able to apply for a new passport. Any parent who has already applied for a passport should pay their debt immediately to ensure their application is not halted.

If out of the country and informed that their passport has been revoked, individuals should contact Idaho Child Support Services to pay their debt. They will also need to contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate for passport application and will only be eligible for a limited-validity passport for return to the United States until the repayment of their debt has been verified, an IDHW release said.

The federal policy arrives after the IDHW made its own effort to clamp down on child support delinquency in 2024 by targeting hunting and fishing licenses, as was previously reported by the Idaho Press.

Under the change implemented that September, IDHW only negotiates payment agreements to avoid recreational license suspension when the parent resolves the past due balance below the statutory threshold or agrees to pay increased minimum monthly amounts, which are determined by income, for at least three months.

If a parent entered into a payment agreement for their outstanding balance and failed to follow through, subsequent agreements carried higher minimum payment requirements of up to 300% of current support.

Idaho has had the ability to suspend licenses for delinquent parents since 1996.