Which debts can delay passport processing in 2026 and what must be done in these cases to handle it

In the United States, two types of debts can put a passport application on hold and even affect any valid copy. One is child support debt of more than 2,500 dollars and the other is what IRS considers “seriously delinquent”.

Passport application halted by child support debt: what to do in these cases

The State Department explains on its official website that it cannot issue passports when there is a child support debt of more than 2,500 dollars and even in these cases a valid passport could be revoked.

Those who applied and saw their process halted for not having paid child support on time should keep in mind that the steps to resume the process are:

• Pay the outstanding amount to the Child Support Enforcement Agency in all the states where it is owed
• Then the corresponding state has to inform the Office of Child Support Enforcement (HHS) that it has been paid
• HSS then removes the debtor’s name from the records and reports it, a process that can take between 2 and 3 weeks
• The State Department verifies that HHS removed the name from the list
• Once all the above steps have been completed, the process can continue

Passport processing halted by seriously delinquent debt: what to do in these cases

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS), for its part, explains that by law it must notify the State Department when a taxpayer has what is known as “seriously delinquent debt”.

“In general, the State Department will not issue passports to taxpayers after receiving a delinquent debt certification from the IRS”, it states.

These are pending federal tax obligations that exceed the limit set for that year. In 2026 the maximum amount is 66,000 dollars. They include personal income taxes, trust fund recovery penalties, business taxes for which taxpayers are responsible, and other civil penalties.

When it is determined that a taxpayer has this outstanding debt, IRS will notify them with a CP508C notice. The certification will be revoked if:

• The tax debt is paid in full or is considered legally unenforceable
• The obligation is no longer seriously delinquent
• The certification is erroneous

Once it is revoked, the tax agency notifies the State Department within 30 days from the moment the debt was resolved.

If a passport was requested with this active debt, it is stated that the State Department will notify the taxpayer about the paused process and will keep the application open for 90 days. During that time, they must:

• Make a payment agreement with the IRS
• Pay the tax debt in full
• Resolve any certification issue

If no agreements are made within the established deadline, the passport application will be denied and closed, so a new one will have to be submitted from scratch once the outstanding amount has been resolved.