Historically, it can be very difficult for child support agencies to collect child support from non-custodial parents though it has gotten easier with advances in technology. Today, employers have to obtain employees’ Social Security Numbers (SSNs), and child support agencies can tap into those databases to track down parents who are in arrears, including those who have moved out of state.
Even with today’s technology, parents still slip through the cracks and find ingenious was to escape their child support obligation. Because of this issue, child support agencies nationwide have adopted bold and aggressive tactics to collect child support arrears. Such methods include bank account seizures, real estate liens, U.S. passport denials, negative credit reporting, tax refund and stimulus check intercept, and license suspensions.
Can’t Pay Child Support? Your Licenses Are at Risk
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, “All 50 states have statutory or administrative provisions authorizing the suspension or revocation of various licenses for failure to pay child support. The licenses affected generally are driver's, occupational, professional (e.g., law), business and recreational (e.g., hunting and fishing).”
Each state has established its own criteria in regard to how much the paying parent must owe before their licenses are suspended or revoked, and the delinquency thresholds vary widely. For example, in the District of Columbia, the delinquency threshold is 60 days past-due, in Connecticut, it’s 90 days, in Colorado it’s six months, and in New York, the arrears must be equal to or greater than four months.
Types of licenses suspended for child support in New York:
- Driver licenses
- Occupational licenses
- Professional licenses
- Recreational licenses
- Business licenses
We hope you found this information helpful. If you can’t afford to pay your current child support obligation or if your licenses have already been suspended, we can help. To explore your legal options, including a downward modification, contact Jason M. Barbara & Associates, P.C.