I was paying child support and now it is over. When will be the earliest after paying child support arrears be that I can apply for a passport?

Question:  I was recently paying child support arrears and now it is over. When will be the earliest after paying child support arrears be that I can apply for a passport?

Answer:  The process of obtaining a passport after paying child support arrears can take a few weeks. Making arrangements to start paying child support with the state agency is the first step to complete. After this, the State Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA) will then contact the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or HHS. The HHS will receive a report from the State CSEA which will state your payment arrangements. After the CSEA sends the payment arrangements to the HHS, your name will be remove. The HHS will then send this information to the Department of State Passport Services, where they will be notified that you do not owe any child support in arrears.

The sending of the information between these departments is what will take several weeks. The process begins as soon at the State Child Support Enforcement Agency contacts the HHS to put you in the clear. When this entire process has been completed, you can then submit your application for a passport. There is the routine process system that you can apply through to obtain your passport which will take 3-4 weeks. If you need to obtain your passport in less than 3-4 weeks, you can apply for your passport through an expedited service. An expedited passport service will take about 2-3 weeks before you physically get your passport.