What Disqualifies You From Getting a U.S. Passport?

What disqualifies you from getting a U.S. passport falls into a short list: serious federal tax debt, past-due child support, unpaid government loans, felony warrants, certain drug convictions, sex offender status involving a minor, court orders restricting your travel or capacity, missing parental consent for a child, and problems with the application itself, including fraud. Some bars lift the moment you resolve the underlying issue. Others last as long as your sentence or your registry status does.

Money You Owe That Blocks a Passport

Three kinds of debt trigger a passport denial. The dollar thresholds and the rules differ.

Federal Tax Debt Over $66,000

The IRS certifies “seriously delinquent” federal tax debt to the State Department, which then denies new applications and can revoke existing passports. For 2026, seriously delinquent means unpaid, legally enforceable federal tax debt (including penalties and interest) above $66,000.1Internal Revenue Service. Rev. Proc. 2025-32 The authority comes from 26 U.S.C. 7345.2govinfo. 26 USC 7345 – Revocation or Denial of Passport in Case of Certain Tax Delinquencies

Not every big tax bill counts. Debt is excluded if you’re paying under an installment agreement or accepted offer in compromise, if you’ve requested a collection due process hearing, or if you’ve filed for innocent spouse relief.2govinfo. 26 USC 7345 – Revocation or Denial of Passport in Case of Certain Tax Delinquencies The program targets people who owe a large amount and haven’t engaged with the IRS.

When the State Department sees the certification, you get a letter and 90 days to pay in full, arrange payment, or show the certification is wrong. Miss the window and the department closes your application.3Internal Revenue Service. Revocation or Denial of Passport in Cases of Certain Unpaid Taxes

Child Support Arrears of $2,500 or More

Owe $2,500 or more in past-due child support and the State Department must deny your application. This is mandatory. State enforcement agencies report qualifying debts to the federal Office of Child Support Services, which forwards names to the State Department.4Administration for Children and Families. Passport Denial Program 101 The implementing regulation also authorizes revoking or restricting existing passports.5eCFR. 22 CFR 51.60 – Denial and Restriction of Passports The threshold is lower than most people expect, and many discover the block only after applying. Clearing it means going through the state child support agency, not the State Department.

Unpaid Repatriation and Emergency Medical Loans

If the U.S. government loaned you money to get home from abroad and you haven’t paid it back, you can’t receive a full-validity passport. You’ll only be eligible for a limited-validity passport for direct return to the United States. The same rule applies to unpaid emergency medical loans from consular officers overseas.5eCFR. 22 CFR 51.60 – Denial and Restriction of Passports Recipients are flagged in the State Department’s internal lookout system, so a fresh application won’t slip through.6U.S. Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual. 7 FAM 370 – Repatriation Loans

Criminal and Law Enforcement Holds

Outstanding Felony Warrants

An outstanding warrant for a felony (federal, state, or local) gives the State Department grounds to deny your application. The same goes for being the subject of a foreign extradition request or a subpoena in a federal felony prosecution or grand jury investigation.5eCFR. 22 CFR 51.60 – Denial and Restriction of Passports These denials are technically discretionary, but active felony warrants almost always end in denial.

Certain Drug Trafficking Convictions

A federal or state felony drug conviction bars a passport if you used a passport or crossed an international border while committing the offense. The State Department “may not” issue one. The ban runs the length of your imprisonment and any parole or supervised release, then lifts.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 22 USC 2714 – Denial of Passports to Certain Convicted Drug Traffickers A purely domestic drug conviction doesn’t fall under this statute, though other conditions may still apply.

Sex Offender Registration Involving a Minor

Registered sex offenders convicted of an offense against a minor are classified as “covered sex offenders” under federal law. You cannot receive a standard passport. Any passport issued to you must carry a printed identifier stating the conviction, and you cannot get a passport card at all.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 22 USC 212b – Unique Passport Identifiers for Covered Sex Offenders9U.S. Department of State. Passports and International Megans Law You must self-identify when applying; the Department of Homeland Security’s Angel Watch Center independently verifies. Passports issued without the identifier can be revoked. The bar lifts only if you are removed from your jurisdiction’s registry.

Court Orders and Restrictions on Your Movement

Several court-based situations block a passport under 22 CFR 51.60:5eCFR. 22 CFR 51.60 – Denial and Restriction of Passports

  • Conditions of probation, parole, or a court order that prohibit leaving the country.
  • A court order committing you to a mental institution.
  • A court declaration that you are legally incompetent.
  • A military restraint or apprehension order against an active-duty service member.

The common thread is a legal authority that has restricted your freedom to travel. When the restriction lifts, so does the denial. If you’re on probation or parole with a no-travel condition, the workable route is petitioning your supervising court for permission.

Minors Without Both Parents’ Consent

Children under 16 generally need both parents or all legal guardians to sign the application. A one-parent application without the other’s consent will typically be rejected. A parent who doesn’t want their child to have a passport can file a written objection before issuance, and the State Department will deny the application as long as the objecting parent can document custodial rights.10eCFR. 22 CFR 51.28 – Minors

A custody order requiring joint decisions on major matters is treated as requiring both signatures. Parents can also enroll in the Children’s Passport Issuance Alert Program to be notified whenever an application is filed for their child, up to age 18.11U.S. Department of State. Passports and Children in Custody Disputes One limit worth knowing: once a child’s passport has been issued, a parent who later withdraws consent cannot force cancellation. The remedy is to block renewal.

Application Problems That Get You Denied

Citizenship and Identity Evidence

A passport proves U.S. citizenship, so you have to prove citizenship first. Acceptable documents are a U.S. birth certificate, a certificate of naturalization or citizenship, a consular report of birth abroad, or a previous full-validity U.S. passport. Originals or certified copies only; photocopies are rejected.12U.S. Department of State – Bureau of Consular Affairs. Get Citizenship Evidence for a U.S. Passport

You also need photo ID when applying in person: a valid driver’s license (not a digital version), a government employee ID, a military ID, or a valid foreign passport, among others.13U.S. Embassy & Consulates. DS-11 Application for a New Passport If the acceptance agent can’t confirm who you are, the application stops.

Social Security Number

If you’ve been issued an SSN, you must include it on the application. Omitting it or providing a wrong number can delay or block processing. If you’ve never been issued one, write “NONE” and attach a sworn statement.14U.S. Embassy in Chile. You Must Provide a SSN When Applying for a U.S. Passport

False Statements on the Application

Lying on a passport application is a federal crime. Penalties under 18 U.S.C. 1542:15Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 1542 – False Statement in Application and Use of Passport

  • Up to 10 years in prison for a first or second offense in standard cases.
  • Up to 15 years for a third or subsequent offense not involving terrorism or drug trafficking.
  • Up to 20 years when the false passport is intended to facilitate drug trafficking.
  • Up to 25 years when tied to an act of international terrorism.

The statute reaches false statements made for someone else’s passport too. Any passport obtained through fraud is subject to revocation.

Prior Passport Revocations and Repeated Losses

If an earlier passport was revoked for fraud, misuse, or a court order, you won’t get a new one until the underlying issue is fully resolved. Reporting several lost or stolen passports also draws scrutiny, and the State Department may limit the validity of a replacement or deny the application while it investigates.

How to Clear a Passport Denial

Fixing a denial means going back to whoever flagged you. The State Department doesn’t independently decide the problem is solved; it waits for the certifying agency to withdraw the flag.

For tax debt, you have 90 days from the denial letter to enter an installment agreement, pay in full, submit an offer in compromise, or show the certification is wrong. Once the IRS reverses its certification, it notifies the State Department within 30 days.3Internal Revenue Service. Revocation or Denial of Passport in Cases of Certain Unpaid Taxes For child support, work with your state enforcement agency to pay down arrears or negotiate a satisfactory arrangement, after which the agency requests removal from the denial list. For warrant-based denials, the warrant has to be cleared. For probation or parole restrictions, ask your supervising court for permission to travel. For repatriation loans, repay the loan.

If you believe a denial was made in error, you can contact the State Department’s Office of Legal Affairs. In practice, the fastest route is almost always resolving the underlying issue directly with whichever agency reported you.