A passport application can be denied for a fairly short list of reasons spelled out in federal regulation: unpaid child support, seriously delinquent federal tax debt, a defaulted repatriation loan, an outstanding felony warrant, a court order or probation condition that bars international travel, certain drug convictions, a finding of legal incompetency, national security concerns, or a defect in the application itself. Most denials are fixable once you know which category triggered the refusal.
Unpaid Government Debts
Three kinds of debt owed to the government will stop a passport. Each runs through a different agency, but the State Department treats all three as mandatory bars: once the certification arrives, it will not issue or renew until the debt is cleared.
Past-Due Child Support
If you owe more than $2,500 in past-due child support, your state’s child support enforcement agency can certify the arrears to the federal government, which then notifies the State Department to deny your passport.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 652 – Duties of Secretary The State Department can also revoke or restrict a passport you already hold, and it has no discretion to overlook the certification.2eCFR. 22 CFR 51.60 – Denial and Restriction of Passports Clearing the hold means paying down the arrears or arranging with your state agency to withdraw the certification.
Seriously Delinquent Federal Tax Debt
Owing the IRS more than $66,000 in assessed, legally enforceable federal tax debt, including penalties and interest, triggers a similar certification to the State Department.3Internal Revenue Service. Revocation or Denial of Passport in Cases of Certain Unpaid Taxes That threshold adjusts for inflation each year. If you are already abroad when the certification happens, the State Department may issue a limited passport valid only for returning to the United States.
Several situations keep the IRS from certifying the debt at all: you are paying under an installment agreement, you have a pending or accepted offer in compromise, you have requested innocent spouse relief, you have been classified as currently not collectible for hardship, you are in bankruptcy, you have a pending collection due process hearing, you are a victim of tax-related identity theft, or you are located in a federally declared disaster area. Once you get onto an installment plan or your offer in compromise is accepted, the IRS must notify the State Department within 30 days to reverse the certification.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 7345 – Revocation or Denial of Passport in Case of Certain Tax Delinquencies
Defaulted Repatriation Loans
If the U.S. government loaned you money to get home from abroad in an emergency and you never repaid it, the State Department will deny your passport until the loan is settled.2eCFR. 22 CFR 51.60 – Denial and Restriction of Passports A lookout flag stays in the State Department’s system until the debt is repaid.
Warrants, Court Orders, and Legal Holds
Active legal proceedings are one of the most common reasons the State Department refuses a passport. These denials are discretionary rather than mandatory, but in practice the State Department almost always follows through when law enforcement flags an applicant.
- An outstanding federal warrant for a felony, including a fugitive felon warrant.2eCFR. 22 CFR 51.60 – Denial and Restriction of Passports
- An outstanding state or local felony warrant.5U.S. Department of State. Passport Information for Law Enforcement
- A criminal court order, probation condition, or parole condition that forbids you from leaving the United States.
- An extradition request, whether the U.S. is seeking your return from abroad or a foreign government has asked the U.S. to hand you over.
- A federal felony subpoena served on you overseas in connection with a prosecution or grand jury investigation.
- A restraint or apprehension order against you under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
If you were on probation or parole and your travel restriction has since been lifted, include proof with your application. A discharge notice from your probation officer, a letter of termination, or a court order ending supervised release will all work.6U.S. Department of State. Getting a Passport On or After Probation or Parole If a court or law enforcement agency previously seized your passport, your probation officer must send a letter authorizing its return before the State Department will release it.
Drug Trafficking Convictions
A separate federal statute bars passports for people convicted of certain drug crimes. If you were convicted of a federal or state felony involving a controlled substance and you either used a passport or crossed an international border while committing the offense, the State Department cannot issue you a passport.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 22 USC 2714 – Denial of Passports to Certain Convicted Drug Traffickers The ban runs through your entire period of incarceration and any supervised release or parole that follows. Once supervision ends, you become eligible again.
Sex Offender Status
Registered sex offenders whose crimes involved minors are not denied outright under International Megan’s Law, but their passports carry an identifier stating the conviction, and they must self-identify when applying.8U.S. Department of State. Passports and International Megan’s Law The State Department cannot issue passport cards to covered sex offenders at all, and it can revoke any existing passport that was issued without the identifier.2eCFR. 22 CFR 51.60 – Denial and Restriction of Passports
Incompetency or Commitment
The State Department can refuse a passport if a U.S. court has declared you legally incompetent or has committed you to a mental institution.2eCFR. 22 CFR 51.60 – Denial and Restriction of Passports This is a discretionary ground, and if the underlying court order is lifted, the basis for denial disappears.
Problems With the Application Itself
Plenty of denials have nothing to do with a legal problem and everything to do with paperwork. These are usually the easiest to fix.
Incomplete or Incorrect Submissions
The single most common reason an application stalls is a bad photo. Missing signatures, the wrong fee, insufficient proof of citizenship, and missing identity documents also trigger holds. The State Department will send a letter or email explaining what it needs, and you have 90 days to respond before the application is closed out.9U.S. Department of State. Respond to a Letter or Email If there are lingering questions about your citizenship or identity, you may be asked to complete a supplemental questionnaire.
Missing Social Security Number
Federal regulations require your Social Security number on the application. Leaving it off, or intentionally giving a wrong number, is a standalone basis for denial, and unlike most other denial categories, it does not qualify for the administrative hearing process.2eCFR. 22 CFR 51.60 – Denial and Restriction of Passports
Missing Parental Consent for a Child
Both parents or the child’s legal guardian must sign a passport application for a child under 14.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 22 USC Chapter 4 – Passports If only one parent is available, you’ll need documentation of sole custody, a notarized statement of consent from the absent parent, or a court order permitting issuance. The State Department can make exceptions in emergencies involving the child’s health or welfare. If a custody order restricts the child’s travel, the application will be denied even if both parents sign.11U.S. Department of State. Passport Information for Judges and Lawyers
Fraud and False Statements
Lying on a passport application or submitting forged documents is not just grounds for denial. It is a federal crime carrying up to 10 years in prison for a first or second offense, up to 20 years if the fraud is connected to drug trafficking, and up to 25 years if it facilitated international terrorism.12Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 1542 – False Statement in Application and Use of Passport
National Security Concerns
The Secretary of State also has authority to deny a passport when an applicant’s activities abroad are causing, or would likely cause, serious damage to national security or U.S. foreign policy.2eCFR. 22 CFR 51.60 – Denial and Restriction of Passports This is the most open-ended category and is rarely invoked against ordinary travelers.
What To Do After a Denial
The State Department will send a written notice explaining the specific reason your passport was refused. What you can do next depends on which category applied.
For denials based on warrants, court orders, probation conditions, extradition, incompetency, or national security, you can request a formal hearing. The request must be in writing and received within 60 days of the date on the denial notice. Miss that deadline and the denial becomes final with no further review.13eCFR. 22 CFR 51.70 – Request for Hearing to Review Certain Denials and Revocations The State Department must provide copies of the evidence it relied on before the hearing.
Not every denial qualifies for that process. Refusals based on child support arrears, defaulted repatriation loans, the sex offender identifier, or a missing Social Security number are handled through different channels.14eCFR. 22 CFR Part 51 Subpart F – Procedures for Review of Certain Denials and Revocations For child support and tax debt, the path forward is resolving the underlying obligation rather than appealing the passport decision.
One thing worth knowing before you file: the application fee and execution fee are both non-refundable whether or not the passport is issued.15Foreign Affairs Manual. Passport Fees If you suspect an outstanding warrant or unpaid debt might block you, resolve it before you apply.