How Arizona Collects Unpaid Child Support: Wage Garnishment, License Suspension and Passport Denial
If you don’t pay child support in Arizona, each installment becomes a final judgment with 10% simple interest. It can be collected by wage assignment, a request for judgment on the arrears, license suspension after six months in arrears and willful failure, and federal passport denial above $2,500.
What happens if you don’t pay child support in Arizona?
Each missed installment vests and is enforceable as a final judgment (A.R.S. 25-503(I)), interest accrues, and the person owed support or the Title IV-D agency can collect it through assignment of income, a request for judgment on the arrears and other judgment remedies; a court can also act against licenses and the federal passport rule can apply.
Can Arizona garnish wages for unpaid child support?
An order for support must provide for an assignment under A.R.S. 25-504 and 25-323 (25-320(O)). An ex parte order of assignment is effective immediately on service on the employer, but the first employer may not withhold for fourteen calendar days so the obligor can contest it; the obligor must request a hearing within seven days of receiving the order, and the hearing is held no more than ten days after the request. Federal law limits how much of disposable earnings can be garnished for support: 50% if the person supports another spouse or child and 60% if not, and 55% or 65% for support more than 12 weeks overdue (15 U.S.C. 1673(b)).
| If the person | Limit | If support is more than 12 weeks overdue |
|---|---|---|
| Supporting a spouse or another child | 50% | 55% |
| Not supporting a spouse or another child | 60% | 65% |
How is a judgment on arrears obtained in Arizona?
A party entitled to support, or the Title IV-D agency, files with the clerk of the superior court a request for judgment of arrearages and an affidavit stating the amount. The request must be served with notice of the right to request a hearing within twenty days after service in Arizona, or thirty days outside; if no hearing is requested, or the objection is unfounded, the court must grant an appropriate judgment (A.R.S. 25-503(N)).
Can you lose a driver’s license for unpaid child support in Arizona?
A court that finds at a hearing that the obligor has willfully failed to pay, continues after notice to willfully fail to pay and is at least six months in arrears must send a certificate of noncompliance for the suspension or denial of a driver or recreational license, or for a restricted noncommercial driver license (A.R.S. 25-518). To qualify for a restricted license the obligor must work at least thirty hours a week, have a workplace or school more than one mile from home, show the work or school helps bring the obligor into compliance, and enter a payment plan with the Department of Economic Security. The obligor can petition for a hearing after complying.
Can unpaid child support affect a passport?
If a state agency certifies that a person owes child support arrearages of more than $2,500, federal law requires the Secretary of State to refuse to issue a passport and allows revoking, restricting or limiting one already issued (42 U.S.C. 652(k)). The Arizona arrears calculator warns when the unpaid principal passes that figure.
What credits and payments count?
Direct payments not made through the clearinghouse, and equitable credits, count only as the court directs after a hearing; any other credit needs a written affidavit of direct payment or waiver signed by the person entitled to support, filed with the clerk. In a Title IV-D case a credit does not reduce what is owed to the department without its written approval (25-510(G)-(H)).
What should you do if you owe?
Add up the balance in the Arizona child support arrears calculator, ask for a payment plan before enforcement escalates and, if your circumstances changed, ask to modify the order because only later installments can change.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if you don’t pay child support in Arizona?
Each installment becomes a final judgment with 10% simple interest, and it can be collected by wage assignment, a judgment on the arrears, license suspension after six months in arrears and willful failure, and federal passport denial above $2,500.
How much of my wages can be taken for child support in Arizona?
Federal law limits garnishment for support to 50% or 60% of disposable earnings, and to 55% or 65% for support more than 12 weeks overdue.
How fast does Arizona wage withholding start?
An ex parte order of assignment is effective on service, but the first employer may not withhold for fourteen calendar days, and the obligor can request a hearing.
When can an Arizona license be suspended for unpaid child support?
After a court finds willful failure to pay after notice and the obligor is at least six months in arrears.
When can the passport of an Arizona parent who owes child support be denied?
When a state agency certifies arrears over $2,500 under federal law.
Official sources
- A.R.S. 25-503: vested installments, judgment on arrearages, defenses
- A.R.S. 25-510: payments, arrearages and interest
- A.R.S. 25-518: arrearage and license suspension
- A.R.S. 25-320: support orders and assignment
- Arizona Child Support Guidelines, Section XVI: child support arrears
- 42 U.S.C. 652(k): denial of passports
- 15 U.S.C. 1673: restriction on garnishment
A local family law attorney can review your situation — many offer a free consultation.
This is general information, not legal advice. It is based on the cited Arizona statutes, rules and court opinions, and every case turns on its own facts. Confirm how the law applies to your situation with a licensed Arizona attorney.