How Nevada Collects Unpaid Child Support: Wage Garnishment, License Suspension and Passport Denial
If you don’t pay child support in Nevada, each payment is a judgment, a lien can be recorded on your property, and you can be reported to the DMV and licensing boards when more than $1,000 is past due and you are delinquent at least 2 months.
What happens if you don’t pay child support in Nevada?
Each unpaid payment is a judgment by operation of law that can be enforced like other judgments (NRS 125B.140(1)). The enforcing person sends a notice, you have 20 days to ask for a hearing on the amount, and the court then enters a judgment with interest and attorney’s fees unless there is undue hardship.
Can Nevada put a lien on my property?
Yes. If a responsible parent is in arrears, the order may be recorded as a judgment lien with the county recorder; from recordation it is a lien on all real and personal property the parent owns in that county, or acquires there, until it expires. The person enforcing it must send a certified-mail notice within 20 days after recording (NRS 125B.142).
When can a driver’s license be reported?
The district attorney or other public agency sends first-class mail notice to a person in arrears. If within 30 days of receiving it the person does not satisfy the arrearage or ask in writing for a hearing, the name is reported to the Department of Motor Vehicles. Before the hearing the person and the enforcing authority must meet and try in good faith to resolve it; if arrears are found and the person will not agree to a repayment plan, the driver’s license can be suspended (NRS 425.510). A person is in arrears if more than $1,000 is past due and payments are delinquent at least 2 months (425.500).
What about professional and occupational licenses?
The same arrears test applies, with a certified-mail notice and 30 days to pay or ask for a hearing, after a good-faith meeting (NRS 425.530). A person can satisfy the arrearage by paying all past-due payments, paying the overdue amounts for the preceding 12 months that a court found in arrears, or following a repayment plan approved by the enforcing agency (425.520).
Can Nevada garnish wages?
Support orders are enforced by income withholding, within the federal limits: 50% or 60%, 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% |
Can a court order assets held for support?
On a motion, a court can order a parent’s assets deposited with a trustee to secure support, with limits and a statement of disbursements to the parent (NRS 125B.200 to 125B.300). Ask an attorney whether it fits.
What about passports?
If a state agency certifies that a person owes child support arrearages of more than $2,500, federal law requires refusal of a passport (42 U.S.C. 652(k)). The Nevada arrears calculator warns when the unpaid principal passes that figure.
What should you do if you owe?
Respond to every notice inside its 20- or 30-day window, meet with the enforcing agency, ask for a repayment plan, add up the balance in the Nevada child support arrears calculator and, if your circumstances changed, file for a review right away.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if you don’t pay child support in Nevada?
Each payment is a judgment, and enforcement can include liens, license and DMV reporting, withholding and passport denial.
How much of my paycheck can Nevada take for child support?
Federal law limits it to 50% or 60% of disposable earnings, and 55% or 65% for support more than 12 weeks overdue.
How long do I have to respond to a Nevada DMV notice for unpaid child support?
Thirty days after you receive it, to satisfy the arrearage or ask in writing for a hearing.
How long do I have to ask for a Nevada arrears hearing before execution?
Twenty days after the notice is sent.
When can the passport of a Nevada parent who owes child support be denied?
When arrears above $2,500 are certified under federal law.
Official sources
- NRS 125B.140: enforcement; interest
- NRS 99.040: interest rate
- NRS 125B.050: period of limitations
- NRS 425.500: arrears definition
- NRS 425.510: reporting to the DMV
- NRS 125B.145: review
- 15 U.S.C. 1673: restriction on garnishment
- 42 U.S.C. 652(k): denial of passports
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 Nevada statutes, rules and court opinions, and every case turns on its own facts. Confirm how the law applies to your situation with a licensed Nevada attorney.