How Wisconsin Collects Unpaid Child Support: Wage Garnishment, License Suspension and Passport Denial
If you don’t pay child support in Wisconsin, interest accrues, withholding can rise by up to 50% of current support, and the agency can intercept tax refunds, suspend licenses and file liens. A payment plan stops some, not all.
What happens if you don’t pay child support in Wisconsin?
The county agency starts with initial steps before others: it charges interest, raises the amount withheld from pay, and offers a payment plan, and then it can use tax intercept, license suspension and other actions (DCF).
How much can Wisconsin take from my paycheck?
The amount withheld may be raised by up to 50% of the current support ordered; federal limits cap the total at 50% or 60% of disposable income, and 55% or 65% for support 12 or more weeks overdue (15 U.S.C. 1673(b)).
| If the person | Limit | If support is 12 or more weeks overdue |
|---|---|---|
| Supporting a spouse or another child | 50% | 55% |
| Not supporting a spouse or another child | 60% | 65% |
You can ask your employer to withhold more than the federal limit if you want to pay faster.
Is interest part of the debt I can plan around?
Yes. Interest accrues on past-due support even during a plan (DCF), so a plan that pays principal down faster reduces the interest you pay.
How do I set up a plan?
Contact your county child support agency; the plan must also cover your current support (DCF).
What does a payment plan do?
If you follow it, it stops actions to suspend or deny recreational, driver’s and professional licenses, actions to seize bank accounts and titled property, and it lets you apply for state loans and grants and sell titled property with a lien. If you do not follow it, the agency can act against your accounts, property and licenses (DCF).
What can a payment plan not do?
It cannot remove a child support lien, stop tax refunds from being taken, stop interception of lump-sum public retirement payments or prevent denial of a passport (DCF). Only paying off the past-due support removes you from the lien docket.
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 Wisconsin arrears calculator warns when the unpaid principal passes that figure.
Can I stop the process?
Call your county agency, set up a payment plan that covers current support too, and if your income changed, file to modify right away.
What should you do if you owe?
Respond to every notice, ask for a payment plan, add up the balance in the Wisconsin child support arrears calculator and keep records of every payment.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if you don’t pay child support in Wisconsin?
Interest accrues, withholding rises, and the agency can use tax intercepts, license suspension and liens.
How much of my paycheck can Wisconsin take for child support?
Federal limits are 50% or 60% of disposable income, and 55% or 65% for support 12 or more weeks overdue.
Does a Wisconsin payment plan stop a tax refund intercept?
No. It does not stop tax refunds from being taken.
Does a Wisconsin payment plan stop passport denial?
No.
When can the passport of a Wisconsin parent who owes child support be denied?
When arrears above $2,500 are certified under federal law.
Official sources
- DCF: collecting past-due child support (interest; payment plans)
- DCF: when child support ends (20-year enforcement)
- Wis. Stat. 767.59(1m): no retroactive revision
- 2021 WI App 40
- 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 Wisconsin statutes, rules and court opinions, and every case turns on its own facts. Confirm how the law applies to your situation with a licensed Wisconsin attorney.