When a parent ordered to pay child support (the obligor) fails to make the payments (is in arrears), the Office of the Attorney General in your state may take one or more actions to enforce the child support obligation. These enforcement actions may include court action (civil and criminal contempt charges); suspension of the obligor’s driver’s license; reporting the delinquency to credit reporting agencies; denial or suspension of the obligor’s passport privileges; and liens on properties, bank accounts, life insurance plans, retirement plans, personal injury claims, and other assets.
In North Carolina, when a parent fails to pay court-ordered child support, the state's child support enforcement agency can take several actions to enforce the obligation. These actions may include filing civil or criminal contempt charges against the non-paying parent, which could result in fines or even jail time. The agency can also suspend the delinquent parent's driver's license, and report the non-payment to credit bureaus, negatively affecting the parent's credit score. Additionally, the state can deny, restrict, or revoke the parent's passport, making international travel difficult or impossible. The enforcement measures may extend to placing liens on the obligor's property, bank accounts, and other assets such as life insurance policies, retirement plans, and personal injury claims to secure the owed child support.