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 Utah, when a parent (the obligor) fails to pay court-ordered child support and falls into arrears, the Office of Recovery Services (ORS) within the Utah Department of Human Services is responsible for enforcing child support obligations, rather than the Office of the Attorney General. ORS can take several enforcement actions to collect overdue child support. These actions may include filing civil or criminal contempt charges, which could lead to fines or jail time for the obligor. The ORS also has the authority to suspend the obligor's driver's license, professional licenses, and recreational licenses. Additionally, the ORS can report the delinquency to credit bureaus, intercept tax refunds, place liens on the obligor's property, bank accounts, and other assets, and deny or suspend passports. The state's enforcement measures are designed to compel compliance with child support orders and ensure that children receive the financial support they are entitled to.