The consequences of failing to pay child support on time include interest and penalty amounts assessed by the child support services division of your state’s Office of Attorney General, the department of revenue, or other government agency responsible for enforcing child support payments on behalf of the state. Penalties may also include court action (civil and criminal contempt charges); suspension of the obligor’s driver’s license; reporting the delinquency to creditor reporting agencies; denial or suspension of the obligor’s passport privileges; and liens on the obligor’s properties, bank accounts, life insurance plans, retirement plans, personal injury claims, and other assets.

In Rhode Island, if an individual fails to pay child support on time, the state's Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) within the Department of Human Services can take several enforcement actions. Interest and penalty fees may be assessed on overdue child support payments. The OCSS can also initiate court action, which may lead to civil or criminal contempt charges against the non-paying parent, known as the obligor. Additional penalties can include the suspension of the obligor's driver's license, reporting the delinquency to credit bureaus, and the denial or suspension of passport privileges. Furthermore, the state can place liens on the obligor's property, bank accounts, life insurance policies, retirement plans, personal injury claims, and other assets to secure the owed child support. These measures are designed to ensure compliance with child support orders and to protect the financial interests of the children involved.