Child Support Arrears Can Cost You Licenses

Utah recently enacted a new statute that denies hunting and fishing licenses to those who are delinquent on child support payments. They have recently began notifying some of those people that they may be denied licenses based on their delinquency. According to their state child support enforcement records, roughly 19,000 are currently behind on payments, and of those 19,000, roughly 9,500 are hunters or fishermen that have applied for licenses in the past. The interesting correlation between hunting/fishing and child support aside, Utah’s new statute is not groundbreaking in any way. In fact, North Carolina has had a similar statute for years.

Under Chapter 110 of our North Carolina Statutes, a failure to comply with an order for support can result in suspension of various licenses upon application by child support enforcement. Like Utah, those include hunting and fishing licenses. It additionally includes motor vehicle licenses, and even commercial driver’s licenses. Going even further, it may also include any license, permit, registration, certificate, or any such board-issued authorization that allows a person to engage in a business, occupation, or profession. Such a list potentially includes Certified Public Accountants, doctors and veterinarians, and attorneys. If a license is critical to livelihood, the court can issue temporary driving privileges under the court’s terms, subject to modification and revocation. Safe to say, noncompliance with child support orders may have unwanted and serious consequences.

If you are in a situation where you anticipate not being able to pay court ordered child support, contact a family law specialist to see what the options are before becoming delinquent.