In this world, we need various licenses to do things legally. We need a driver’s license to drive, we need a professional license to practice in many occupations, including nursing, real estate, contracting, and much more. We also need recreational licenses so we can hunt and fish without breaking the law.
If you hold a driver’s license and any other kind of license in New York and you pay child support, you may not know it but your licenses can be at risk of suspension or revocation if you skip payments. You see, your local child support agency has many enforcement tools in their toolbox, including bank account seizures, tax refund intercepts, taking your stimulus check, real estate liens, taking your lottery winnings, and license suspensions.
What Can Happen if You Skip Payments
“All 50 states have statutory or administrative provisions authorizing the suspension or revocation of various licenses for failure to pay child support. The licenses affected generally are drivers, occupational, professional (e.g., law), business and recreational (e.g., hunting and fishing),” according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Each state has set its own criteria in regard to how much a parent must owe before license suspensions and revocations take effect. In Connecticut for example, the delinquency threshold is 90 days. In Massachusetts, it’s eight weeks in arrears, in New Jersey it’s six or more months and in New York, it’s arrears equal to or greater than four months.
Which licenses are at risk in New York?
- Driver’s license
- Occupational licenses
- Professional licenses
- Recreational licenses
- Business licenses
To find out what New York is currently doing to restrict and suspend licenses for back child support, visit the Child Support and Family Law Legislation Database. You are also encouraged to contact the Law Office of Dennis R. Vetrano, Jr., LLC so we can help resolve your child support case and give you peace of mind.