What to do if your passport is revoked?
Asked by: Wendell Rosenbaum | Last update: February 17, 2026Score: 5/5 (30 votes)
If your passport is revoked, you need to resolve the underlying issue, usually seriously delinquent tax debt or child support arrears, by contacting the relevant agency (IRS or OCSS), establishing a payment plan, paying in full, or appealing, then follow up with the State Department to confirm reinstatement, potentially after an administrative hearing, though resolving the debt with the IRS typically takes about 30 days for the hold to be lifted.
What happens if your passport is revoked?
Passport revocation means your current passport is canceled by the U.S. Department of State due to seriously delinquent tax debt. This revocation prevents you from traveling internationally and can even strand expats abroad.
Why would someone have their passport revoked?
The US can already revoke passports for a myriad of reasons - criminal prosecutions, failure to pay taxes, failure to pay child support, etc, etc.
Can Canada revoke my passport?
The Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness may decide that a passport is to be revoked when there are reasonable grounds to believe that the decision is necessary to prevent the commission of a terrorism offence or for the national security of Canada or a foreign country or state.
Will I receive a letter if my passport is revoked?
Taxpayers will be notified in writing by the State Department if their application for a U.S. passport has been denied, or their current passport revoked. Taxpayers needing a U.S. passport to keep their jobs.
IRS Passport Revocation: How to Tell If the IRS Has You Locked Down!
How can I check to see if my passport has been revoked?
You'll know your passport is revoked primarily through official written notification from the U.S. Department of State (DOS) or the IRS, often via a CP508C notice for tax-related issues, telling you it's been denied or canceled, but you might also notice it if a new application is rejected or you're stopped at the border. The DOS will send a letter detailing reasons and appeal rights; if you're overseas, you can travel home but can't leave again until resolved.
Can a passport be uncancelled?
If you electronically cancel a British passport in error and have not physically cancelled it, you must arrange for the passport to be reinstated, if you can, as soon as possible.
How can you get your passport revoked?
Seriously delinquent tax debt is your unpaid, federal tax debt which includes interest and penalties. If the Secretary of the Treasury let us know you have seriously delinquent tax debt, we cannot issue a U.S. passport to you. We may also revoke your valid U.S. passport.
How common is citizenship revocation in Canada?
In 2021, 7 people had their citizenship revoked. In 2022, it was 25. The authority of the Government of Canada to strip people of their citizenship is legally provided for by s.
How to check if your passport is blocked?
How to Ascertain my Passport Status? If you need to verify whether your US passport has been cancelled or revoked, contact the State Department by calling the National Passport Information Center at 877-487-2778.
How do you tell if your passport is flagged?
You often don't know your passport is flagged until you try to travel and get pulled aside for secondary screening (extra questions/searches) at border crossings or airports, but you can check your status via CBP's I-94 website for entry/exit, contact courts if you have legal issues, or file a DHS TRIP request if you're frequently stopped. Reasons for flagging vary, from name similarities to security concerns, tax debt, or legal issues.
Can you get a passport with a revoked license?
Given the different reasons behind license suspensions, you may or may not get a passport. It all depends on your offense. For example, you will likely get a passport if your license suspension owes to a first-time DUI charge. But if it owes to a felony, you will likely face a denial.
What disqualifies you for a passport?
You can be stopped from getting a passport due to legal issues like felony drug convictions, federal warrants, or owing over $2,500 in child support; financial problems, such as seriously delinquent federal taxes or defaulted federal loans; or administrative errors on your application, like missing information, incorrect photos, or inadequate proof of citizenship. National security concerns and specific sex/human trafficking offenses can also lead to denial.
Why do passports get revoked?
Under U.S. law, the IRS has the power to trigger the denial or revocation of your passport if you owe more than a certain amount in unpaid taxes. This can happen through a process where the IRS works with the U.S. State Department to flag individuals with “seriously delinquent tax debt.”
How can I check if my passport status is active or not?
To check your passport's validity, find the Expiration Date on the data page of your passport book and know that adult U.S. passports are valid for 10 years (5 for children under 16), but you must also check your destination country's specific rules, as many require your passport to be valid for at least six months beyond your trip's end to allow entry. You can verify your destination's requirements on the U.S. Department of State's country information pages.
Do you get a refund if your passport is denied?
We cannot refund the passport application fee and the execution fee. By law, we collect both fees and keep them even if a passport is not issued.
Can a Canadian passport be revoked?
Cancellation of passports
A passport may be cancelled by the Minister if there are reasonable grounds to suspect that the decision is necessary to prevent the commission of a terrorism offence as defined in section 2 of the Criminal Code, or for the national security of Canada or a foreign country or state.
Who decides if citizenship is revoked?
The government must petition the court to revoke the naturalization of a suspected offender and present evidence of the materiality of the false statement, and the federal judge must issue a ruling revoking citizenship.
What is the 28 year rule in Canada?
The "28-year rule" in Canada referred to an old law where second-generation Canadians born abroad to Canadian parents would lose their citizenship at age 28 unless they applied to retain it by demonstrating residency or a substantial connection to Canada, a process many missed. Recent legislative changes, following a court ruling, have made it easier, with new rules (Bill C-3) effectively eliminating this cutoff, restoring citizenship for many "Lost Canadians," and creating a clearer path for citizenship by descent for future generations.
What happens if my passport is revoked?
After we revoke a U.S. passport, we inform law enforcement and border agencies around the world so the subject cannot travel.
Why would a passport be denied at the airport?
The detail that causes most gate denials is the validity window printed on the passport, tied to both the expiration date and, in some places, the issue date. Many governments require extra validity beyond the planned stay, such as three months after departure or six months after arrival.
Can the government cancel a passport?
(a) The Secretary of State is authorized to cancel any United States passport or Consular Report of Birth, or certified copy thereof, if it appears that such document was illegally, fraudulently, or erroneously obtained from, or was created through illegality or fraud practiced upon, the Secretary.
What can invalidate your passport?
On page five of your U.S. passport, there is a clear printed notice stating that only authorized immigration or consular officials are permitted to place stamps or notations on its pages. Any unofficial or decorative mark—including, of course, souvenir stamps—violates that rule and can render the document invalid.
What makes a passport cancelled?
A passport can be cancelled for legal issues like serious tax debt, felony warrants, or child support arrears, or if it was obtained fraudulently, damaged, or contains errors, with revocation often triggered by law enforcement or federal agencies. Revocation also occurs if your U.S. citizenship is questioned or disproven, such as after a denied Certificate of Citizenship application.