Credit reporting agencies can include information about overdue child support in your credit report.
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The law requires credit reporting agencies to include information about overdue child support in credit reports. Creditors and lenders may deny credit based on this information.
In addition, sometimes creditors and lenders report the whereabouts of missing parents to child enforcement agencies.
When Child Support Information Might Find Its Way Into Your Credit Reports
If the custodial parent owes more than $1,000 in child support, that information may find its way into a credit file that a credit bureau maintains. Federal law requires child support enforcement agencies to report known child support arrears of $1,000 or more.
Child Support Agencies Often Automatically Send Child Support Information to the Credit Bureaus
Many child support enforcement agencies automatically send information about the child support order to credit bureaus, even though payments are current.
Learn More About Credit Reporting and Enforcement of Child Support Obligations
For information on what to do if the reported information is incorrect, see Disputing Incomplete and Inaccurate Information in Your Credit Report. To learn how parents and government agencies can collect child support arrears, see our Enforcement of Child Support Obligations area.
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