Texans Who Don’t Pay Child Support Soon Won’t Be Able to Renew Their Car Registration

By THC Staff | June 16, 2016

 

Starting this fall, those who haven’t paid their child support for 6 months will have their vehicle registration renewal blocked. This policy will apply to cars up for renewal from December onwards.

Some people approve of this policy as a means to collect due support for children, but others feel it punishes those who cannot meet payments. Attorney Cheryl Alsandor told KHOU news: “I think it’s a great way to get someone’s attention to pay their child support because they’re going to lose the right to drive their vehicle…But on the other hand, my concern would be that the state would have authority to deny their registration without due process, without a judge having considered both sides or both opinions of the state and the obligor who has to pay.”

On the other side of the fence, Janece Rolfe from the Child Support Division has stated: “We’re going to use every tool that we can to collect support that is due to children and families, and that’s why this initiative is being pursued…The goal is not to keep people from working or getting to work, but it is to gain compliance with court orders and to get support and money to children.”

Those who will be impacted first by the new policy will be notified starting in September with their three-month renewal notice. The Child Support Division will follow up with information on how to remove the hold.