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Occupational license suspension

The child support office can ask a licensing agency to suspend a parent's occupational license because the parent owes past due child support, also called arrears.

The child support office will do this if all of the following are true. The parent:

  • Owes arrears at least three times their total monthly support obligation
  • Is not complying with a written payment plan for both current and arrears that was approved by the court, a child support magistrate or the child support office.

Contesting a suspension

The child support office will send a Notice of Intent to Suspend to the last known address of the parent who owes arrears.

The parent has 30 days from the date on the notice to contest the suspension. To contest, the parent must send the child support office a written request for a hearing.

If the parent does not request a hearing within the required time, the parent has 90 days from the date on the notice to stop the suspension by doing any of the following:

  • Paying the arrears in full
  • Signing and complying with a written payment plan for all qualifying cases
  • Telling the child support office if they:
    • Have a pending bankruptcy action
    • Are receiving cash public assistance
    • Are not the person owing support (mistaken identity).

If the parent does not take any action to stop the suspension, the child support office will notify the licensing agency to suspend the parent's occupational license.

Exclusions

The child support office will not suspend a parent's occupational license if any of the following is true:

  • The case does not meet the criteria above
  • A court order prohibits occupational license suspension
  • The parent who owes arrears is receiving cash public assistance
  • The parent filed a motion for a modification that addresses both current support and arrears before the suspension.

Authority

State laws can be found on the Minnesota Office of Revisor of Statutes website.

  • 42 United States Code, section 666(a)(16)
  • Minnesota Statutes, section 214.01
  • Minnesota Statutes, section 214.101
  • Minnesota Statutes, section 518A.66
  • Minnesota Statutes, section 518A.69
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