You Aren't Behind on Your Child Support Payments Are You?

One more reason, besides the obvious, to stay current on your child support payments, your Illinois driver's license can be suspended.

I am not quite certain what the connection is between a driver's license and delinquent child support payments because many parents need to be able to drive in order to work. It is the payment from work that permits them to pay child support. Anything that would hamper the parent from earning a wage suggests to me a decreased ability to pay child support but this plan has brought in millions of dollars in delinquent child support.

It is important that you stay current on your child support payments. If you are unable to do so, it is not the custodial parent you need to talk to but the court in order to avoid the suspension. It is not uncommon to have informal payment arrangements where you pay what you can directly to the custodial parent. This will not prevent your driver's license from being suspended if the official court records suggest that your payments are delinquent.

Under this law, the court can order the driver's license suspension and that order is then submitted to the Secretary of State. The order can be entered once the court has determined that the parent is more than 90 days behind in making payments.

In Illinois, driving while your license is suspended is a criminal misdemeanor. According to the Illinois Vehicle Code, you can be found guilty of this offense for driving or being in physical control of the vehicle. An individual who is convicted of this offense the maximum sentence is 364 days in jail and/or fines up to $2,500.