What To Do If the Family Responsibility Office (FRO) Threatens to Suspend Your Driver’s Licence or Passport

What To Do If the Family Responsibility Office (FRO) Threatens to Suspend Your Driver’s Licence or Passport

Receiving a notice from the Family Responsibility Office (FRO) can be stressful—especially when it warns that your driver’s licence or passport may be suspended due to support arrears. For many, this can impact employment, caregiving responsibilities, and everyday life.

At OneLegal Professional Corporation, we help clients navigate enforcement issues with the FRO and protect their rights while working toward realistic support solutions.

This guide explains what the notice means, what steps you must take, and how to respond quickly to prevent suspension.

Why Is the FRO Contacting You?

When support payments fall behind, the FRO has the legal authority to enforce payment. One of the enforcement tools available is the suspension of your driver’s licence or passport.

This enforcement power comes from two key laws:

• Family Responsibility and Support Arrears Enforcement Act, 1996 (FRSAEA) – governs driver’s licence suspensions

• Family Orders and Agreements Enforcement Assistance Act (FOAEA) – governs federal licence suspensions, including passports

The key takeaway: You have limited time to respond, and ignoring the notice will almost certainly result in suspension.

Step 1: Carefully Review the Notice

Identify what type of notice you received:

If you receive a First Notice regarding a driver’s licence suspension, it means that your licence will be suspended unless you take action, and you have 30 days from the date the notice was served to respond. If the notice relates to a passport suspension, the Family Responsibility Office is seeking federal denial or suspension of your passport, and you have 30 days from the date the notice is deemed received, which is typically 10 days after it was mailed, to take the necessary steps to address the issue.

Understanding the timeline is essential — these deadlines are strict.

Step 2: If It Is a Driver’s Licence Suspension Notice

1. Under Section 34 of the FRSAEA, you must do one of the following within 30 days:

   1. Negotiate a Payment Arrangement
      Contact the FRO to propose a reasonable payment plan toward the arrears.

   2. Apply for an Order to Refrain (Section 35)
      This is a court order that stops the FRO from suspending your licence while:

      • Your motion to change support is before the court, and

      • You are acting in good faith (“clean hands”).

      You must serve and file this motion properly — mistakes can result in automatic suspension.

   3. Pay the Outstanding Arrears in Full

   If you take no action, your licence will be suspended.

Step 3: If It Is a Passport Suspension Notice

The FRO may request passport suspension if you are in persistent arrears.

To prevent suspension, you must within the 30-day window:

• Enter a payment plan accepted by the FRO, or

• Provide proof of inability to pay, showing that suspension would be unreasonable in the circumstances

If you do not respond, your passport can be suspended or denied on renewal.

Step 4: Seek Legal Advice Early

These enforcement issues are serious — but they are also manageable when addressed quickly.

A lawyer can help you:

• File an Order to Refrain

• Apply to change your support order if your circumstances have legitimately changed

• Negotiate with the FRO to prevent suspension

• Present evidence of financial hardship, if applicable

Delays reduce your options and increase enforcement risks.

The Bottom Line

If you have received notice from the FRO:

Do not ignore it. Act within the deadlines.
There are legal tools available to stop licence suspensions — but timing is critical.

✅ Need Help Navigating FRO Enforcement?

At OneLegal Professional Corporation, we assist clients in negotiating payment plans, filing Orders to Refrain, and bringing motions to vary support where appropriate.

📞 Schedule a confidential consultation today
Let’s take action before your licence or passport is suspended.

👉 www.onelegal.ca
📩 info@onelegal.ca

You do not have to handle this alone. We are here to help.