40% of Lithuanians support revoking driving licences for parents dodging child support
Monday 22nd June 2026 on 04:45 in
Lithuania
A recent survey commissioned by LRT and conducted by Baltijos tyrimai reveals that 40% of Lithuanians support revoking the driving licences of parents who fail to pay child support, making it the most popular proposed penalty.
The survey, carried out in May, found that 40% of respondents backed the idea of courts stripping non-paying parents of their driving licences. Other proposed measures included revoking gun permits (30%), hunting licences (28%), and fishing licences (23%).
Viktorija Solovej, head of the Child Support Guarantee Association, argues that criminal liability for non-payment is ineffective. She points out that driving restrictions have proven successful abroad and could encourage parents to meet their obligations. Currently, Lithuania’s Criminal Code allows for community service, fines, short-term detention, or imprisonment of up to two years for child support evasion, but Solovej states the system fails in practice.
“People know they might face two months in prison, stand in court, and laugh at the child’s mother, the state, and say: ‘I’ll rest for two months and still won’t pay,’” she said. According to Solovej, longer prison sentences or losing the right to drive could be more effective deterrents.
Gender differences emerged in the survey: 47% of women supported revoking driving licences, compared to 31% of men. Overall, 34% of respondents opposed all proposed penalties, with men (41%) more likely than women (29%) to reject them entirely. Meanwhile, 13% had no opinion on the matter.
Social Democrat MP Darius Razmislevičius has submitted amendments to the Administrative Code to restrict the rights of non-paying parents to drive, hunt, or fish. The Seimas has approved the proposal for further consideration in autumn. Razmislevičius highlighted that in 2024, only €4.56 million in child support was collected or recovered, while the state paid out €20.17 million in child support benefits, with around 46,000 enforcement cases pending.