Data Explorer: Ability to pay | 50 State Criminal Justice Debt Tool

Ability to Pay

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	State	Statute	Description/Statute Name	Statutory language	Level of offense	Definition of ability to pay	Timeline	Burden of proof	Method of determination	Mandatory	Remedies if unable to pay
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Kentucky	Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 534.030(2)	Fines for felonies	(2) In determining the amount and method of paying a fine for commission of a felony, the court shall consider, among others, the following factors: (a) The defendant's ability to + See more pay the amount of the fine; (b) The hardship likely to be imposed on the defendant's dependents by the amount of the fine and the time and method of paying it; (c) The impact the amount of the fine will have on the defendant's ability to make reparation or restitution to the victim; and (d) The amount of the defendant's gain, if any, derived from the commission of the offense.	Felony	Not provided for	Before imposition of fine or fee	Not provided for	Determined by judge without hearing	Yes	Not specified
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Kentucky	Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 534.045(1)-(3)	Assessment of reimbursement fee against jail prisoners; collection; fee determination; relevant evidence; modification	(1) Pursuant to a conviction of a misdemeanor, including traffic offenses, where a person is sentenced to incarceration in the county jail, the District Court may assess a reimbursement fee + See more to help defray the expenses of the prisoner's room and board. The reimbursement fee shall not exceed twenty-five percent (25%) of the prisoner's gross daily wages or forty dollars ($40) per day, whichever is less. All moneys shall be paid directly to the jailer. (2) In determining whether a reimbursement fee as described in subsection (1) of this section is to be assessed, and in establishing the amount of the fee, the court shall consider evidence relevant to the prisoner's ability to pay the fee . . . (3) After considering all relevant evidence to the issue of the prisoner's ability to pay, the court shall enter as part of its judgment the amount of the reimbursement fee, if any, that shall be paid by the prisoner during his period of incarceration in the county jail. The fee shall bear a reasonable relationship to the person's income. Upon petition by the prisoner affected by the order, the amount may be modified to reflect any changes in the financial status of the prisoner. In any appeal that might be taken from the conviction, the amount of the reimbursement fee may be challenged.	All	Not provided for	Before imposition of fine or fee	Not provided for	Not provided for	Yes	Not specified
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Kentucky	Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 510.320(2)-(3),(6)	Human immunodeficiency virus testing for defendants accused of certain sexual offenses; results; counseling when test positive; cost; effect of appeal	(2) A defendant charged with an offense pursuant to this chapter which has sexual intercourse or deviate sexual intercourse as an element, or has sexual contact as an element when + See more the circumstances of the case demonstrate a possibility of transmission of human immunodeficiency virus, shall upon initial court appearance on the charge, be informed by the judge of the availability of human immunodeficiency virus testing. The judge shall also notify the victim of the offense, or parent or guardian of the victim, that the defendant has been so notified. (3) When a defendant has been convicted of any offense in subsection (2) of this section, other provisions of law to the contrary notwithstanding, the sentencing court, regardless of any prior human immunodeficiency virus test, shall order the defendant to undergo a human immunodeficiency virus test, under the direction of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services... (6) The cost of testing under this section shall be paid by the defendant tested, unless the court has determined the defendant to be indigent.	All	Indigency	Before imposition of fine or fee	Not provided for	Determined by judge without hearing	Yes	Not specified
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Kentucky	Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 31.211(1)	Determination of ability to pay partial fee for representation and services at arraignment; collection of unpaid partial fee by civil judgment; partial fee credited to local office or department; funds + See more placed in special trust and agency account	At arraignment, the court shall conduct a nonadversarial hearing to determine whether a person who has requested a public defender is able to pay a partial fee for legal representation, + See more the other necessary services and facilities of representation, and court costs. The court shall order payment in an amount determined by the court and may order that the payment be made in a lump sum or by installment payments to recover money for representation provided under this chapter. This partial fee determination shall be made at each stage of the proceedings.	All	Not provided for	Before imposition of fine or fee	Not provided for	Determined by judge after hearing	Yes	If the court finds that an individual is unable to pay (is "needy") the court shall waive all costs, see Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 31.110
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Kentucky	Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 24A.175	Court costs for criminal cases in District Court; payment required; exceptions; treatment of minor defendant	The taxation of court costs against a defendant, upon conviction in a case, including persons sentenced to state traffic school as provided under KRS 186.574, shall be mandatory and shall not + See more be subject to probation, suspension, proration, deduction, or other form of nonimposition in the terms of a plea bargain or otherwise, unless the court finds that the defendant is a poor person as defined by KRS 453.190(2) and that he or she is unable to pay court costs and will be unable to pay the court costs in the foreseeable future.	All	Not provided for	Before imposition of fine or fee	Not provided for	Not provided for	Yes	Not specified
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Kentucky	Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 441.265(5)	"Required reimbursement by prisoner of costs of confinement; local policy of fee and expense rates; billing and collection methods"	(5) The governing body of the county may require a prisoner who is confined in the county jail to pay a reasonable fee, not exceeding actual cost, for any medical + See more treatment or service received by the prisoner. However, no prisoner confined in the jail shall be denied any necessary medical care because of inability to pay.	All	Not provided for	Before imposition of fine or fee	Not provided for	Administrative decision	Yes	N/A
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Missouri	Mo. Ann. Stat. § 479.260(1)	Court costs and fees, judicial education fund, purpose, administration	Municipalities by ordinance may provide for fees in an amount per case to be set pursuant to sections 488.010 to 488.020 for each municipal ordinance violation case filed before a municipal judge, and in + See more the event a defendant pleads guilty or is found guilty, the judge may assess costs against the defendant except in those cases where the defendant is found by the judge to be indigent and unable to pay the costs.	All	Indigent	Before imposition of fine or fee	Not provided for	Determined by judge without hearing	Yes	Fees not assessed.
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Missouri	Mo. Ann. Stat. § 600.090(1)	Determination of ability to pay all or part of representation costs--lien for reasonable value of services, procedure--deposit of funds collected	If a person is determined to be eligible for the services provided by the state public defender system and if, at the time such determination is made, he is able + See more to provide a limited cash contribution toward the cost of his representation without imposing a substantial hardship upon himself or his dependents, such contribution shall be required as a condition of his representation by the state public defender system.	All	Able to provide limited cash contribution without imposing substantial hardship upon himself or his dependents.	Before imposition of fine or fee	Not provided for	Determined by judge without hearing	Yes	Payment of total costs of representation
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Missouri	Mo. Rev. Stat. § 479.260(2)	Court costs and fees, judicial education fund, purpose, administration	In municipal ordinance violation cases which are filed in the associate circuit division of the circuit court, fees shall be assessed in each case in an amount to be set + See more pursuant to sections 488.010 to 488.020. In the event a defendant pleads guilty or is found guilty, the judge shall assess costs against the defendant except in those cases where the defendant is found by the judge to be indigent and unable to pay the costs.	All	Indigent and unable to pay the costs	Before imposition of fine or fee	Not provided for	Not provided for	Yes	Costs not assessed.
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Missouri	Mo. Ann. Stat. § 558.004(1)	Imposition of fines	In determining the amount and the method of payment of a fine, the court shall, insofar as practicable, proportion the fine to the burden that payment will impose in view + See more of the financial resources of an individual. The court shall not sentence an offender to pay a fine in any amount which will prevent him or her from making restitution or reparation to the victim of the offense.	All	Financial resources and burden caused by fine.	Before imposition of fine or fee	Not provided for	Not provided for	Yes	Fine proportional to defendant's resources

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