Criminal Justice Policy Program at Harvard Law School
50-State Criminal Justice Debt Reform Builder Bringing transparency to areas of significant legal complexity.
50-State Criminal Justice Debt Reform Builder Bringing transparency to areas of significant legal complexity.
Ability to Pay
Keyword search across all of the laws in the states. Subject-area tabs above allow you to narrow results. Click the advanced search for further refinement.
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See all ability to pay policy recommendations in CJPP’s Policy Guide
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- Alabama (2)
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- Arkansas (6)
- California (49)
- Colorado (5)
- Connecticut (14)
- (-) Delaware (1)
- Florida (10)
- Georgia (5)
- Hawaii (6)
- Idaho (2)
- Illinois (6)
- Indiana (9)
- Iowa (4)
- Kansas (3)
- Kentucky (8)
- Louisiana (2)
- Maine (3)
- Maryland (0)
- Massachusetts (16)
- Michigan (9)
- Minnesota (1)
- Mississippi (6)
- Missouri (5)
- Montana (21)
- Nebraska (4)
- Nevada (3)
- New Hampshire (9)
- New Jersey (4)
- New Mexico (1)
- New York (5)
- North Carolina (0)
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- Oklahoma (5)
- Oregon (6)
- Pennsylvania (5)
- Rhode Island (1)
- (-) South Carolina (12)
- South Dakota (1)
- Tennessee (7)
- Texas (6)
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- Vermont (4)
- Virginia (6)
- Washington (3)
- Washington DC (3)
- West Virginia (11)
- Wisconsin (1)
- Wyoming (12)
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Below are the ability to pay laws that meet your search criteria. Many include a See related provisions prompt which searches our database for laws that may pertain to your result.
13 Results
| 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 | |
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Delaware | 10 Del. C. § 8601(c) | Recoupment of Costs |
The court shall not require a defendant to pay the costs of defense unless the defendant is, or will be, able to pay them. In determining the amount and method of payment of such costs, the court shall take account of the financial resources of the defendant and the nature of the burden that payment of costs will impose.
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All |
"The court shall take account of the financial resources of the defendant and the nature of the burden that payment of costs will impose." |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Determined by judge without hearing | Yes |
Defendant Not Required to Pay. |
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South Carolina | S.C. Code Ann. § 17-27-60 | Court costs and expenses for indigents |
If the applicant is unable to pay court costs and expenses of representation, including stenographic, printing and legal services, these costs and expenses shall be made available to the applicant + See morein the trial court, and on review, in amounts and to the extent funds are made available to indigent defendants by the General Assembly.
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All |
unable to pay costs |
Not provided for | Not provided for | Not provided for | Yes |
costs made available to the defendant |
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South Carolina | S.C. Code Ann. § 17-25-350 | Schedule for payment of fine by indigent; consequences of failure to comply. |
In any offense carrying a fine or imprisonment, the judge or magistrate hearing the case shall, upon a decision of guilty of the accused being determined and it being established + See morethat he is indigent at that time, set up a reasonable payment schedule for the payment of such fine, taking into consideration the income, dependents and necessities of life of the individual. Such payments shall be made to the magistrate or clerk of court as the case may be until such fine is paid in full. Failure to comply with the payment schedule shall constitute contempt of court; however, imprisonment for contempt may not exceed the amount of time of the original sentence, and where part of the fine has been paid the imprisonment cannot exceed the remaining pro rata portion of the sentence.No person found to be indigent shall be imprisoned because of inability to pay the fine in full at the time of conviction.
Entitlement to free counsel shall not be determinative as to defendant's indigency.
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indigent |
Not provided for | Not provided for | Not provided for | Yes |
reasonable payment plan |
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South Carolina | S.C. Code Ann. § 16-3-740(C)(4) | Testing of certain convicted offenders for Hepatitis B and HIV |
If the offender is subsequently convicted or adjudicated delinquent, the offender or the parents of an adjudicated offender must reimburse the State for the costs of the tests unless the + See moreoffender or the parents of the adjudicated offender are determined to be indigent.
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All | Not provided for | At enforcement of fine or fee | Not provided for | Not provided for | Yes |
waiver from reimbursing state for cost of tests |
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South Carolina | S.C. Code Ann. § 16-3-2040(C) | Restitution for victims of trafficking | (C) If a person is unable to pay restitution at the time of sentencing, or at any other time, the court may set restitution pursuant to Section 16-3-1270. | All | Not provided for | Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Not provided for | Yes |
not specified |
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South Carolina | S.C. Code Ann. § 17-22-350(A) | Fees; waiver; distribution of fee proceeds |
Participation in a traffic education program may not be denied due to a person's inability to pay. If a person is deemed unable to pay, both the application fee and + See morethe participation fee must be waived.
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All | Not provided for | Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Not provided for | Yes |
waiver |
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South Carolina | S.C. Code Ann. § 17-22-550 | Fees; waiver |
However, participation in an alcohol education program may not be denied due to a person's inability to pay these fees. If a person is deemed unable to pay, the fees + See morefor enrollment, education, and supervision services may be waived or reduced at the discretion of each solicitor.
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All | Not provided for | Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Not provided for | Yes |
waived or reduced |
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South Carolina | S.C. Code Ann. § 17-25-150(B) | Responsibilities of program; mandatory community penalty plan provisions; limitation upon use of funds |
(B) Every community penalty plan must include the following:....(4) payment of such fees and costs of the program by the offender unless the court grants a waiver due to indigency. + See moreProcedures for collecting a fee from offenders must be implemented based on a sliding scale according to income and ability to pay;
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All | Not provided for | Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Not provided for | Yes |
waiver |
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South Carolina | S.C. Code Ann. § 24-21-80 | Probationers and parolees to pay supervision fee; intensive supervision fee; hardship exemption; delinquencies; substitution of public service |
The intensive supervision fee must be determined by the department based upon the ability of the person to pay. Fees derived from persons under intensive supervision must be retained by + See morethe department, carried forward, and applied to the department's operation. The department may exempt any individual supervised by the department on any community supervision program from the payment of a part or all of the yearly or weekly fee during any part or all of the supervision period only if the department determines that exceptional circumstances exist such that these payments work a severe hardship on the individual.
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All |
exceptional circumstances exist such that these payments work a severe hardship on the individual. |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Administrative decision | Yes |
partial or total exemption |
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South Carolina | S.C. Code Ann. § 24-21-80 | Probationers and parolees to pay supervision fee; intensive supervision fee; hardship exemption; delinquencies; substitution of public service |
An adult placed on probation, parole, or community supervision shall pay a regular supervision fee toward offsetting the cost of his supervision for so long as he remains under supervision. + See moreThe regular supervision fee must be determined by the Department of Probation, Parole, and Pardon Services based upon the ability of the person to pay.
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All | Not provided for | Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Administrative decision | Yes |
not specified |
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South Carolina | S.C. Code Ann. § 24-21-100(B) | Administrative monitoring when fines outstanding; fee |
(B) An individual placed on administrative monitoring shall pay a regular monitoring fee toward offsetting the cost of his administrative monitoring for the period of time that he remains under + See moremonitoring. The regular monitoring fee must be determined by the department based upon the ability of the person to pay.
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All | Not provided for | Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Administrative decision | Yes |
not specified |
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South Carolina | S.C. Code Ann. § 24-21-480 | Restitution Center program; distribution of offenders' salaries |
The offender must deliver his salary to the restitution center staff who must distribute it in the following manner: 4) payment of a daily fee for housing and food. This + See morefee may be set by the department with the approval of the Department of Administration. The fee must be based on the offender's ability to pay not to exceed the actual costs.
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All | Not provided for | Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Administrative decision | Yes |
not specified |
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South Carolina | S.C. Code Ann § 16-25-20(G) | Acts prohibited; penalties | The offender shall pay a reasonable fee, if required, for participation in the program but no person may be denied participation due to inability to pay. | All | Not provided for | Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Not provided for | Yes |
not specified |
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