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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- Florida (10)
- Georgia (5)
- (-) Hawaii (6)
- Idaho (2)
- Illinois (6)
- Indiana (9)
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- 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.
8 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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Hawaii | Haw. Rev. Stat. § 706-640(2) | Disposition of Criminal defendants: Authorized fines |
The mandatory fines imposed by this subsection shall not be reduced except and only to the extent that payment of the fine prevents the defendant from making restitution to the victim of the offense, or that the defendant's property, real or otherwise, has been forfeited under chapter 712A as a result of the same conviction for which the defendant is being fined under this subsection.
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All |
Not provided for |
Not provided for | Not provided for | Not provided for | Yes |
Fine reduced. |
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Hawaii | Haw. Rev. Stat. § 706-648 | Probation services fee |
(1) The court, when sentencing a defendant to probation or granting deferral of a plea under section 853-1, shall order the defendant to pay a probation services fee. The amount of the fee shall be as follows:(a) $150, when the term of probation or period of deferral is for more than one year; or (b) $75, when the term of probation or period of deferral is for one year or less; provided that no fee shall be ordered when the court determines that the defendant is unable to pay the fee.
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All |
Not provided for |
At enforcement of fine or fee | Not provided for | Not provided for | Yes |
Fee not ordered. |
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Hawaii | Haw. Rev. Stat. § 846F-3 | Internet crimes against children fee |
(a) The court shall order every defendant to pay an internet crimes against children fee of up to $100 for each felony or misdemeanor conviction; provided that no fee shall be ordered when the court determines that the defendant is unable to pay the fee.
(b) When a defendant is also ordered to pay a fine, make restitution, pay a crime victim compensation fee, or pay other fees in addition to the internet crimes against children fee, payments by the defendant shall be made in the order of priority established under section 706-651. (c) The defendant shall pay the internet crimes against children fee to the clerk of the court. The fee shall be deposited with the director of finance who shall transmit the fee to the internet crimes against children special fund pursuant to section 846F-4. |
All |
Not provided for |
Not provided for | Not provided for | Not provided for | Yes |
Fee not ordered. |
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Hawaii | Haw. Rev. Stat. § 706-605(7) | Authorized disposition of convicted defendants |
(7) The court shall order the defendant to make restitution for losses as provided in section 706-646. In ordering restitution, the court shall not consider the defendant's financial ability to make restitution in determining the amount of restitution to order. The court, however, shall consider the defendant's financial ability to make restitution for the purpose of establishing the time and manner of payment.
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All |
Not provided for. |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Not provided for | Yes |
Time and manner of payment ordered in consideration of ability to pay. |
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Hawaii | Haw. Rev. Stat. § 706-605(6) | Authorized disposition of convicted defendants |
(6) The court shall impose a compensation fee upon every person convicted of a criminal offense pursuant to section 351-62.6; provided that the court shall waive the imposition of a compensation fee if it finds that the defendant is unable to pay the compensation fee. When a defendant is ordered to make payments in addition to the compensation fee, payments by the defendant shall be made in the order of priority established in section 706-651.
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All |
Not provided for |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Determined by judge without hearing | Yes |
Fee waiver. |
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Hawaii | Haw. Rev. Stat. 853-1(b) | Deferred acceptance of guilty plea or nolo contendere plea; discharge and dismissal, expungement of records |
(b) . . . the court shall impose a compensation fee pursuant to section 351-62.6 and a probation services fee pursuant to section 706-648 upon every defendant who has entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to a petty misdemeanor, misdemeanor, or felony; provided that the court shall waive the imposition of a compensation or probation services fee, if it finds that the defendant is unable to pay the compensation or probation services fee. The court may defer the proceedings for a period of time as the court shall direct but in no case to exceed the maximum sentence allowable; provided that, if the defendant has entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to a petty misdemeanor, the court may defer the proceedings for a period not to exceed one year. The defendant may be subject to bail or recognizance at the court's discretion during the period during which the proceedings are deferred.
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All |
Not provided for |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Determined by judge without hearing | Yes |
Fee waiver. |
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New Mexico | N.M. Stat. Ann. § 31-16-5(B)-(C) | Determination of indigency |
B. In determining whether a person is a needy person and the extent of his inability to pay, the court concerned may consider such factors as income, property owned, outstanding obligations and the number and ages of his dependents. Release on bail does not necessarily prevent him from being a needy person. In each case, the person shall, subject to the penalties for perjury, certify in writing or by other record material factors relating to his ability to pay as the court prescribes.
C. To the extent that a person covered by Section 60 [31-16-3 NMSA 1978] of the Indigent Defense Act is able to provide for an attorney, the other necessary services and facilities of representation and court costs, the court may order him to provide for their payment. |
All |
Factors considered: income, property owned, outstanding obligations and number and age of dependents |
Not provided for | Not provided for | Determined by judge without hearing | Yes |
Representation provided without costs |
The Criminal Justice Debt Reform Builder is a project of the National Criminal Justice Debt Initiative of the Criminal Justice Policy Program at Harvard Law School in collaboration with the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University and with user experience design by metaLAB (at) Harvard.
For more information, please visit cjpp.law.harvard.edu.