50-State Criminal Justice Debt Reform Builder Bringing transparency to areas of significant legal complexity.
Ability to Pay
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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.
17 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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Colorado | C.R.S. 16-18.5-104(1);(3) | Initial Collections Investigation - Payment Schedule |
(1) Orders for restitution shall be due and payable at the time that the order of conviction is entered. Unless the defendant is sentenced to the custody of the executive director of the department of corrections, if at the time that the court enters an order for restitution pursuant to section 18-1.3-603, C.R.S., the defendant alleges that he or she cannot pay the full amount of restitution, the court shall direct that the defendant report immediately to the collections investigator.... (3)(a) Upon referral of a defendant pursuant to subsection (2) of this section, the collections investigator shall conduct an investigation into the financial ability of the defendant to pay the restitution ordered by the court. Such investigation may consist of but is not limited to: (I) Submission of written financial affidavits or disclosures of the defendant's personal, household, and business income, assets, and liabilities; (II) Submission to an oral examination of the defendant's financial circumstances; (III) Submission of books, papers, documents, or other tangible things related to the defendant's financial circumstances including but not limited to: (A) Payroll stubs; (B) Financial institution account statements; (C) Stock certificates; (D) Deeds, titles, or other evidence of ownership; (E) State and federal tax records; and (F) Insurance policies and statements; (IV) Research and verification of all oral and written statements made by the defendant. (b) In the case of a juvenile defendant, the collections investigator may conduct the investigation into the juvenile's parents' or legal guardian's financial circumstances as well as the juvenile's. (c) For purposes of conducting the investigation required by this subsection (3), the collections investigator shall have access to data maintained by other state agencies including but not limited to wage data, employment data, and income tax data. The judicial department and any other departments are authorized to enter into agreements for the sharing of such data. (d) Notwithstanding the provisions of article 72 of title 24, C.R.S., documents and information obtained by the collections investigators pursuant to this subsection (3) shall not be public records, but shall be open to public inspection only upon an order of the court based on a finding of good cause. Documents and information obtained by the collection investigators may be made available to the victim and to any private collection agency or third party with whom the judicial department may contract for the collection of past due restitution. In addition, if any warrant is issued for the arrest of any defendant due to nonpayment of restitution, information concerning the defendant's address and place of employment may be shared with a criminal justice agency.
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All | Not provided for | At enforcement of fine or fee | Burden on government to show ability to pay | Administrative decision | No | Not provided for |
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Colorado | C.R.S. 16-18.5-105 | Monitoring - Default - Penalties |
Whenever a defendant fails to make a payment of restitution within seven days after the date that the payment is due pursuant to a payment schedule established pursuant to this article, in addition to any other remedy, the collections investigator may: (a) Conduct an additional financial investigation of the defendant as described in section 16-18.5-104 (3).
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All | Not provided for | At enforcement of fine or fee | Burden on government to show ability to pay | Administrative decision | No | Not provided for |
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Colorado | C.R.S. 18-1.3-701(3);(4) | Judgment for Costs and Fines - Definitions |
(3) Where any person, association, or corporation is granted probation, the court shall order the offender to make such payments toward the cost of care as are appropriate under the circumstances. In setting the amount of such payments, the court shall take into consideration and make allowances for any restitution ordered to the victim or victims of a crime, which shall take priority over any payments ordered pursuant to this article, and for the maintenance and support of the offender's spouse, dependent children, or other persons having a legal right to support and maintenance from the estate of the offender. If the court determines that the offender has a sufficient estate to pay all or part of the cost of care, the court shall determine the amount which shall be paid by the offender for the cost of care, which amount shall in no event be in excess of the per capita cost of supervising an offender on probation; (4) Where any person is sentenced to a term of imprisonment, whether to a county jail or the department of corrections, the court shall order such person to make such payments toward the cost of care as are appropriate under the circumstances. In setting the amount of such payments, the court shall take into consideration and make allowances for any restitution ordered to the victim or victims of a crime, which shall take priority over any payments ordered pursuant to this article, and for the maintenance and support of the inmate's spouse, dependent children, or any other persons having a legal right to support and maintenance out of the offender's estate. The court shall also consider the financial needs of the offender for the six-month period immediately following the offender's release, for the purpose of allowing said offender to seek employment. If the court determines that the person has a sufficient estate to pay all or part of the cost of care, the court shall determine the amount which shall be paid by the offender, which amount in no event shall be in excess of the per capita cost of maintaining prisoners in the institution or facility in which the offender has been residing prior to sentencing for the purpose of reimbursing the appropriate law enforcement agency and the per capita cost of maintaining prisoners in the department of corrections for the purpose of paying the cost of care after sentencing.
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All | Not provided for | At enforcement of fine or fee | Burden on defendant to show inability to pay | Determined by judge after hearing | No |
"The court shall order the offender to make such payments toward the cost of care as are appropriate under the circumstances." |
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Colorado | C.R.S. 17-10-103 | Action for Reimbursement of Cost of Care |
(1) When any person has been sentenced to confinement in a local jail or a correctional facility or to home detention or has been granted probation or has been placed on parole by the state board of parole and the sentencing court has not entered an order pursuant to section 18-1.3-701, C.R.S., requiring such person to pay the full cost of care incurred during such person's sentence, the state, the appropriate prosecuting attorney, the department of corrections, the judicial department, or any government agency which has incurred cost of care of such person may file an action for reimbursement for cost of care. ... (3) If, after a hearing, the court determines that the offender has sufficient assets to pay all or part of the cost of care, the court shall order the offender to make such payments toward the cost of care as are appropriate under the circumstances. In setting the amount of such payments, the court shall take into consideration and make allowances for any restitution ordered to the victim or victims of a crime, which shall take priority over any payments ordered pursuant to this article, and for the maintenance and support of the offender's spouse, dependent children, or any other persons having a legal right to support and maintenance out of the offender's estate. If the offender is confined to a local jail or a correctional facility or is under home detention, the court shall also consider the financial needs of the offender for the six-month period immediately following the offender's release, for the purpose of allowing the offender to seek employment. The court shall determine the amount which shall be paid by the offender for cost of care, which amount shall in no event be in excess of the per capita cost of maintaining prisoners in the local jail or a correctional facility, the per capita cost of maintaining an offender under home detention, the per capita cost of supervising an offender on probation, or the per capita cost of supervising an offender placed on parole, as the case may be.
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All | Not provided for | At enforcement of fine or fee | Not provided for | Determined by judge after hearing | No |
The Court Sets Payments Toward the Cost of Care as are Appropriate Under the Circumstances. |
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Colorado | C.R.S. 18-1.3-206(1);(2) | Repayment of Crime Stopper Reward as a Condition of Probation |
(1) As a condition of every sentence to probation where information received through a crime stopper organization led to the arrest and felony conviction of a defendant, the court may require such defendant, as a condition of probation, to repay all or part of any reward paid by such organization. The amount of such repayment shall not exceed the actual reward paid by any crime stopper organization and shall be used solely for paying rewards. The court shall fix the manner and time of repayment; (2) In the event the defendant fails to repay the crime stopper reward in accordance with an order of the court, the defendant shall be returned to the sentencing court and the court, upon proof of failure to pay, may (a) Modify the amount of the repayment; (b) Extend the period of probation; (c) Order the defendant committed to jail with work release privileges; or (d) Revoke probation and impose the sentence otherwise required by law.
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All | Not provided for | At enforcement of fine or fee | Not provided for | Determined by judge after hearing | No |
The Court may: "(a) Modify the amount of the repayment; (b) Extend the period of probation; (c) Order the defendant committed to jail with work release privileges; or (d) Revoke probation and impose the sentence otherwise required by law."
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Colorado | C.R.S. 18-19-103.5(1);(3) | Rural Alcohol and Substance Abuse Surcharge - Repeal |
(1) In addition to the surcharges established in section 18-19-103, each drug offender and each alcohol- or drug-related offender who is convicted, or receives a deferred sentence pursuant to section 18-1.3-102, shall be required to pay a surcharge to the clerk of the court in the county in which the conviction occurs or in which the deferred sentence is entered. The surcharge shall be in an amount determined by the judge but shall be not less than one dollar nor more than ten dollars ... (3) The minimum penalty surcharge shall be mandatory, and the court shall have no discretion to suspend or waive the surcharge; except that the court may suspend or waive the surcharge for a defendant determined by the court to be indigent.
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All |
"Indigent." |
At enforcement of fine or fee | Not provided for | Determined by judge after hearing | No |
Surcharge Waived or Suspended by the Court. |
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Colorado | C.R.S. 19-2-114(1)(a) | Cost of Care |
Notwithstanding the provisions of section 19-1-115 (4)(d), where a juvenile is sentenced to a placement out of the home or is granted probation as a result of an adjudication, deferral of adjudication, or direct filing in or transfer to district court, the court may order the juvenile or the juvenile's parent to make such payments toward the cost of care as are appropriate under the circumstances. In setting the amount of such payments, the court shall take into consideration and make allowances for any restitution ordered to the victim or victims of a crime, which shall take priority over any payments ordered pursuant to this section, and for the maintenance and support of the juvenile's spouse, dependent children, any other persons having a legal right to support and maintenance out of the estate of the juvenile, or any persons having a legal right to support and maintenance out of the estate of the juvenile's parent. The court shall also consider the financial needs of the juvenile for the six-month period immediately following the juvenile's release, for the purpose of allowing said juvenile to seek employment.
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Other |
"The court shall take into consideration and make allowances for any restitution ordered to the victim or victims of a crime, which shall take priority over any payments ordered pursuant to this section, and for the maintenance and support of the juvenile's spouse, dependent children, any other persons having a legal right to support and maintenance out of the estate of the juvenile, or any persons having a legal right to support and maintenance out of the estate of the juvenile's parent. The court shall also consider the financial needs of the juvenile for the six-month period immediately following the juvenile's release, for the purpose of allowing said juvenile to seek employment."
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At enforcement of fine or fee | Not provided for | Not provided for | No |
Reduction in Installment Payment Amount. |
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Colorado | C.R.S. 16-18.5-105(1) | Monitoring - Default - Penalties |
The collections investigator shall be responsible for monitoring the payments of restitution by any defendant referred to the investigator pursuant to section 16-18.5-104. Based upon changes in the defendant's financial circumstances, the collections investigator may modify the payment schedule established pursuant to section 16-18.5-104 (4). If a payment schedule has been made an order of the court pursuant to section 16-18.5-104 (4)(a)(II), prior to enforcing a new schedule, the collections investigator shall request and obtain a modification of the order.
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All | Not provided for | At enforcement of fine or fee | Not provided for | Administrative decision | No | Not provided for |
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Minnesota | Minn. Stat. Ann. § 609.226(4)(c) | Harm caused by dog |
The court shall order a person convicted of violating this subdivision to pay restitution for the costs and expenses resulting from the crime. Costs and expenses include, but are not limited to, the service animal user's loss of income, veterinary expenses, transportation costs, and other expenses of temporary replacement assistance services, and service animal replacement or retraining costs incurred by a school, agency, or individual. If the court finds that the convicted person is indigent, the court may reduce the amount of restitution to a reasonable level or order it paid in installments.
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All |
Indigent |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Determined by judge without hearing | No |
Reduce the amount of restitution to a reasonable level or order it paid in installments. |
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Minnesota | Minn. Stat. Ann. § 609.324(4) | Patrons; prostitutes; housing individuals engaged in prostitution; penalties |
Community service in lieu of minimum fine. The court may order a person convicted of violating subdivision 2 or 3 to perform community work service in lieu of all or a portion of the minimum fine required under those subdivisions if the court makes specific, written findings that the convicted person is indigent or that payment of the fine would create undue hardship for the convicted person or that person's immediate family. Community work service ordered under this subdivision is in addition to any mandatory community work service ordered under subdivision 3.
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All |
Indigent or that payment of the fine would create undue hardship for the convicted person or that person's immediate family. |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Determined by judge without hearing | No |
Community service in lieu of payment. |
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Minnesota | Minn. Stat. Ann. § 609.3241(b) | Sex Crimes: Penalty assessment authorized |
The court may not waive payment of the minimum assessment required by this section. If the defendant qualifies for the services of a public defender or the court finds on the record that the convicted person is indigent or that immediate payment of the assessment would create undue hardship for the convicted person or that person's immediate family, the court may reduce the amount of the minimum assessment to not less than $100. The court also may authorize payment of the assessment in installments.
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All |
Indigent or that immediate payment of the assessment would create undue hardship for the convicted person or that person's immediate family, |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Determined by judge without hearing | No |
Reduce fee to $100 or less or allow for installments. |
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Minnesota | Minn. Stat. Ann. § 609.3456(b) | Use of polygraphs for sex offenders on probation or conditional release |
(b) The court or commissioner may order the offender to pay all or a portion of the costs of the examinations. The fee may be waived if the offender is indigent or if payment would result in an economic hardship to the offender's immediate family.
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All |
Indigent or if payment would result in an economic hardship to the offender's immediate family |
Not provided for | Not provided for | Not provided for | No |
Fee waiver. |
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Minnesota | Minn. Stat. Ann. § 609.596(2b) | Killing or harming public safety dog |
Mandatory restitution. The court shall order a person convicted of violating this section to pay restitution for the costs and expenses resulting from the crime. Costs and expenses include, but are not limited to, the purchase and training of a replacement dog and veterinary services for the injured dog. If the court finds that the convicted person is indigent, the court may reduce the amount of restitution to a reasonable level or order it paid in installments.
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All |
Indigent |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Determined by judge without hearing | No |
Reduce the amount of restitution to a reasonable level or order it paid in installments. |
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Minnesota | Minn. Stat. Ann. § 609.749(6)(c)-(d) | Stalking; penalties |
(c) If the assessment indicates that the offender is in need of and amenable to mental health treatment, the court shall include in the sentence a requirement that the offender undergo treatment.
(d) The court shall order the offender to pay the costs of assessment under this subdivision unless the offender is indigent under section 563.01. |
All |
Indigent |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Determined by judge without hearing | No |
Not provided for |
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Minnesota | Minn. Stat. Ann. § 609A.03(1) | Petition to expunge criminal records |
Petition; filing fee. An individual who is the subject of a criminal record who is seeking the expungement of the record shall file a petition under this section and pay a filing fee in the amount required under section 357.021, subdivision 2, clause (1). The filing fee may be waived in cases of indigency and shall be waived in the cases described in section 609A.02, subdivision 3, paragraph (a), clause (1).
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All |
Indigent |
Not provided for | Not provided for | Not provided for | No |
Fee waiver |
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Minnesota | Minn. Stat. Ann. § 609.904(2) | Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO): Criminal Penalties |
Fine. In lieu of the fine authorized by subdivision 1, a person convicted of violating section 609.903, who received economic gain from the act or caused economic loss or personal injury during the act, may be sentenced to pay a fine calculated under this subdivision. The maximum fine is three times the gross value gained or three times the gross loss caused, whichever is greater, plus court costs and the costs of investigation and prosecution reasonably incurred, less the value of any property forfeited under section 609.905. The district court shall hold a hearing to determine the amount of the fine authorized by this subdivision. In imposing a fine, the court shall consider the seriousness of the conduct, whether the amount of the fine is disproportionate to the conduct in which the person engaged, its impact on victims and any legitimate enterprise involved in that conduct, as well as the economic circumstances of the convicted person, including the effect of the imposition of the fine on the person's immediate family.
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All |
Economic circumstances of the convicted person, including the effect of the imposition of the fine on the person's immediate family |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Determined by judge after hearing | No |
N/A |
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Minnesota | Minn. Stat. Ann. § 628.29(4) | Pretrial diversion program for writers of dishonored checks |
Subd. 4. Program components. (a) At a minimum, the pretrial diversion program must require offenders to: includes information on writing checks and managing money; . . .
(b) If the prosecutor determines that requiring an offender to pay for the educational class described in paragraph (a), clause (1), would result in an economic hardship to the offender or the offender's family, the prosecutor may waive the requirement. |
All |
An economic hardship to the offender or the offender's family |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Administrative decision | No |
Fee waiver |
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.