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

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.

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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	New York	N.Y. Penal Law § 80.00	Fine for felony	When imposing a fine pursuant to the provisions of this paragraph, the court shall consider the profit gained by defendant's conduct, whether the amount of the fine is disproportionate to + See more the conduct in which defendant engaged, its impact on any victims, and defendant's economic circumstances, including the defendant's ability to pay, the effect of the fine upon his or her immediate family or any other persons to whom the defendant owes an obligation of support.	Felony	Not provided for	Before imposition of fine or fee	Not provided for	Not provided for	Yes	Not specified
Add to Dashboard + Create New	New York	N.Y. Correct. Law § 201(9)	Authority and responsibility for community supervision	The department shall waive all or part of such fee where, because of the indigence of the offender, the payment of said fee would work an unreasonable hardship on the + See more person convicted, his or her immediate family, or any other person who is dependent on such person for financial support.	All	payment of said fee would work an unreasonable hardship on the person convicted, his or her immediate family, or any other person who is dependent on such person for financial + See more support.	Not provided for	Not provided for	Not provided for	Yes	Waiver of fee
Add to Dashboard + Create New	New York	N.Y. Exec. Law § 257-c	Probation administrative fee	The department shall waive all or part of such fee where, because of the indigence of the offender, the payment of said surcharge would work an unreasonable hardship on the + See more person convicted, his or her immediate family, or any other person who is dependent on such person for financial support.	All	payment of said surcharge would work an unreasonable hardship on the person convicted, his or her immediate family, or any other person who is dependent on such person for financial + See more support.	Not provided for	Not provided for	Not provided for	Yes	Waiver of fee
Add to Dashboard + Create New	New York	N.Y. Correct. Law § 189(2)	Disposition of moneys paid to prisoner for his labor	The commissioner shall waive the collection of such fee where it is determined that the payment of the fee would work an unreasonable hardship on the prisoner or his or + See more her immediate family.	All	payment of the fee would work an unreasonable hardship on the prisoner or his or her immediate family.	Not provided for	Not provided for	Not provided for	Yes	Waiver of fee
Add to Dashboard + Create New	New York	N.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law § 1198(5)	Installation and operation of ignition interlock devices	The cost of installing and maintaining the ignition interlock device shall be borne by the person subject to such condition unless the court determines such person is financially unable to + See more afford such cost whereupon such cost may be imposed pursuant to a payment plan or waived	All	the court determines such person is financially unable to afford such cost	Not provided for	Not provided for	Not provided for	No	Waiver or payment plan
Add to Dashboard + Create New	New York	N.Y. Crim. Proc. Law § 420.30	Remission of fines, restitution or reparation	a court may waive the crime victim assistance fee if such defendant is an eligible youth as defined in subdivision two of section 720.10 of this chapter, and the imposition of such + See more fee would work an unreasonable hardship on the defendant, his or her immediate family, or any other person who is dependent on such defendant for financial support.	All	imposition of such fee would work an unreasonable hardship on the defendant, his or her immediate family, or any other person who is dependent on such defendant for financial support.	Not provided for	Not provided for	Not provided for	No	Waiver of fee
Add to Dashboard + Create New	New York	N.Y. Crim. Proc. Law § 420.35	Mandatory surcharge and crime victim assistance fee; applicability to sentences mandating payment of fines	When the court directs that the defendant be imprisoned until the mandatory surcharge, sex offender registration fee or DNA databank fee is satisfied, it must specify a maximum period of + See more imprisonment not to exceed fifteen days; provided, however, a court may not direct that a defendant be imprisoned until the mandatory surcharge, sex offender registration fee, or DNA databank fee is satisfied or otherwise for failure to pay the mandatory surcharge, sex offender registration fee or DNA databank fee unless the court makes a contemporaneous finding on the record, after according defendant notice and an opportunity to be heard, that the payment of the mandatory surcharge, sex offender registration fee or DNA databank fee upon defendant will not work an unreasonable hardship upon him or her or his or her immediate family.	All	unreasonable hardship upon defendant or defendant's immediate family	Not provided for	Not provided for	Not provided for	Yes	Waiver of fee
Add to Dashboard + Create New	New York	N.Y. Crim. Proc. Law § 420.40	Deferral of a mandatory surcharge; financial hardship hearings	On an appearance date set forth in a summons issued pursuant to subdivision three of section 60.35 of the penal law, section eighteen hundred nine of the vehicle and traffic + See more law or section 27.12 of the parks, recreation and historic preservation law, a person upon whom a mandatory surcharge, sex offender registration fee or DNA databank fee was levied shall have an opportunity to present on the record credible and verifiable information establishing that the mandatory surcharge, sex offender registration fee or DNA databank fee should be deferred, in whole or in part, because, due to the indigence of such person the payment of said surcharge, sex offender registration fee or DNA databank fee would work an unreasonable hardship on the person or his or her immediate family.	All	an unreasonable hardship on the person or his or her immediate family	At defendant's request at enforcement	Burden on defendant to show inability to pay	Determined by judge after hearing	No	Deferral
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Washington DC	DC ST § 16-711 (b)	Restitution or reparation	(b) When restitution or reparation is ordered, the court shall take into consideration the number of victims, the actual damage of each victim, the resources of the defendant, the defendant's + See more ability to earn, any obligation of the defendant to support dependents, and other matters as pertain to the defendant's ability to make restitution or reparation.	All	"… the court shall take into consideration… resources of the defendant, the defendant's ability to earn, any obligation of the defendant to support dependents…"	Before imposition of fine or fee	Not provided for	Determined by judge after hearing	Yes	Not provided for
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Washington DC	DC ST § 11-2604 (f)	Payment for representation	(f) If a person for whom counsel is appointed under this section appeals to the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, such person may do so without prepayment of fees + See more and costs or security therefor and without filing the affidavit required by section 1915(a) of title 28, United States Code.	All	Not provided for	Before imposition of fine or fee	Not provided for	Other	Yes	May proceed without prepayment of fees
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Washington DC	DC ST § 23-106	Witnesses for defense; fees	The court shall order at any time that a subpoena be issued for service upon a named witness on behalf of a defendant if the defendant makes an application for + See more such an order and makes a satisfactory showing that he is financially unable to pay the fees of the witness and that the presence of the witness is necessary to an adequate defense. If the court orders the subpoena to be issued the costs incurred by the process and the fees of the witness so subpoenaed shall be paid in the same manner in which similar costs and fees are paid in case of a witness subpoenaed in behalf of the prosecuting authority.	All	Not provided for	At defendant's request before imposition of fine or fee	Burden on defendant to show inability to pay	Not provided for	Yes	Subpoena and witness fees will be paid by government
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Washington DC	DC ST § 11-2605	Services other than counsel	Counsel for a person who is financially unable to obtain investigative, expert, or other services necessary for an adequate defense may request them in an ex parte application. Upon finding, + See more after appropriate inquiry in an ex parte proceeding, that the services are necessary and that the person is financially unable to obtain them, the court shall authorize counsel to obtain the services.	All	financially unable to obtain necessary services	At defendant's request before imposition of fine or fee	Burden on defendant to show inability to pay	Determined by judge after hearing	No	Cost paid for
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Washington DC	D.C. Super. Ct. R. Crim. P. 113 (b)	Witness fees	Payment from public funds. No witness entitled to any payment under paragraph (a) shall be paid from public funds except upon certification + See more of the witness that the witness was compelled by subpoena to attend as a witness on behalf of a defendant unable to pay or was present pursuant to the direction of the Court or prosecutor, in a specified pending criminal case and that the witness did attend. Such certification shall be endorsed by the Court or by the counsel of record issuing the subpoena or direction and shall be submitted to the Clerk of the Court for certification. The Executive Officer upon submission of the endorsed and verified certification shall make payment by cash or check	All	Not provided for	Not provided for	Burden on defendant to show inability to pay	Not provided for	No	Cost paid for

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