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	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	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 + See more 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.	All	Not provided for	Not provided for	Not provided for	Not provided for	Yes	Fine reduced.
Add to Dashboard + Create New	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 + See more 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.	All	Not provided for	At enforcement of fine or fee	Not provided for	Not provided for	Yes	Fee not ordered.
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Hawaii	Haw. Rev. Stat. § 706-646(3)	Victim restitution	(3) 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 + See more defendant's financial ability to make restitution for the purpose of establishing the time and manner of payment. The court shall specify the time and manner in which restitution is to be paid. Restitution shall be a dollar amount that is sufficient to reimburse any victim fully for losses, including but not limited to:(a) Full value of stolen or damaged property, as determined by replacement costs of like property, or the actual or estimated cost of repair, if repair is possible; (b) Medical expenses; and (c) Funeral and burial expenses incurred as a result of the crime.	All	Not provided for	At enforcement of fine or fee	Not provided for	Determined by judge without hearing	No	Time and manner of payment may be ordered considering an individual's ability to pay.
Add to Dashboard + Create New	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 + See more 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.
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Hawaii	Haw. Rev. Stat. § 706-641	Criteria for imposing fines	(1) The court shall not sentence a defendant only to pay a fine, when any other disposition is authorized by law, except in misdemeanor and petty misdemeanor cases. (2) The court + See more shall not sentence a defendant to pay a fine in addition to a sentence of imprisonment or probation unless: (a) The defendant has derived a pecuniary gain from the crime; or (b) The court is of the opinion that a fine is specially adapted to the deterrence of the crime involved or to the correction of the defendant. (3) The court shall not sentence a defendant to pay a fine unless: (a) The defendant is or will be able to pay the fine; and (b) The fine will not prevent the defendant from making restitution to the victim of the offense. (4) In determining the amount and method of payment of a fine, the court shall take into account the financial resources of the defendant and the nature of the burden that its payment will impose.	All	The financial resources of the defendant and the nature of the burden that its payment will impose.	Before imposition of fine or fee	Not provided for	Determined by judge without hearing	No	Court shall sentence defendant to pay a fine.
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Hawaii	Haw. Rev. Stat. § 607-3	Court costs, waiver of prepayment, reduction or remission of	The judges of all the courts of the State shall have discretionary power to waive the prepayment of costs or to reduce or remit costs where, in special or extraordinary + See more cases, the cost of any suit, action, or proceeding may, to the judges, appear onerous.	All	Cost appears onerous.	Not provided for	Not provided for	Not provided for	No	Waive prepayment of costs.
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Hawaii	Haw. Rev. Stat. § 802-7	Litigation expenses	The court may, upon a satisfactory showing that a criminal defendant is unable to pay for transcripts or witness fees and transportation, or for investigatory, expert or other services, and + See more upon a finding that the same are necessary for an adequate defense, direct that such expenses be paid from available court funds or waived, as the case may be; provided that where the defendant is represented by the state public defender or by other counsel appointed by the court except for such other counsel appointed by the court for reasons of conflict of interest on the part of the public defender, the public defender shall pay for or authorize payment for the same, if the public defender determines that the defendant is unable to pay for the same and that the same are necessary for an adequate defense, and if there is a dispute as to the financial ability of the defendant such dispute shall be resolved by the court. In cases where other counsel have been appointed by the court for reasons of conflict of interest, the court may, upon the requisite showing of inability to pay and a finding that such expenses are necessary for an adequate defense as set forth above, direct that such expenses be paid from available court funds or waived, as the case may be.	All	Not provided for	Before imposition of fine or fee	Burden on defendant to show inability to pay	Determined by judge after hearing	No	Fees paid from court funds or waived.
Add to Dashboard + Create New	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 + See more 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.	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.
Add to Dashboard + Create New	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 + See more 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.	All	Not provided for	Before imposition of fine or fee	Not provided for	Determined by judge without hearing	Yes	Fee waiver.
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Hawaii	Haw. Rev. Stat. § 706-650(5)	Drug demand reduction assessments; special fund	(5) If the court determines that the person has the ability to pay the monetary assessment and is eligible for probation or will not be sentenced to incarceration, unless otherwise required + See more by law, the court may order the person to undergo a substance abuse treatment program at the person’s expense. If the person undergoes a substance abuse treatment program at the person’s expense, the court may waive or reduce the amount of the monetary assessment. Upon a showing by the person that the person lacks the financial ability to pay all or part of the monetary assessment, the court may waive or reduce the amount of the monetary assessment.	All	Not provided for	Before imposition of fine or fee	Burden on defendant to show inability to pay	Determined by judge without hearing	No	Waive or reduce amount of fee.
Add to Dashboard + Create New	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 + See more 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.	All	Not provided for	Before imposition of fine or fee	Not provided for	Determined by judge without hearing	Yes	Fee waiver.
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Hawaii	Haw. Rev. Stat. § 291D-9	Adjudication of Traffic Infractions: Monetary assessments	(d) The court may grant to a person claiming inability to pay, an extension of the period in which the monetary assessment shall be paid or may impose community service + See more in lieu thereof. If the assessment is not paid or the community service is not performed on or before the date established and the court has not extended the time, the court shall take action as provided in section 291D-10.	All	Not provided for	Not provided for	Not provided for	Determined by judge without hearing	No	Extension of time to pay or community service in lieu of payment.

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