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.
Every law can be saved to the Reform Builder
See all ability to pay policy recommendations in CJPP’s Policy Guide
State
- Alabama (12)
- (-) Alaska (8)
- Arizona (5)
- Arkansas (8)
- California (90)
- Colorado (29)
- Connecticut (19)
- Delaware (4)
- Florida (36)
- Georgia (14)
- Hawaii (14)
- Idaho (15)
- Illinois (23)
- Indiana (15)
- Iowa (12)
- Kansas (6)
- Kentucky (17)
- Louisiana (10)
- Maine (9)
- Maryland (3)
- Massachusetts (39)
- Michigan (17)
- Minnesota (14)
- Mississippi (8)
- Missouri (15)
- Montana (29)
- Nebraska (14)
- Nevada (7)
- New Hampshire (29)
- New Jersey (9)
- New Mexico (14)
- New York (8)
- North Carolina (14)
- North Dakota (14)
- (-) Ohio (32)
- Oklahoma (10)
- Oregon (13)
- Pennsylvania (6)
- Rhode Island (3)
- South Carolina (17)
- South Dakota (10)
- Tennessee (11)
- Texas (17)
- (-) Utah (5)
- Vermont (9)
- Virginia (10)
- Washington (15)
- Washington DC (5)
- West Virginia (16)
- Wisconsin (7)
- Wyoming (17)
Keyword search
Reset
Reset all filtersTimeline
Burden of proof
Method of determination
Narrrow results
Level of Offense
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.
45 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Alaska | Alaska Stat. Ann. § 12.55.051(c) | Enforcement of Fines and Restitution |
A defendant who has been sentenced to pay a fine or restitution may request a hearing regarding the defendant's ability to pay the fine or restitution at any time that the defendant is required to pay all or a portion of the fine or restitution. The court may deny the request if it has previously considered the defendant's ability to pay and the defendant's request does not allege changed circumstances. If, at a hearing under this subsection, the defendant proves by a preponderance of the evidence that the defendant will be unable through good faith efforts to satisfy the order requiring payment of the fine or restitution, the court shall modify the order so that the defendant can pay the fine or restitution through good faith efforts. The court may reduce the fine ordered, change the payment schedule, or otherwise modify the order. The court may not reduce an order of restitution but may change the payment schedule.
|
All |
"Defendant will be unable through good faith efforts to satisfy the order requiring payment of the fine or restitution." |
At defendant's request at enforcement | Burden on defendant to show inability to pay | Determined by judge after hearing | No |
Reduction of fine; modification of fee schedule; or any other modification the Court thinks appropriate. |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Alaska | Alaska Stat. Ann. § 18.85.120 | Determination of Indigency; Repayment |
(a) The determination of a person's indigency shall be made by the court in which an action against the person is pending. The determination shall be made by the court and shall set out the basis for the finding that the person is indigent. (b) In determining whether a person is indigent and in determining the extent of the person's inability to pay, the court shall consider such factors as income, property owned, outstanding obligations, and the number and ages of dependents. Release on bail does not preclude a finding that a person is indigent. In each case, the person, subject to the penalties for perjury, shall certify under oath, and in writing or by other record, material factors relative to the person's financial resources and ability to pay that the court prescribes.
|
All |
"The court shall consider such factors as income, property owned, outstanding obligations, and the number and ages of dependents." |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Burden on defendant to show inability to pay | Determined by judge without hearing | No | Not provided for |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Alaska | Alaska Stat. Ann. § 12.55.039(b) | Surcharge |
A court may not fail to impose the surcharge required under this section. The surcharge may not be waived, deferred, or suspended. A court may allow a defendant who is unable to pay the surcharge required to be imposed under this section to perform community work under AS 12.55.055(c) in lieu of the surcharge.
|
All |
"Unable to pay the surcharge." |
At enforcement of fine or fee | Not provided for | Not provided for | No |
Community Service |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Alaska | Alaska Stat. § 12.55.045(g),(j),(k) | Restitution and Compensation |
(g) The court may not, in ordering the amount of restitution, consider the defendant’s ability to pay restitution; (j) A defendant who is convicted of an offense for which restitution may be ordered shall submit financial information as ordered by the court. The Alaska Court System shall prepare a form, in consultation with the Department of Law, for the submission of the information; the form must include a warning that submission of incomplete or inaccurate information is punishable as unsworn falsification in the second degree under AS 11.56.210. A defendant who is convicted of (1) a felony shall submit the form to the probation office within 30 days after conviction, and the probation officer shall attach the form to the presentence report, or (2) a misdemeanor shall file the form with the defendant’s response or opposition to the restitution amount. The defendant shall provide a copy of the completed form to the prosecuting authority; (k) The court, on its own motion or at the request of the prosecuting authority or probation officer, may order a defendant on probation who has been ordered to pay restitution to submit financial information to the court using the form specified in (j) of this section. The defendant shall file the completed form with the court within five days after the court’s order. The defendant shall provide a copy of the completed form to the prosecuting authority and the person’s probation officer, if any.
|
All | Not provided for | Not provided for | Not provided for | Not provided for | No | Not provided for |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Alaska | Alaska Stat. § 18.85.155(a) | Payment by Municipality |
When a municipality prosecutes a person who has been determined by the court to be indigent under AS 18.85.120 for a violation of a municipal ordinance that is a serious crime, the municipality shall pay for the services of the attorney appointed by the court to defend the indigent person.
|
All |
"Indigent under AS 18.85.120" |
Not provided for | Not provided for | Not provided for | Yes |
The municipality shall pay for the services of the attorney appointed by the court to defend the indigent person. |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Alaska | Alaska Stat. § 33.30.028(b) | Responsibility for Costs of Medical Care |
The commissioner shall require prisoners who are without resources under (a) of this section to pay the costs of medical, psychological, and psychiatric care provided to them by the department. At a minimum, the prisoner shall be required to pay a portion of the costs based upon the prisoner’s ability to pay.
|
All | Not provided for | Not provided for | Not provided for | Administrative decision | No |
Required to pay a portion of the costs. |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Alaska | Alaska Stat. § 12.55.100(f) | Conditions of Probation |
While on probation and as a special condition of probation for an offense where the aggravating factor provided in AS 12.55.155(c)(29) has been proven or admitted, the court shall require that the defendant submit to electronic monitoring. Electronic monitoring under this subsection must provide for monitoring of the defendant’s location and movements by Global Positioning System technology. The court shall require a defendant serving a period of probation with electronic monitoring as provided under this subsection to pay all or a portion of the costs of the electronic monitoring, but only if the defendant has sufficient financial resources to pay the costs or a portion of the costs. A defendant subject to electronic monitoring under this subsection is not entitled to a credit for time served in a correctional facility while the defendant is on probation. In this subsection, “correctional facility” has the meaning given in AS 33.30.901.
|
All |
"Sufficient financial resources to pay the costs or a portion of the costs." |
Not provided for | Not provided for | Not provided for | No | Not provided for |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Alaska | Alaska Stat. § 09.19.010 | Limitation on Exemption From Filing Fees |
(c) Based on the submission under (b) of this section, the court may grant an exemption from part of the applicable filing fees if the court finds that exceptional circumstances prevent the prisoner from paying full filing fees. Imprisonment and indigency do not constitute exceptional circumstances if the prisoner has available income or resources that can be applied to the filing fee; (d) If the court orders an exemption under (c) of this section, the court shall determine the amount of the exemption and set a filing fee to be paid by the prisoner. In setting the fee, the court, at a minimum, shall require the prisoner to pay filing fees equal to 20 percent of the larger of the average monthly deposits made to the prisoner’s account described in (b)(2) of this section, or the average balance in that account, not to exceed the amount of the full filing fee required under applicable court rules.
|
All |
"Exceptional circumstances prevent the prisoner from paying full filing fees" |
At defendant's request before imposition of fine or fee | Burden on defendant to show inability to pay | Administrative decision | No |
Fee is recalculated based on prisoner's resources. |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Ohio | Ohio Rev. Code § 2907.27(2) | Examination and treatment for venereal diseases and HIV | If the accused is indigent, the court shall order the accused to report to a facility operated by a city health district or a general health district for treatment. | All | Not provided for | Not provided for | Not provided for | Not provided for | Yes |
Use of a city facility for examination and testing |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Ohio | Ohio Rev. Code § 2949.092 | Condition for waiver of specified additional court costs |
If a person is convicted of or pleads guilty to an offense and the court specifically is required, pursuant to section 2743.70, 2949.091,2949.093, or 2949.094 of the Revised Code or pursuant to any other section of the Revised Code to impose a specified sum of money as costs in the case in addition to any other costs that the court is required or permitted by law to impose in the case, the court shall not waive the payment of the specified additional court costs that the section of the Revised Code specifically requires the court to impose unless the court determines that the offender is indigent and the court waives the payment of all court costs imposed upon the offender.
|
All |
Indigent |
Not provided for | Not provided for | Not provided for | No |
Fee waiver |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Ohio | Ohio Rev. Code § 2743.70(1) | Additional court costs and bail to be charged |
(1) The court, in which any person is convicted of or pleads guilty to any offense other than a traffic offense that is not a moving violation, shall impose the following sum as costs in the case in addition to any other court costs that the court is required by law to impose upon the offender:
(a) Thirty dollars, if the offense is a felony; (b) Nine dollars, if the offense is a misdemeanor. The court shall not waive the payment of the thirty or nine dollars court costs, unless the court determines that the offender is indigent and waives the payment of all court costs imposed upon the indigent offender. All such moneys shall be transmitted on the first business day of each month by the clerk of the court to the treasurer of state and deposited by the treasurer in the reparations fund. |
All |
Indigent |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Determined by judge without hearing | No |
Fee waiver |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Ohio | Ohio Rev. Code § 2929.19(B)(5) | Sentencing hearing |
Before imposing a financial sanction under section 2929.18 of the Revised Code or a fine under section 2929.32 of the Revised Code, the court shall consider the offender's present and future ability to pay the amount of the sanction or fine.
|
Felony |
Not provided for |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Determined by judge without hearing | Yes |
Likely no requirement to pay financial sanction |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Ohio | Ohio Rev. Code § 2929.37(A) | Policy requiring prisoner to pay costs of confinement |
The amount assessed under this section shall not exceed the total amount that the prisoner is able to pay. |
All |
Not provided for |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Not provided for | Yes |
Likely no requirement to pay costs of confinement |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Ohio | Ohio Rev. Code § 2743.70(A)(2) | Additional costs in criminal cases in all courts to fund reparations payments |
(2) The juvenile court in which a child is found to be a delinquent child or a juvenile traffic offender for an act which, if committed by an adult, would be an offense other than a traffic offense that is not a moving violation, shall impose the following sum as costs in the case in addition to any other court costs that the court is required or permitted by law to impose upon the delinquent child or juvenile traffic offender:
(a) Thirty dollars, if the act, if committed by an adult, would be a felony; (b) Nine dollars, if the act, if committed by an adult, would be a misdemeanor. The thirty or nine dollars court costs shall be collected in all cases unless the court determines the juvenile is indigent and waives the payment of all court costs, or enters an order on its journal stating that it has determined that the juvenile is indigent, that no other court costs are to be taxed in the case, and that the payment of the thirty or nine dollars court costs is waived. All such moneys collected during a month shall be transmitted on or before the twentieth day of the following month by the clerk of the court to the treasurer of state and deposited by the treasurer in the reparations fund. |
Traffic |
Indigent |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Determined by judge without hearing | No |
Likely no requirement to pay financial sanction |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Ohio | Ohio Rev. Code § 2949.091(A)(1)(b) | Fees and costs |
The court shall not waive the payment of the additional thirty-, twenty-, or ten-dollar court costs, unless the court determines that the offender is indigent and waives the payment of all court costs imposed upon the indigent offender.
|
All |
Indigent |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Determined by judge without hearing | No |
Fee waiver |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Ohio | Ohio Rev. Code § 2949.091(A)(1) | Additional court costs or bail |
(a) The court in which any person is convicted of or pleads guilty to any offense shall impose one of the following sums as costs in the case in addition to any other court costs that the court is required by law to impose upon the offender:
(i) Thirty dollars if the offense is a felony; (ii) Twenty dollars if the offense is a misdemeanor other than a traffic offense that is not a moving violation; (iii) Ten dollars if the offense is a traffic offense that is not a moving violation, excluding parking violations. (b) All moneys collected pursuant to division (A)(1)(a) of this section during a month shall be transmitted on or before the twentieth day of the following month by the clerk of the court to the treasurer of state and deposited by the treasurer of state to the credit of the indigent defense support fund established under section 120.08 of the Revised Code. The court shall not waive the payment of the additional thirty-, twenty-, or ten-dollar court costs, unless the court determines that the offender is indigent and waives the payment of all court costs imposed upon the indigent offender. |
All |
Indigent |
Not provided for | Not provided for | Determined by judge without hearing | No |
Fee waiver |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Ohio | Ohio Rev. Code § 2301.14 | Taxing costs |
The clerk of the court of common pleas in which the service of a court interpreter is rendered shall tax in the cost bill in such case, to be collected as other costs, the sum of three dollars for each day of service of such interpreter, which fees shall be paid into the county treasury to the credit of the county fund. If the party taxed with costs is indigent, the clerk shall not tax the interpreter’s fees as costs, and the county shall pay the interpreter’s fees.
|
All |
Indigent |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Not provided for | No |
County pays for the interpreter. |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Ohio | Ohio Rev. Code § 2151.54 | Fees and costs |
If a child is adjudicated to be a delinquent child or a juvenile traffic offender and the juvenile court specifically is required, by section 2743.70 or 2949.091 of the Revised Code or any other section of the Revised Code, to impose a specified sum of money as court costs in addition to any other court costs that the court is required or permitted by law to impose, the court shall not waive the payment of the specified additional court costs that the section of the Revised Code specifically requires the court to impose unless the court determines that the child is indigent and the court either waives the payment of all court costs or enters an order in its journal stating that no court costs are to be taxed in the case.
|
All |
Indigent |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Determined by judge without hearing | No |
Waives the payment of all court costs or enters an order in its journal stating that no court costs are to be taxed in the case |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Ohio | Ohio Rev. Code § 2929.28(B) | Financial Sanctions - misdemeanor |
If the court determines a hearing is necessary, the court may hold a hearing to determine whether the offender is able to pay the financial sanction imposed pursuant to this section or court costs or is likely in the future to be able to pay the sanction or costs. If the court determines that the offender is indigent and unable to pay the financial sanction or court costs, the court shall consider imposing and may impose a term of community service under division (A) of section 2929.27 of the Revised Code in lieu of imposing a financial sanction or court costs. If the court does not determine that the offender is indigent, the court may impose a term of community service under division (A) of section 2929.27 of the Revised Code in lieu of or in addition to imposing a financial sanction under this section and in addition to imposing court costs. The court may order community service for a minor misdemeanor pursuant to division (D) of section 2929.27 of the Revised Code in lieu of or in addition to imposing a financial sanction under this section and in addition to imposing court costs. If a person fails to pay a financial sanction or court costs, the court may order community service in lieu of the financial sanction or court costs.
|
Misdemeanor |
Indigent |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Determined by judge after hearing | No |
Community service in lieu of restitution. |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Ohio | Ohio Rev. Code § 2953.32(C)(3) | Sealing of record of conviction or bail forfeiture |
An applicant may request the sealing of the records of more than one case in a single application under this section. Upon the filing of an application under this section, the applicant, unless indigent, shall pay a fee of fifty dollars, regardless of the number of records the application requests to have sealed.
|
All |
Indigent |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Not provided for | No |
Likely no requirement to pay fee |
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.