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	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 + See more 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 + Create New	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 + See more 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 + Create New	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 + See more 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 + Create New	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 + See more 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 + Create New	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 + See more 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 + Create New	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. + See more 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 + Create New	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 + See more 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 + Create New	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 + See more 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 + Create New	Illinois	725 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/113-3.1(a)	Payment for Court-Appointed Counsel	Whenever under either Section 113-3 of this Code [725 ILCS 5/113-3] or Rule 607 of the Illinois Supreme Court the court appoints counsel to represent a defendant, the court may + See more order the defendant to pay to the Clerk of the Circuit Court a reasonable sum to reimburse either the county or the State for such representation. In a hearing to determine the amount of the payment, the court shall consider the affidavit prepared by the defendant under Section 113-3 of this Code [725 ILCS 5/113-3] and any other information pertaining to the defendant’s financial circumstances which may be submitted by the parties. Such hearing shall be conducted on the court’s own motion or on motion of the State’s Attorney at any time after the appointment of counsel but no later than 90 days after the entry of a final order disposing of the case at the trial level.	All	Not provided for	Before imposition of fine or fee	Not provided for	Determined by judge after hearing	Yes	Not specified
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Illinois	730 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/5-5-6(f)	Conviction Dispositions: Restitution	Taking into consideration the ability of the defendant to pay, including any real or personal property or any other assets of the defendant, the court shall determine whether restitution shall + See more be paid in a single payment or in installments, and shall fix a period of time not in excess of 5 years, except for violations of Sections 16-1.3 and 17-56 of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012 [720 ILCS 5/16-1.3 and 720 ILCS 5/17-56], or the period of time specified in subsection (f-1), not including periods of incarceration, within which payment of restitution is to be paid in full. Complete restitution shall be paid in as short a time period as possible. However, if the court deems it necessary and in the best interest of the victim, the court may extend beyond 5 years the period of time within which the payment of restitution is to be paid. If the defendant is ordered to pay restitution and the court orders that restitution is to be paid over a period greater than 6 months, the court shall order that the defendant make monthly payments; the court may waive this requirement of monthly payments only if there is a specific finding of good cause for waiver.	All	Not provided for	Before imposition of fine or fee	Not provided for	Determined by judge without hearing	No	Payment plan not to exceed 5 years.
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Illinois	730 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/5-5-6(i)	Authorized Dispositions; Restituion	A sentence of restitution may be modified or revoked by the court if the . . . the offender fails to make restitution as ordered by the court, but no + See more sentence to make restitution shall be revoked unless the court shall find that the offender has had the financial ability to make restitution, and he has wilfully refused to do so. When the offender’s ability to pay restitution was established at the time an order of restitution was entered or modified, or when the offender’s ability to pay was based on the offender’s willingness to make restitution as part of a plea agreement made at the time the order of restitution was entered or modified, there is a rebuttable presumption that the facts and circumstances considered by the court at the hearing at which the order of restitution was entered or modified regarding the offender’s ability or willingness to pay restitution have not materially changed. If the court shall find that the defendant has failed to make restitution and that the failure is not wilful, the court may impose an additional period of time within which to make restitution. The length of the additional period shall not be more than 2 years.	All	Not provided for	At enforcement of fine or fee	Burden on defendant to show inability to pay	Determined by judge after hearing	No	Payment plan
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Illinois	730 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/5-6-3(b)(10)(iv)-(v)	Conditions of probation and of Conditional Discharge	(iv) for persons convicted of any alcohol, cannabis or controlled substance violation who are placed on an approved monitoring device as a condition of probation or conditional discharge, the court shall + See more impose a reasonable fee for each day of the use of the device, as established by the county board in subsection (g) of this Section, unless after determining the inability of the offender to pay the fee, the court assesses a lesser fee or no fee as the case may be. This fee shall be imposed in addition to the fees imposed under subsections (g) and (i) of this Section. The fee shall be collected by the clerk of the circuit court, except as provided in an administrative order of the Chief Judge of the circuit court. The clerk of the circuit court shall pay all monies collected from this fee to the county treasurer for deposit in the substance abuse services fund under Section 5-1086.1 of the Counties Code, except as provided in an administrative order of the Chief Judge of the circuit court. The Chief Judge of the circuit court of the county may by administrative order establish a program for electronic monitoring of offenders, in which a vendor supplies and monitors the operation of the electronic monitoring device, and collects the fees on behalf of the county. The program shall include provisions for indigent offenders and the collection of unpaid fees. The program shall not unduly burden the offender and shall be subject to review by the Chief Judge. The Chief Judge of the circuit court may suspend any additional charges or fees for late payment, interest, or damage to any device; and (v) for persons convicted of offenses other than those referenced in clause (iv) above and who are placed on an approved monitoring device as a condition of probation or conditional discharge, the court shall impose a reasonable fee for each day of the use of the device, as established by the county board in subsection (g) of this Section, unless after determining the inability of the defendant to pay the fee, the court assesses a lesser fee or no fee as the case may be. This fee shall be imposed in addition to the fees imposed under subsections (g) and (i) of this Section. The fee shall be collected by the clerk of the circuit court, except as provided in an administrative order of the Chief Judge of the circuit court. The clerk of the circuit court shall pay all monies collected from this fee to the county treasurer who shall use the monies collected to defray the costs of corrections. The county treasurer shall deposit the fee collected in the probation and court services fund. The Chief Judge of the circuit court of the county may by administrative order establish a program for electronic monitoring of offenders, in which a vendor supplies and monitors the operation of the electronic monitoring device, and collects the fees on behalf of the county. The program shall include provisions for indigent offenders and the collection of unpaid fees. The program shall not unduly burden the offender and shall be subject to review by the Chief Judge. The Chief Judge of the circuit court may suspend any additional charges or fees for late payment, interest, or damage to any device.	All	Not provided for	Not provided for	Not provided for	Not provided for	No	Lesser fee or no fee applied.
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Illinois	730 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/5-6-3(i)	Conditions of probation and of conditional discharge	(i) The court shall impose upon an offender sentenced to probation after January 1, 1989 or to conditional discharge after January 1, 1992 or to community service under the supervision of + See more a probation or court services department after January 1, 2004, as a condition of such probation or conditional discharge or supervised community service, a fee of $50 for each month of probation or conditional discharge supervision or supervised community service ordered by the court, unless after determining the inability of the person sentenced to probation or conditional discharge or supervised community service to pay the fee, the court assesses a lesser fee. The court may not impose the fee on a minor who is placed in the guardianship or custody of the Department of Children and Family Services under the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 while the minor is in placement. The fee shall be imposed only upon an offender who is actively supervised by the probation and court services department. The fee shall be collected by the clerk of the circuit court. The clerk of the circuit court shall pay all monies collected from this fee to the county treasurer for deposit in the probation and court services fund under Section 15.1 of the Probation and Probation Officers Act [730 ILCS 110/15.1]. A circuit court may not impose a probation fee under this subsection (i) in excess of $25 per month unless the circuit court has adopted, by administrative order issued by the chief judge, a standard probation fee guide determining an offender’s ability to pay Of the amount collected as a probation fee, up to $5 of that fee collected per month may be used to provide services to crime victims and their families. The Court may only waive probation fees based on an offender’s ability to pay. The probation department may re-evaluate an offender’s ability to pay every 6 months, and, with the approval of the Director of Court Services or the Chief Probation Officer, adjust the monthly fee amount. An offender may elect to pay probation fees due in a lump sum. Any offender that has been assigned to the supervision of a probation department, or has been transferred either under subsection (h) of this Section or under any interstate compact, shall be required to pay probation fees to the department supervising the offender, based on the offender’s ability to pay. Public Act 93-970 deletes the $10 increase in the fee under this subsection that was imposed by Public Act 93-616. This deletion is intended to control over any other Act of the 93rd General Assembly that retains or incorporates that fee increase.	All	Not provided for	At enforcement of fine or fee	Not provided for	Administrative decision	No	Waive or reduce fee.
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Illinois	730 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/5-6(i-5)	Conditions of probation and of conditional discharge	In addition to the fees imposed under subsection (i) of this Section, in the case of an offender convicted of a felony sex offense (as defined in the Sex Offender + See more Management Board Act) or an offense that the court or probation department has determined to be sexually motivated (as defined in the Sex Offender Management Board Act), the court or the probation department shall assess additional fees to pay for all costs of treatment, assessment, evaluation for risk and treatment, and monitoring the offender, based on that offender’s ability to pay those costs either as they occur or under a payment plan.	Felony, Misdemeanor	Not provided for	Not provided for	Not provided for	Administrative decision	Yes	Payment plan
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Illinois	730 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/5-7-1(g)	Sentence of Periodic Imprisonment	An offender sentenced to periodic imprisonment who undergoes mandatory drug or alcohol testing, or both, or is assigned to be placed on an approved electronic monitoring device, shall be ordered + See more to pay the costs incidental to such mandatory drug or alcohol testing, or both, and costs incidental to such approved electronic monitoring in accordance with the defendant’s ability to pay those costs. The county board with the concurrence of the Chief Judge of the judicial circuit in which the county is located shall establish reasonable fees for the cost of maintenance, testing, and incidental expenses related to the mandatory drug or alcohol testing, or both, and all costs incidental to approved electronic monitoring, of all offenders with a sentence of periodic imprisonment. The concurrence of the Chief Judge shall be in the form of an administrative order. The fees shall be collected by the clerk of the circuit court, except as provided in an administrative order of the Chief Judge of the circuit court. The clerk of the circuit court shall pay all moneys collected from these fees to the county treasurer who shall use the moneys collected to defray the costs of drug testing, alcohol testing, and electronic monitoring. The county treasurer shall deposit the fees collected in the county working cash fund under Section 6-27001 or Section 6-29002 of the Counties Code, as the case may be.	All	Not provided for	Before imposition of fine or fee	Not provided for	Not provided for	Yes	Not specified
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Illinois	730 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/5-6-3(g)	Conditions of Probation and of Conditional Discharge	An offender sentenced to probation or to conditional discharge and who during the term of either undergoes mandatory drug or alcohol testing, or both, or is assigned to be placed + See more on an approved electronic monitoring device, shall be ordered to pay all costs incidental to such mandatory drug or alcohol testing, or both, and all costs incidental to such approved electronic monitoring in accordance with the defendant’s ability to pay those costs. The county board with the concurrence of the Chief Judge of the judicial circuit in which the county is located shall establish reasonable fees for the cost of maintenance, testing, and incidental expenses related to the mandatory drug or alcohol testing, or both, and all costs incidental to approved electronic monitoring, involved in a successful probation program for the county. The concurrence of the Chief Judge shall be in the form of an administrative order. The fees shall be collected by the clerk of the circuit court, except as provided in an administrative order of the Chief Judge of the circuit court. The clerk of the circuit court shall pay all moneys collected from these fees to the county treasurer who shall use the moneys collected to defray the costs of drug testing, alcohol testing, and electronic monitoring. The county treasurer shall deposit the fees collected in the county working cash fund under Section 6-27001 or Section 6-29002 of the Counties Code [55 ILCS 5/6-27001 or 55 ILCS 5/1-29002], as the case may be. The Chief Judge of the circuit court of the county may by administrative order establish a program for electronic monitoring of offenders, in which a vendor supplies and monitors the operation of the electronic monitoring device, and collects the fees on behalf of the county. The program shall include provisions for indigent offenders and the collection of unpaid fees. The program shall not unduly burden the offender and shall be subject to review by the Chief Judge.	All	Not provided for	Before imposition of fine or fee	Not provided for	Determined by judge without hearing	Yes	Not specified
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Illinois	730 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/5-9-1(d)-(e)	Authorized fines	(d) In determining the amount and method of payment of a fine, except for those fines established for violations of Chapter 15 of the Illinois Vehicle Code [625 ILCS 5/15-101 et seq.], + See more the court shall consider: (1) the financial resources and future ability of the offender to pay the fine; and (2) whether the fine will prevent the offender from making court ordered restitution or reparation to the victim of the offense; and (3) in a case where the accused is a dissolved corporation and the court has appointed counsel to represent the corporation, the costs incurred either by the county or the State for such representation. (e) The court may order the fine to be paid forthwith or within a specified period of time or in installments.	All	Financial resources and future ability to pay	Not provided for	Not provided for	Not provided for	Yes	Not specified
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Illinois	730 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/5-9-1.9(b)	DUI analysis fee	When a person has been adjudged guilty of an offense in violation of Section 11-501 of the Illinois Vehicle Code, in addition to any other disposition, penalty, or fine imposed, + See more a crime laboratory DUI analysis fee of $150 for each offense for which the person was convicted shall be levied by the court for each case in which a laboratory analysis occurred. Upon verified petition of the person, the court may suspend payment of all or part of the fee if it finds that the person does not have the ability to pay the fee.	Traffic	Not provided for	Before imposition of fine or fee	Not provided for	Determined by judge without hearing	No	Suspend all or part of fee.
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Illinois	730 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/5-9-1.9(c)	DUI analysis fee	In addition to any other disposition made under the provisions of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 [705 ILCS 405/1-1 et seq.], any minor adjudicated delinquent for an offense which + See more if committed by an adult would constitute a violation of Section 11-501 of the Illinois Vehicle Code shall be assessed a crime laboratory DUI analysis fee of $150 for each adjudication. Upon verified petition of the minor, the court may suspend payment of all or part of the fee if it finds that the minor does not have the ability to pay the fee. The parent, guardian, or legal custodian of the minor may pay some or all of the fee on the minor’s behalf.	Traffic	Not provided for	Before imposition of fine or fee	Not provided for	Not provided for	No	Suspend all or part of fee.
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Illinois	625 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/6-206.1(c-5)	Monitoring Device Driving Permit	If the Secretary determines that the person seeking the MDDP is indigent, the Secretary shall provide the person with a written document as evidence of that determination, and the person + See more shall provide that written document to an ignition interlock device provider. The provider shall install an ignition interlock device on that person’s vehicle without charge to the person, and seek reimbursement from the Indigent BAIID Fund. If the Secretary has deemed an offender indigent, the BAIID provider shall also provide the normal monthly monitoring services and the de-installation without charge to the offender and seek reimbursement from the Indigent BAIID Fund. Any other monetary charges, such as a lockout fee or reset fee, shall be the responsibility of the MDDP holder. A BAIID provider may not seek a security deposit from the Indigent BAIID Fund.	Traffic	Indigent	Not provided for	Not provided for	Administrative decision	Yes	Reimbursement by providers/providers installs ignition interlock device free of charge

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