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.
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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.
18 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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Arizona | Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 13-914(E)(2) | Intensive probation; evaluation; sentence; criteria; limit; conditions |
Paying restitution and probation fees of not less than seventy-five dollars unless, after determining the inability of the offender to pay the fee, the court assesses a lesser fee. Probation + See morefees shall be deposited in the adult probation services fund established by § 12-267. Any amount assessed pursuant to this paragraph shall be used to supplement monies used for the salaries of adult probation and surveillance officers and for support of programs and services of the superior court adult probation departments.
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All | Not provided for | Not provided for | Not provided for | Not provided for | No |
Lower restitution or fee based upon the defendant's ability to pay. |
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Arizona | Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 13-810(E) | Consequences of nonpayment of fines, surcharges, fees, assessments, restitution or incarceration costs |
(E)If the court finds that the defendant has wilfully failed to pay a fine, a surcharge, a fee, an assessment, restitution or incarceration costs or finds that the defendant has intentionally refused to make a good faith effort to obtain the monies required for the payment, the court shall find that the default constitutes contempt and may do any of the following:
1. Order the defendant incarcerated in the county jail until the fine, surcharge, fee, assessment, restitution or incarceration costs, or a specified part of the fine, surcharge, fee, assessment, restitution or incarceration costs, is paid. 2. Refer the defendant for revocation of probation, parole or community supervision as authorized by law. 3. Enter an order pursuant to section 13-812. The levy or execution for the collection of a fine, a surcharge, a fee, an assessment, restitution or incarceration costs does not discharge a defendant who is incarcerated for nonpayment of the fine, surcharge, fee, assessment, restitution or incarceration costs until the amount of the fine, surcharge, fee, assessment, restitution or incarceration costs is collected. 4. Order the defendant to perform community restitution. |
All | Not provided for | At enforcement of fine or fee | Not provided for | Not provided for | No |
Modified payment arrangements |
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Arizona | Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 13-824(A) | Community restitution in lieu off monetary obligation |
A. Notwithstanding any other law, if a monetary obligation is imposed on a defendant at sentencing and the court finds the defendant is unable to pay all or part of the monetary obligation, the court may order the defendant to perform community restitution in lieu of the payment for all or part of the monetary obligation. The amount of community restitution shall be equivalent to the amount of the monetary obligation by crediting any service performed at a rate of ten dollars per hour.
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All | Not provided for | At enforcement of fine or fee | Not provided for | Not provided for | No |
Community Restitution |
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Arizona | Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 12-116.01(F) | Surcharges; remittance reports; fund deposits |
The judge may waive all or part of the civil penalty, fine, forfeiture and surcharge, except for mandatory civil penalties and fines, the payment of which would work a hardship on the persons convicted or adjudicated or on their immediate families. If a fine or civil penalty is mandatory, the judge may waive only all or part of the surcharges prescribed by subsections A, B and C of this section and § 12-116.02. If a fine or civil penalty is not mandatory and if a portion of the civil penalty, fine, forfeiture and surcharge is waived or suspended, the amount assessed must be divided according to the proportion that the civil penalty, fine, bail or bond and the surcharge represent of the total amount due.
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All | Not provided for | Not provided for | Not provided for | Not provided for | No |
A lower cost fine or fee based upon the defendant's ability to pay. |
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Minnesota | Minn. Stat. Ann. § 244.18(4) | Local correctional fees; imposition on offenders |
Exemption from fee. — The chief executive officer of the local correctional agency may waive payment of the fee if the officer determines that the offender does not have the ability to pay the fee, the prospects for payment are poor, or there are extenuating circumstances justifying waiver of the fee. Instead of waiving the fee, the local correctional agency may require the offender to perform community work service as a means of paying the fee.
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All |
Not provided for |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Administrative decision | No |
Fee waiver; community service. |
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Minnesota | Minn. Stat. Ann. § 244.18(2) | Local correctional fees; imposition on offenders |
Local correctional fees. — A local correctional agency may establish a schedule of local correctional fees to charge persons under the supervision and control of the local correctional agency to defray costs associated with correctional services. The local correctional fees on the schedule must be reasonably related to defendants’ abilities to pay and the actual cost of correctional services.
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All |
Not provided for |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Administrative decision | No |
Not provided for |
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Minnesota | Minn. R. Crim. P. 28.02(5)(9) | Appeal by defendant |
All fees--including appeal fees, hearing fees, or filing fees--ordinarily charged by the clerk of the appellate courts or court administrators are waived when the State Public Defender's office, or other public defender's office, represents the defendant. The court must also waive these fees on a sufficient showing by any other attorney that the defendant cannot pay them.
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All |
Not provided for |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Burden on defendant to show inability to pay | Determined by judge without hearing | No |
Fee waiver |
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Minnesota | Minn. Stat. Ann. § 609.104(1)(b) | Fine and Surcharge Collection |
The defendant may contest the referral for collection based on inability to pay by requesting a hearing no later than the due date. The defendant shall be notified in writing at sentencing that under section 480.15, subdivision 10c, the court may refer the case for collection for nonpayment, and collection costs may be added to the amount due. The defendant shall also be notified in writing of the right to contest a referral for collection. The state court administrator shall develop the notice language.
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All |
Not provided for |
At defendant's request at enforcement | Not provided for | Determined by judge after hearing | Yes |
Not specified |
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Minnesota | Minn. Stat. Ann. § 609.101(5)(b) | Surcharge on Fines, Assessments; Minimum Fines |
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 fine would create undue hardship for the convicted person or that person’s immediate family, the court may reduce the amount of the minimum fine to not less than $ 50. Additionally, the court may permit the defendant to perform community work service in lieu of a fine.
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All |
Indigent or that immediate payment of the fine would create undue hardship for the convicted person or that person’s immediate family. |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Burden on defendant to show inability to pay | Determined by judge without hearing | No |
Maximum $50 fine or community service. |
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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.