50-State Criminal Justice Debt Reform Builder Bringing transparency to areas of significant legal complexity.
Ability to Pay
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- Alabama (12)
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- Washington (15)
- Washington DC (5)
- West Virginia (16)
- Wisconsin (7)
- Wyoming (17)
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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.
35 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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Arkansas | Ark. Code Ann. § 5-4-205(e)(2);(f)(3) | Restitution |
(e)(2)In determining the method of payment, the court shall take into account: (A) The financial resources of the defendant and the burden that payment of restitution will impose with regard to another obligation of the defendant; (B) The ability of the defendant to pay restitution on an installment basis or on another condition to be fixed by the court; and (C) The rehabilitative effect on the defendant of the payment of restitution and the method of payment....(f) (3) In determining whether to revoke probation or conditional release, the court or releasing authority shall consider: (A) The defendant's employment status; (B) The defendant's earning ability; (C) The defendant's financial resources; (D) The willfulness of the defendant's failure to pay; and (E) Any other special circumstances that may have a bearing on the defendant's ability to pay.
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"The financial resources of the defendant and the burden that payment of restitution will impose with regard to another obligation of the defendant; The ability of the defendant to pay restitution on an installment basis or on another condition to be fixed by the court."
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Not provided for | Not provided for | Determined by judge after hearing | Yes | Not provided for |
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Arkansas | Ark. Const. Art. 2, § 9 | Excessive Bail or Punishment Prohibited -- Witness -- Detention |
Excessive bail shall not be required; nor shall excessive fines be imposed; nor shall cruel or unusual punishments be inflicted; nor witnesses be unreasonably detained. |
All |
Fines cannot be "excessive". |
Not provided for | Not provided for | Not provided for | Yes | Not provided for |
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Arkansas | Ark. Code Ann. § 5-4-303(f) | Conditions of Suspension or Probation |
(1) If the court suspends imposition of sentence on a defendant or places him or her on probation conditioned upon his or her making restitution under subdivision (c)(6) of this section, the court, by concurrence of the victim, defendant, and the prosecuting authority, shall determine the amount to be paid as restitution. (2) After considering the assets, financial condition, and occupation of the defendant, the court shall further determine: (A) Whether restitution shall be total or partial; (B) The amounts to be paid if by periodic payments; and (C) If a personal service is contemplated, the reasonable value and rate of compensation for the personal service rendered to the victim.
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All | Not provided for | Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Not provided for | Yes | Not provided for |
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Arkansas | Ark. Code Ann. § 16-93-104(b)-(d) | Supervision Fee -- Direct Payment by Offender -- Failure to Pay |
(b) (1) When an offender on probation defaults in the payment of supervision fees or any installment thereof, the court may require the offender to show cause why he or she would not be imprisoned for nonpayment. (2) The offender shall not be imprisoned if the offender is financially unable to make the payments and states so to the court in writing, under oath, and the court so finds. (3) Unless the offender shows that his or her default was not attributable to a purposeful refusal to obey the sentence of the court or to a failure on his or her part to make a good faith effort to obtain the funds required for payment, the court may order the defendant imprisoned until the payments are made. (4) If the court determines that the default in payment is not attributable to the causes specified in subdivision (b)(3) of this section, the court may enter an order allowing the offender additional time for payment, reducing the amount of each installment, or revoking the fees or the unpaid portion thereof in whole or in part. (c) (1) The offender on parole may be imprisoned for violation of parole if the offender is financially able to make the payments and if the payments are not made and the Parole Board so finds, subject to the limitations set out in this subsection. (2) The offender shall not be imprisoned if the offender is financially unable to make the payments and states so under oath to the Parole Board in writing, and the Parole Board so finds. (d) Court costs under § 16-10-305 shall be collected in full before any fees are collected under this section.
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"The offender is financially unable to make the payments." |
Not provided for | Burden on defendant to show inability to pay | Determined by judge without hearing | Yes |
Additional Time, Reduced Payments, Revoke Fees. |
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Arkansas | Ark. Code Ann. § 5-65-114 | Inability to Pay -- Alternative Public Service Work |
If a court finds that a person against whom fines, fees, or court costs are levied for violating this chapter is financially unable to pay the fines, fees, or costs, the court shall order the person to perform public service work as the court determines is appropriate.
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"Financially unable to pay the fines, fees, or costs." |
Not provided for | Not provided for | Not provided for | Yes |
Community Service. |
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Arkansas | Ark. Code Ann. § 5-4-303(g)(2)(B) | Conditions of Suspension or Probation |
The amount of the assessed attorney's fee shall be commensurate with the defendant's ability to pay. |
All | Not provided for | Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Determined by judge without hearing | Yes |
Waiver/Reduction of Fee. |
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Arkansas | A.C.A. § 5-2-331 | Cost of Mental Health Services, Examination, and Treatment of Defendant |
Rules establishing reasonable charges for the cost of treatment or other mental health services under this section shall provide for waiving or postponing the collection of the charges based on: (A) Clinical considerations; (B) The defendant's inability to pay; or (C) A court determination that the defendant is wholly or partly indigent and qualifies for the appointment of an attorney under § 16-87-213.
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All | Not provided for | At enforcement of fine or fee | Not provided for | Administrative decision | No | Not provided for |
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Arkansas | A.C.A. § 16-13-704 | Installment Payments -- Definition |
(a) (1) If the court concludes that the defendant has the ability to pay the fine, but that requiring the defendant to make immediate payment in full would cause a severe and undue hardship for the defendant and the defendant's dependents, the court may authorize payment of the fine by means of installment payments in accordance with this subchapter; (d) "Ability to pay" means that the resources of the defendant, including all available income and resources, are sufficient to pay the fine and provide the defendant and his or her dependents with a reasonable subsistence compatible with health and decency.
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"The resources of the defendant, including all available income and resources, are sufficient to pay the fine and provide the defendant and his or her dependents with a reasonable subsistence compatible with health and decency."
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Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Not provided for | No | Not provided for |
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Kentucky | Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 533.030(2)(l) | Conditions of probation and conditional discharge; restitution to victim |
(2) When imposing a sentence of probation or conditional discharge, the court may, in addition to any other reasonable condition, require that the defendant: (l) Submit to periodic testing for the use of controlled substances or alcohol, if the defendant's record indicates a controlled substance or alcohol problem, and to pay a reasonable fee, as determined by the court, which fee shall not exceed the actual cost of the test and analysis and shall be paid directly to the agency or agencies responsible for testing and analysis as compensation for the cost of the testing and analysis, as specified by written order of the court, performed under this subsection. For good cause shown, the testing fee may be waived by the court;
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All |
Not provided for |
Not provided for | Not provided for | Determined by judge without hearing | No |
Fee waived |
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Kentucky | Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 533.030(2)(m) | Conditions of probation and conditional discharge; restitution to victim |
(2) When imposing a sentence of probation or conditional discharge, the court may, in addition to any other reasonable condition, require that the defendant: (m) Use an alcohol monitoring device, as defined in KRS 431.068. All costs associated with the device, including administrative and operating costs, shall be paid by the defendant. If the court determines that the defendant is indigent, and a person, county, or other organization has not agreed to pay the costs for the defendant in an attempt to reduce incarceration expenses and increase public safety, the court shall consider other conditions of probation or conditional discharge provided for in this section;
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Indigency |
Not provided for | Not provided for | Not provided for | Yes |
Alternative method of probation or conditional discharge imposed |
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Kentucky | Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 534.030(2) | Fines for felonies |
(2) In determining the amount and method of paying a fine for commission of a felony, the court shall consider, among others, the following factors: (a) The defendant's ability to pay the amount of the fine; (b) The hardship likely to be imposed on the defendant's dependents by the amount of the fine and the time and method of paying it; (c) The impact the amount of the fine will have on the defendant's ability to make reparation or restitution to the victim; and (d) The amount of the defendant's gain, if any, derived from the commission of the offense.
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Felony | Not provided for | Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Determined by judge without hearing | Yes |
Not specified |
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Kentucky | Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 534.045(1)-(3) | Assessment of reimbursement fee against jail prisoners; collection; fee determination; relevant evidence; modification |
(1) Pursuant to a conviction of a misdemeanor, including traffic offenses, where a person is sentenced to incarceration in the county jail, the District Court may assess a reimbursement fee to help defray the expenses of the prisoner's room and board. The reimbursement fee shall not exceed twenty-five percent (25%) of the prisoner's gross daily wages or forty dollars ($40) per day, whichever is less. All moneys shall be paid directly to the jailer.
(2) In determining whether a reimbursement fee as described in subsection (1) of this section is to be assessed, and in establishing the amount of the fee, the court shall consider evidence relevant to the prisoner's ability to pay the fee . . . (3) After considering all relevant evidence to the issue of the prisoner's ability to pay, the court shall enter as part of its judgment the amount of the reimbursement fee, if any, that shall be paid by the prisoner during his period of incarceration in the county jail. The fee shall bear a reasonable relationship to the person's income. Upon petition by the prisoner affected by the order, the amount may be modified to reflect any changes in the financial status of the prisoner. In any appeal that might be taken from the conviction, the amount of the reimbursement fee may be challenged. |
All | Not provided for | Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Not provided for | Yes |
Not specified |
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Kentucky | Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 510.320(2)-(3),(6) | Human immunodeficiency virus testing for defendants accused of certain sexual offenses; results; counseling when test positive; cost; effect of appeal |
(2) A defendant charged with an offense pursuant to this chapter which has sexual intercourse or deviate sexual intercourse as an element, or has sexual contact as an element when the circumstances of the case demonstrate a possibility of transmission of human immunodeficiency virus, shall upon initial court appearance on the charge, be informed by the judge of the availability of human immunodeficiency virus testing. The judge shall also notify the victim of the offense, or parent or guardian of the victim, that the defendant has been so notified.
(3) When a defendant has been convicted of any offense in subsection (2) of this section, other provisions of law to the contrary notwithstanding, the sentencing court, regardless of any prior human immunodeficiency virus test, shall order the defendant to undergo a human immunodeficiency virus test, under the direction of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services... (6) The cost of testing under this section shall be paid by the defendant tested, unless the court has determined the defendant to be indigent. |
All |
Indigency |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Determined by judge without hearing | Yes |
Not specified |
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Kentucky | Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 31.211(1) |
Determination of ability to pay partial fee for representation and services at arraignment; collection of unpaid partial fee by civil judgment; partial fee credited to local office or department; funds + See moreplaced in special trust and agency account
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At arraignment, the court shall conduct a nonadversarial hearing to determine whether a person who has requested a public defender is able to pay a partial fee for legal representation, the other necessary services and facilities of representation, and court costs. The court shall order payment in an amount determined by the court and may order that the payment be made in a lump sum or by installment payments to recover money for representation provided under this chapter. This partial fee determination shall be made at each stage of the proceedings.
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All |
Not provided for |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Determined by judge after hearing | Yes |
If the court finds that an individual is unable to pay (is "needy") the court shall waive all costs, see Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 31.110 |
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Kentucky | Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 24A.175 | Court costs for criminal cases in District Court; payment required; exceptions; treatment of minor defendant |
The taxation of court costs against a defendant, upon conviction in a case, including persons sentenced to state traffic school as provided under KRS 186.574, shall be mandatory and shall not be subject to probation, suspension, proration, deduction, or other form of nonimposition in the terms of a plea bargain or otherwise, unless the court finds that the defendant is a poor person as defined by KRS 453.190(2) and that he or she is unable to pay court costs and will be unable to pay the court costs in the foreseeable future.
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All |
Not provided for |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Not provided for | Yes |
Not specified |
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Kentucky | Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 24A.178(3) | Additional fee for sex crime, stalking, or related inchoate offenses |
The court may waive all or any portion of the fee required by this section if the court finds that a person subject to the surcharge is indigent or financially unable to pay all or any portion of the surcharge. The court may waive only the portion of the surcharge that the court finds the person is financially unable to pay.
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All |
"Indigent or financially unable to pay" |
Not provided for | Not provided for | Not provided for | No |
Waiver of fee |
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Kentucky | Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 441.265(2)(b) | Required reimbursement by prisoner of costs of confinement; local policy of fee and expense rates; billing and collection methods |
(b) Rates charged may be adjusted in accordance with the fee and expense reimbursement policy based upon the ability of the prisoner confined to the jail to pay, giving consideration to any legal obligation of the prisoner to support a spouse, minor children, or other dependents. The prisoner's interest in any jointly owned property and the income, assets, earnings, or other property owned by the prisoner's spouse or family shall not be used to determine a prisoner's ability to pay.
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Not provided for |
Not provided for | Not provided for | Administrative decision | No |
Not specified |
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Kentucky | Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 534.020 | "Methods of imposing fines; installment payment plan; determination of reason for defendant's default; show cause hearing; certain installment payments not to be reported as liquidated debt" |
(2) If the court establishes an installment payment plan for a defendant to pay the full amount of court costs, fees, or fines: (a) The defendant shall be given notice of the total amount due, the payment frequency, and the date by which all payments must be made. The notice shall indicate that if the defendant has not complied with the installment payment plan by the scheduled date, he or she shall appear on that date to show good cause as to why he or she is unable to satisfy the obligations. This notice shall be given to the defendant in writing on a form provided by the Administrative Office of the Courts;
(3)(a) If a defendant is required to appear at a show cause hearing pursuant to subsection (2)(a) of this section, the court shall determine whether the defendant's default in payment of court costs, fees, or fines is: 1. Excusable due to an inability to pay, and if so, the court may enter an order allowing additional time for payment, reducing the amount of each installment, or modifying the manner of payment in any other way; or 2. Willful and not due to an inability to pay, and if so, the court may order the defendant to jail on the condition that the defendant shall be released upon payment or completion of daily credit pursuant to KRS 534.070. |
All | Not provided for | At enforcement of fine or fee | Not provided for | Determined by judge after hearing | Yes |
Allowing additional time for payment, reducing the amount of each installment, or modifying the manner of payment in any other way. |
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Kentucky | Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 441.265(5) | "Required reimbursement by prisoner of costs of confinement; local policy of fee and expense rates; billing and collection methods" |
(5) The governing body of the county may require a prisoner who is confined in the county jail to pay a reasonable fee, not exceeding actual cost, for any medical treatment or service received by the prisoner. However, no prisoner confined in the jail shall be denied any necessary medical care because of inability to pay.
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All |
Not provided for |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Administrative decision | Yes |
N/A |
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Kentucky | Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 532.454(5) | Persons prohibited from probation or postincarceration supervision; procedure when probation or postincarceration supervision not prohibited |
(5) The offender shall pay for any evaluation or treatment required pursuant to this section up to the offender's ability to pay but not more than the actual cost of the comprehensive sex offender presentence evaluation or treatment.
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Not provided for |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Administrative decision | No |
N/A |
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.