50-State Criminal Justice Debt Reform Builder Bringing transparency to areas of significant legal complexity.
Ability to Pay
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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.
55 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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Kansas | Kan. Stat. Ann. ? 22-4529 | Entitlement of defendant to counsel; application fee; disposition of moneys |
Any defendant entitled to counsel pursuant to Kan. Stat. Ann. ? 22-4503, and amendments thereto, shall pay an application fee in the amount of $100 to the clerk of the + See moredistrict court. Any defendant entitled to counsel in a proceeding for a violation of a condition of release pursuant to Kan. Stat. Ann. ? 22-3716, and amendments thereto, shall pay an application fee of $100 to the clerk of the district court. Such fee shall be paid regardless of whether the defendant has paid application fees pursuant to this section in any other proceeding. If it appears to the satisfaction of the court that payment of the application fee will impose manifest hardship on the defendant, the court may waive payment of all or part of the application fee. All moneys received pursuant to this section shall be remitted to the state treasurer in accordance with the provisions of Kan. Stat. Ann. ? 75-4215, and amendments thereto. Upon receipt of each such remittance, the state treasurer shall deposit the entire amount in the state treasury to the credit of the indigents' defense services fund. If the defendant is acquitted or the case is dismissed, any application fee paid pursuant to this section shall be remitted to the defendant.
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"manifest hardship" |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Not provided for | No | Not provided for |
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Kansas | Kan. Stat. Ann. ? 60-2001(b) | Docket fee; authorized only by legislative enactment; poverty affidavit, court review; additional costs; certain sheriff's charges prohibited |
(b)?Poverty affidavit in lieu of docket fee. (1) Effect. In any case where a plaintiff by reason of poverty is unable to pay a docket fee, and an affidavit so + See morestating is filed, no fee will be required. An inmate in the custody of the secretary of corrections may file a poverty affidavit only if the inmate attaches a statement disclosing the average account balance, or the total deposits, whichever is less, in the inmate's trust fund for each month in: (A) The six-month period preceding the filing of the action; or (B) the current period of incarceration, whichever is shorter. Such statement shall be certified by the secretary. On receipt of the affidavit and attached statement, the court shall determine the initial fee to be assessed for filing the action and in no event shall the court require an inmate to pay less than $3. The secretary of corrections is hereby authorized to disburse money from the inmate's account to pay the costs as determined by the court. If the inmate has a zero balance in such inmate's account, the secretary shall debit such account in the amount of $3 per filing fee as established by the court until money is credited to the account to pay such docket fee. Any initial filing fees assessed pursuant to this subsection shall not prevent the court, pursuant to subsection (d), from taxing that individual for the remainder of the amount required under subsection (a) or this subsection.(2)?Form of affidavit. The affidavit provided for in this subsection shall set forth a factual basis upon which the plaintiff alleges by reason of poverty an inability to pay a docket fee, including, but not limited to, the source and amount of the plaintiff's weekly income. Such affidavit shall be signed and sworn to by the plaintiff under oath, before one who has authority to administer the oath, under penalty of perjury, Kan. Stat. Ann. ? 2015 Supp. 21-5903, and amendments thereto. The form of the affidavit shall be deemed sufficient if in substantial compliance with the form set forth by the judicial council.
(3)?Court review; grounds for dismissal; service of process. The court shall review any petition authorized for filing under this subsection. Upon such review, if the court finds that the plaintiff's allegation of poverty is untrue, the court shall direct the plaintiff to pay the docket fee or dismiss the petition without prejudice. Notwithstanding Kan. Stat. Ann. ? 60-301, and amendments thereto, service of process shall not issue unless the court grants leave following its review.
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All | Not provided for | Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Not provided for | Yes |
lower f ee |
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Kansas | Kan. Stat. Ann. ? 8-1567 | Driving a commercial motor vehicle under the influence; penalties |
In lieu of payment of a fine imposed pursuant to this section, the court may order that the person perform community service specified by the court. The person shall receive + See morea credit on the fine imposed in an amount equal to $5 for each full hour spent by the person in the specified community service. The community service ordered by the court shall be required to be performed not later than one year after the fine is imposed or by an earlier date specified by the court. If by the required date the person performs an insufficient amount of community service to reduce to zero the portion of the fine required to be paid by the person, the remaining balance of the fine shall become due on that date.
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Misdemeanor, Felony | Not provided for | At enforcement of fine or fee | Not provided for | Not provided for | No |
Community service |
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Kansas | Kan. Stat. Ann. ? 21-6604(d) | Authorized dispositions; crimes committed on or after July 1, 1993 |
(d) In addition to any of the above, the court shall order the defendant to reimburse the county general fund for all or a part of the expenditures by the + See morecounty to provide counsel and other defense services to the defendant. Any such reimbursement to the county shall be paid only after any order for restitution has been paid in full. In determining the amount and method of payment of such sum, the court shall take account of the financial resources of the defendant and the nature of the burden that payment of such sum will impose. A defendant who has been required to pay such sum and who is not willfully in default in the payment thereof may at any time petition the court which sentenced the defendant to waive payment of such sum or any unpaid portion thereof. If it appears to the satisfaction of the court that payment of the amount due will impose manifest hardship on the defendant or the defendant's immediate family, the court may waive payment of all or part of the amount due or modify the method of payment.
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All |
payment of the amount due will impose manifest hardship on the defendant or the defendant's immediate family |
At defendant's request before imposition of fine or fee | Burden on defendant to show inability to pay | Determined by judge after hearing | Yes |
the court may waive payment of all or part of the amount due or modify the method of payment |
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Kansas | Kan. Stat. Ann. § 21-6612(c) | Criteria for imposing fines |
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 + See moreits payment will impose.
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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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Kansas | Kan. Stat. Ann. § 22-3425(2) | Commitment for failure to pay fine and costs |
Any person confined in the county jail for failure to pay a fine or costs may be released by the court which imposed sentence, upon satisfactory proof that such person + See moreis unable to pay such fine and costs. A release under this section shall not discharge a person from his liability to pay the fine and costs adjudged against him, but they may thereafter be collected by execution as on judgments in civil cases.
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All | Not provided for | At enforcement of fine or fee | Not provided for | Not provided for | No |
converts to civil judgment |
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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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All |
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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All |
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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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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All |
Not provided for |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Administrative decision | No |
N/A |
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Kentucky | Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 532.354(1) | Copayment for medical treatment |
(1) A local government may require prisoners to make a reasonable copayment in advance of medical treatment received through a regional jail facility. No prisoner shall be denied medical treatment by reason of indigency, but a prisoner may be required to pay for medical treatment as part of any reimbursement order entered by the sentencing court.
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All |
Indigency |
Not provided for | Not provided for | Not provided for | No |
N/A |
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Kentucky | Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 532.352 | Reimbursement for costs of incarceration |
(1) The sentencing court may order a person who is sentenced to a term of incarceration for any nonstatus juvenile offense, moving traffic violation, criminal violation, misdemeanor, or Class D felony offense to reimburse the state or local government for the costs of his incarceration. The reimbursements paid under this subsection shall be credited to the local government sinking fund.
(2) The sentencing court shall determine the amount of incarceration costs to be paid based on the following factors: (a) The actual per diem, per person, cost of incarceration; (b) The cost of medical services provided to a prisoner less any copayment paid by the prisoner; and (c) The prisoner's ability to pay all or part of his incarceration costs. |
All |
Not provided for |
Not provided for | Not provided for | Not provided for | 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.