50-State Criminal Justice Debt Reform Builder Bringing transparency to areas of significant legal complexity.
Collections Infrastructure
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 collections infrastructure provisions that meet your search criteria.
80 Results
| State | Statute | Description/Statute Name | Statutory language | |
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Nebraska | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 29-2407 | Liens |
Judgments for fines and costs in criminal cases shall be a lien upon all the property of the defendant within the county from the time of docketing the case by the clerk of the proper court, and judgments upon forfeited recognizance shall be a like lien from the time of forfeiture. No property of any convict shall be exempt from execution issued upon any such judgment as set out in this section against such convict except in cases when the convict is sentenced to a Department of Correctional Services adult correctional facility for a period of more than two years or to suffer death, in which cases there shall be the same exemptions as at the time may be provided by law for civil cases. The lien on real estate of any such judgment for costs shall terminate as provided in section 25-1716.
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Nebraska | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 29-2409 | Replevy of fine and costs; recognizance; effect |
It shall be lawful for any person or persons convicted of any criminal offense to replevy the judgment for the fine and costs, or the costs only when no fine shall be imposed, by such convicted person or persons, with one or more good and sufficient freeholders, entering into a recognizance before the court or magistrate, to the people of this state, for the payment of such fine and costs, or costs only, within five months from the date of the acknowledgment; which recognizance so taken is hereby declared valid in law, and to create a lien on the real estate of all such persons as shall acknowledge the same. Upon the breach thereof, execution shall be issued against the goods and chattels, lands and tenements of the persons who entered into the recognizance, in the same manner as if it had been a judgment, which execution shall be collected in the same manner as is prescribed in section 29-2408. No scire facias shall be necessary previous to issuing such execution.
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Nebraska | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 29-2410 | Replevy of fine and costs; effect |
In all cases where the person or persons, convicted as aforesaid, shall replevy the fine and costs, as is provided in the section 29-2409, no execution shall issue for such fine and costs as prescribed in the section 29-2408, and further, such person or persons, after replevying the fine and costs as aforesaid, shall not be imprisoned for such fine and costs, but such person or persons shall be wholly discharged from any imprisonment in consequence of any conviction, unless where imprisonment is by this code made a part of the punishment. In that case such convicted person or persons shall be discharged from his, her or their imprisonment at the expiration thereof, if he, she or they have replevied the fine and costs as aforesaid.
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Nebraska | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 29-2411 | Judgments for fines, costs, and forfeited recognizances; execution in other counties |
Executions for fines and costs of prosecution, and on recognizances taken in pursuance of section 29-2409, may be issued into any county in this state. |
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New Hampshire | N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 616:5 | Powers of Selectmen |
Whenever a penalty or forfeiture or any part thereof is given to a town, the selectmen may sue therefor in the name of the town, shall defray the expenses of the action and may remit the penalty or forfeiture.
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New Hampshire | N.H. Rev. Stat. § 504-A:12(VI) | Powers and Duties of Probation or Parole Officers |
The powers and duties of probation or parole officers shall be: VI. To collect or to supervise the collection of any fees, fines, or restitution payments ordered and to administratively process these funds under rules adopted under RSA 541-A by the commissioner.
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New Hampshire | N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 502-A:19-b | Pleas by Mail; Procedure |
Fines and fees owed pursuant to this section may be paid through the bail commissioner or court by credit card in accordance with procedures set forth by the district court administrative judge, or through the division of motor vehicles by credit card in accordance with procedures established by the director of the division of motor vehicles.
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Ohio | Ohio Rev. Code § 2929.37(D)-(E) | Policy requiring prisoner to pay costs of confinement |
(D) The reimbursement coordinator may collect any amounts remaining unpaid on an itemized bill and any costs associated with the enforcement of the judgment and may enter into a contract with one or more public agencies or private vendors to collect any amounts remaining unpaid. For enforcing a judgment issued under this section, the reimbursement coordinator may assess an additional poundage fee of two per cent of the amount remaining unpaid and may collect costs associated with the enforcement of the judgment.
(E) Neither the reimbursement coordinator nor the legislative authority or the managing authority shall enforce any judgment obtained under this section by means of execution against the prisoner’s homestead. Any reimbursement received under this section shall be credited to the general fund of the treasury of the political subdivision that incurred the expense, to be used for general fund purposes. |
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Oregon | Or. Rev. Stat. § 137.450 | Enforcement of money judgment in criminal action |
A judgment against the defendant or complainant in a criminal action, so far as it requires the payment of a fine, fee, assessment, costs and disbursements of the action or restitution, may be enforced as a judgment in a civil action.
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Rhode Island | R.I. Gen. Laws. Ann. § 12-21-21 | Guilty plea and payment of fine by person outside state |
Whenever any person who is charged with the commission of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine shall be outside the confines of this state, the defendant may, with the approval of a judge of the district court for the division in which the complaint may be pending, or with the approval of the justice of the superior court in charge of criminal appeals if the cause is pending on appeal before the superior court, by instrument in writing and duly acknowledged before an appropriate officer, authorize his or her attorney of record to appear in open court and enter on his or her behalf a plea of guilty or nolo contendere, and to pay the fine that may be assessed by the court, together with the costs of prosecution, if any, that may be assessed by the court. Every written authorization shall be filed with the clerk of the court, and shall be retained by the clerk, together with the original complaint, as a portion of the record of the case.
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South Dakota | S.D. Codified Laws § 16-2-43 | Automation surcharge transferred to state treasurer — Deposits in court automation fund — Portion of funds in law enforcement officers' training fund |
The clerk of courts shall collect all amounts due under §§ 16-2-29.5, 16-2-39, and 16-2-41 and transmit such amounts monthly to the state treasurer who shall place such amounts received into the Unified Judicial System court automation fund. For any search performed after June 30, 2015, the state treasurer shall place five dollars of the twenty dollar fee collected pursuant to § 16-2-29.5 into the law enforcement officers' training fund.
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Texas | Tex. Code Crim. Proc. Art. 103.003 | Collection |
(a) District and county attorneys, clerks of district and county courts, sheriffs, constables, and justices of the peace may collect money payable under this title. (b) A community supervision and corrections department and a county treasurer may collect money payable under this title with the written approval of the clerk of the court or fee officer, and may collect money payable as otherwise provided by law.
(c) This article does not limit the authority of a commissioners court to contract with a private vendor or private attorney for the provision of collection services under Article 103.0031. |
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Oregon | Or. Rev. Stat. § 1.202 | Fee for establishing and administering account for judgment that includes monetary obligation; fee for judgment referred for collection. |
(1) All circuit courts and appellate courts of this state, and all commissions, departments and divisions in the judicial branch of state government, shall add a fee of not less than $ 50 and not more than $ 200 to any judgment that includes a monetary obligation that the court or judicial branch is charged with collecting. The fee shall cover the cost of establishing and administering an account for the debtor and shall be added without further notice to the debtor or further order of the court. The fee shall be added only if the court gives the defendant a period of time in which to pay the obligation after the financial obligation is imposed. Fees under this subsection shall be deposited in the General Fund.
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Washington | Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 3.66.120 | Court-ordered restitution--Enforcement |
All court-ordered restitution obligations that are ordered as a result of a conviction for a criminal offense in a court of limited jurisdiction may be enforced in the same manner as a judgment in a civil action by the party or entity to whom the legal financial obligation is owed. The judgment and sentence must identify the party or entity to whom restitution is owed so that the state, party, or entity may enforce the judgment. All court-ordered restitution obligations may be enforced at any time during the ten-year period following the offender's release from total confinement or within ten years of entry of the judgment and sentence, whichever period is longer. Prior to the expiration of the initial ten-year period, the court may extend the criminal judgment an additional ten years for payment of court-ordered restitution only if the court finds that the offender has not made a good faith attempt to pay. The party or entity to whom the court-ordered restitution obligation is owed may utilize any other remedies available to the party or entity to collect the court-ordered financial obligation.
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Washington | Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 3.66.130 | Court-ordered restitution--Payment |
If the party or entity for whom a court-ordered restitution obligation has been entered pursuant to this title seeks to enforce the judgment as a lien on real estate, he or she shall commence a lien of judgment upon the real estate of the judgment debtor/obligor as provided in RCW 4.56.200.
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Texas | Tex. Code Crim. Proc. Art. 103.025 | Alternative Payment Procedure for Certain Past Due Fines and Costs |
a) This article applies to a defendant's past due payment on a judgment for a fine and related court costs if a capias pro fine has been issued in the case.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the court may adopt an alternative procedure for collecting a past due payment described by Subsection (a). Under the procedure, a peace officer who executes a capias pro fine or who is authorized to arrest a defendant on other grounds and knows that the defendant owes a past due payment described by Subsection (a): (1) shall inform the defendant of: (A) the possibility of making an immediate payment of the fine and related court costs by use of a credit or debit card; and (B) the defendant's available alternatives to making an immediate payment; and (2) may accept, on behalf of the court, the defendant's immediate payment of the fine and related court costs by use of a credit or debit card, after which the peace officer may release the defendant as appropriate based on the officer's authority for the arrest. (c) A peace officer accepting a payment under Subsection (b)(2) may also accept payment for fees for the issuance and execution of the capias pro fine. |
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Washington | Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 9.94A.760(5),(9)-(10),(13) | Legal financial obligations |
(5) Independent of the department or the county clerk, the party or entity to whom the legal financial obligation is owed shall have the authority to use any other remedies available to the party or entity to collect the legal financial obligation. These remedies include enforcement in the same manner as a judgment in a civil action by the party or entity to whom the legal financial obligation is owed. Restitution collected through civil enforcement must be paid through the registry of the court and must be distributed proportionately according to each victim’s loss when there is more than one victim. The judgment and sentence shall identify the party or entity to whom restitution is owed so that the state, party, or entity may enforce the judgment.
(9) After the judgment and sentence or payment order is entered, the department is authorized, for any period of supervision, to collect the legal financial obligation from the offender. Subsequent to any period of supervision or, if the department is not authorized to supervise the offender in the community, the county clerk is authorized to collect unpaid legal financial obligations from the offender. Any amount collected by the department shall be remitted daily to the county clerk for the purpose of disbursements. The department and the county clerks are authorized, but not required, to accept credit cards as payment for a legal financial obligation, and any costs incurred related to accepting credit card payments shall be the responsibility of the offender. (10) The department or any obligee of the legal financial obligation may seek a mandatory wage assignment for the purposes of obtaining satisfaction for the legal financial obligation pursuant to RCW 9.94A.7701. Any party obtaining a wage assignment shall notify the county clerk. The county clerks shall notify the department, or the administrative office of the courts, whichever is providing the monthly billing for the offender. (13) The department shall arrange for the collection of unpaid legal financial obligations during any period of supervision in the community through the county clerk. The department shall either collect unpaid legal financial obligations or arrange for collections through another entity if the clerk does not assume responsibility or is unable to continue to assume responsibility for collection pursuant to subsection (5) of this section. The costs for collection services shall be paid by the offender. |
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Washington | Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 9.94A.780(5) | Offender supervision intake fees |
(5) All amounts required to be paid under this section shall be collected by the department of corrections and deposited by the department in the dedicated fund established pursuant to RCW 72.11.040.
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West Virginia | W. Va. Code § 59-1-29 | Collection of such fees |
Each clerk of the county commission, sheriff, clerk of the circuit court and prosecuting attorney shall have charge of and collect the fees, costs, percentages, penalties, commissions, allowances, compensation, income and all other perquisites of whatever kind which are now or may hereafter be allowed by law. Whenever there remain due the county and unpaid, for a period of more than six months, any fees, costs, percentages, penalties, commissions, allowances, compensation, income or any other perquisites of any kind, it shall be the duty of the county commission, or other tribunal in lieu thereof, by the prosecuting attorney, to proceed to the collection thereof in the circuit court or magistrate court, upon motion whereof the defendant and the sureties on his bond shall have at least twenty days’ notice, or in any other manner provided for by law, and the amount so collected shall be paid into the county treasury to the credit of the general county fund.
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West Virginia | W. Va. Code § 59-1-12 | Payment of fines by credit card or payment plan |
A circuit court may accept credit cards in payment of all fines, cost, forfeiture, restitution or penalties. The Supreme Court of Appeals shall adopt rules regarding the use of credit or check cards to pay fines, and any charges made by the credit card company may be paid from the gross credit card collections.
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