Poverty Penalties and Poverty Traps

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Below are the poverty penalties and poverty traps that meet your search criteria. Many include a See related provisions prompt which searches our database for laws that may pertain to your result.

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State Statute Description/Statute Name Statutory language Type of poverty penalty or poverty trap Level of offense Mandatory
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Michigan Mich. Comp. Laws § 257.907(11) Restitution by defendant convicted of misdemeanor
If a person fails to comply with an order or judgment issued under this section within the time prescribed by the court, the driver's license of that person shall be
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suspended under section 321a until full compliance with that order or judgment occurs. In addition to this suspension, the court may also proceed under section 908.
Driver's license suspension/impoundment All Yes
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Pennsylvania Pa. R. Crim. P. 430(B)(4) Failure to respond to traffic citation
(4) that failure to respond to the citation as provided above within the time specified: (a) shall result in the issuance of
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a summons when a violation of an ordinance or any parking offense is charged, or when the defendant is under 18 years of age, and in all other cases shall result in the issuance of a warrant for the arrest of the defendant; and (b) shall result in the suspension of the defendant’s driver’s license when a violation of the Vehicle Code is charged;
Driver's license suspension/impoundment Traffic Yes
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New Jersey N.J. Stat. Ann. § 2C:46-2 Consequences of Nonpayment
When a defendant sentenced to pay an assessment imposed pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1979, c. 396 (C.2C:43-3.1), a penalty imposed pursuant to section 11 of P.L.2001, c. 81 (C.2C:43-3.6),
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a penalty imposed pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2005, c. 73 (C.2C:14-10), monthly probation fee, fine, a penalty imposed pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1999, c. 295 (C.2C:43-3.5), other court-imposed financial obligations or to make restitution or pay child support or other support or maintenance ordered by a court defaults in the payment thereof or of any installment, upon the motion of the person authorized by law to collect the payment, the motion of the prosecutor, the motion of the victim entitled to payment of restitution, the motion of the Victims of Crime Compensation Office, the motion of the State or county Office of Victim and Witness Advocacy or upon its own motion, the court shall recall him, or issue a summons or a warrant of arrest for his appearance. The court shall afford the person notice and an opportunity to be heard on the issue of default. Failure to make any payment when due shall be considered a default. The standard of proof shall be by a preponderance of the evidence, and the burden of establishing good cause for a default shall be on the person who has defaulted. (1) If the court finds that the person has defaulted without good cause, the court shall: (a) Order the suspension of the driver's license or the nonresident reciprocity driving privilege of the person
Driver's license suspension/impoundment All Yes
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Virginia Va. Code Ann. § 53.1-127.4 Driver's license suspension
No suspension of driving privileges shall be issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles for failure or refusal to provide for immediate payment in full of fees imposed under §
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53.1-131.3 or for failure to make payments under a deferred or installment payment agreement unless the sheriff or jail superintendent has (i) entered into an agreement with the Department of Motor Vehicles pursuant to § 46.2-320.2, (ii) has obtained a judgment and court order for suspension or nonrenewal issued by a court of competent jurisdiction, and (iii) has provided to the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles electronic notice of such judgment or default and court order and the person's most current mailing address. The provisions of this section shall apply to all unpaid fees imposed under § 53.1-131.3 provided the sheriff or jail administrator or other entity under a contract pursuant to § 53.1-127.5 informs the person who owes the fees and receives signed certification of understanding at the time the deferred or installment payment agreement is entered into that upon failure or refusal to pay in accordance with the payment agreement the person's privilege to operate a motor vehicle shall be suspended pursuant to the provisions of § 46.2-320.2.
Driver's license suspension/impoundment All Yes
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Virginia Va. Code Ann. § 46.2-395. Suspension of license for failure or refusal to pay fines or costs
B. In addition to any penalty provided by law and subject to the limitations on collection under §§ 19.2-340 and 19.2-341, when any person is convicted of any violation of
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the law of the Commonwealth or of the United States or of any valid local ordinance and fails or refuses to provide for immediate payment in full of any fine, costs, forfeitures, restitution, or penalty lawfully assessed against him, or fails to make deferred payments or installment payments as ordered by the court, the court shall forthwith suspend the person's privilege to drive a motor vehicle on the highways in the Commonwealth. The driver's license of the person shall continue suspended until the fine, costs, forfeiture, restitution, or penalty has been paid in full.
Driver's license suspension/impoundment All Yes
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Mississippi Miss. Code. Ann. § 63-1-51 Grounds for revocation or suspension
It shall be the duty of the court clerk, upon conviction of any person holding a license issued pursuant to this article where the penalty for a traffic violation is
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as much as Ten Dollars ($10.00), to mail a copy of abstract of the court record or provide an electronically or computer generated copy of abstract of the court record immediately to the commissioner at Jackson, Mississippi, showing the date of conviction, penalty, etc., so that a record of same may be made by the Department of Public Safety. The commissioner shall forthwith revoke the license of any person for a period of one (1) year upon receiving a duly certified record of each person's convictions of any of the following offenses when such conviction has become final: . . . (f) Contempt for failure to pay a fine or fee or to respond to a summons or citation pursuant to a charge of a violation of this title.
Driver's license suspension/impoundment All Yes
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Tennessee Tenn. Code Ann. § 40-24-105(b) Collection; fines, costs and litigation taxes; license revocation
A license issued under title 55 for any operator or chauffeur shall be revoked by the commissioner of safety if the licensee has not paid all litigation taxes, court costs,
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and fines assessed as a result of disposition of any offense under the criminal laws of this state within one (1) year of the date of disposition of the offense. The license shall remain revoked until such time as the person whose license has been revoked provides proof to the commissioner of safety that all litigation taxes, court costs, and fines have been paid.
Driver's license suspension/impoundment All Yes
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Arizona Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 28-3308 Mandatory Suspension; Failure to Appear

On notification by the court that a person failed to appear as directed for a scheduled court appearance after service of a criminal complaint alleging a violation of a provision

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of this title, the department shall suspend the person’s driver license or nonresident operating privilege until the person appears. If the person appears and does not pay the person’s fines, surcharges or assessments, on notification by the court the department shall suspend the person’s driving privileges or restrict the person’s driving privileges as described in section 28-144 until the fines, surcharges and assessments are paid.

Driver's license suspension/impoundment Traffic Yes
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Delaware 21 Del. C. § 2732(b) Mandatory Revocation or Suspension of License or Refusal to Renew or Issue a Duplicate License

Upon receiving a record of the failure of a convicted person to pay a fine, costs or both as described in § 2731(b) of this title, or to timely complete

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a course of instruction pursuant to § 4175A or § 4177D of this title, the Department or its successor, shall: (1) If the convicted person is a resident of this State, forthwith suspend the convicted person's license until the fine, costs or both have been paid, or the court finds that the person has completed the necessary course of instruction and paid all applicable fees; and (2) If the convicted person is a nonresident of this State, forthwith suspend the convicted person's driving privileges in this State and immediately advise the Motor Vehicle Administrator of the state wherein the convicted person is a resident that the convicted person has failed to pay a fine, costs or both, or to timely complete a course of instruction pursuant to § 4175A or § 4177D of this title, and requesting that the convicted person's license to drive be suspended until the fine, costs or both have been paid, or the court finds that the person has completed the necessary course of instruction and paid all applicable fees.

Driver's license suspension/impoundment All Yes
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Florida Fla. Stat. Ann. § 322.245(1) Suspension of license upon failure of person charged with specified offense

(1) If a person charged with a violation of any of the criminal offenses enumerated in s. 318.17 or with the commission of any offense constituting a misdemeanor under chapter

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320 or this chapter fails to comply with all of the directives of the court within the time allotted by the court, the clerk of the traffic court shall mail to the person, at the address specified on the uniform traffic citation, a notice of such failure, notifying him or her that, if he or she does not comply with the directives of the court within 30 days after the date of the notice and pay a delinquency fee of up to $25 to the clerk, from which the clerk shall remit $10 to the Department of Revenue for deposit into the General Revenue Fund, his or her driver license will be suspended. The notice shall be mailed no later than 5 days after such failure. The delinquency fee may be retained by the office of the clerk to defray the operating costs of the office.

Driver's license suspension/impoundment All Yes
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Iowa Iowa Code § 321.210A(1) Suspension for failure to pay fine, surcharge, or costs

1. The department shall suspend the driver’s license of a person who, upon conviction of violating a law regulating the operation of a motor vehicle, has failed to pay the criminal

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fine or penalty, surcharge, or court costs, as follows:

a. Upon the failure of a person to timely pay the fine, penalty, surcharge, or court costs the clerk of the district court shall notify the person by regular mail that if the fine, penalty, surcharge, or court costs remain unpaid after sixty days from the date of mailing, the clerk will notify the department of the failure for purposes of instituting suspension procedures.

b. Upon the failure of a person to pay the fine, penalty, surcharge, or court costs within sixty days’ notice by the clerk of the district court as provided in paragraph “b”, the clerk shall report the failure to the department.

c. Upon receipt of a report of a failure to pay the fine, penalty, surcharge, or court costs from the clerk of the district court, the department shall in accordance with its rules, suspend the person’s driver’s license until the fine, penalty, surcharge, or court costs are paid.

Driver's license suspension/impoundment Traffic Yes
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Indiana Burns Ind. Code Ann. § 9-30-11-3 Notice to Three - Time Violator

If it appears from the records of a court that has jurisdiction to enforce ordinances that regulate parking violations that three (3) judgments concerning a motor vehicle have not been

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paid before the deadlines established by a statute, an ordinance, or a court order, the clerk of the court shall send a notice to the person who is the registered owner of the motor vehicle. The notice must inform the person of the following:(1) That the clerk will send a referral to the bureau if the judgments are not paid within thirty (30) days after a notice was mailed. (2) That the referral will result in the suspension of the motor vehicle's registration if the judgments are not paid.

Driver's license suspension/impoundment Traffic Yes
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Rhode Island R.I. Gen. Laws. Ann. § 12-21-33 Suspension of operators' license for failure to pay costs, fines, fees, or assessments

A judge of the superior or district court or the traffic tribunal may order the suspension of a person's license issued pursuant to chapter 10 of title 31 if the

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person fails to pay court ordered costs, fines, fees, restitution or assessments within the time period provided for in an order of the court. The judge may order the suspension to be effective until the person complies with the court order.

Driver's license suspension/impoundment All Yes
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South Dakota S.D. Codified Laws § 32-35-62 Failure to pay installments--Suspension of licenses.

In the event the judgment debtor referred to in § 32-35-61 fails to pay any installment as specified by such order, then upon notice of such default, the Department of

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Public Safety shall forthwith suspend the license or nonresident's operating privilege and the Department of Revenue shall forthwith suspend the registration of the judgment debtor until such judgment is satisfied, as provided in this chapter.

Driver's license suspension/impoundment All Yes
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South Dakota S.D. Codified Laws § 32-35-57 Length of suspension pursuant to Section 32-35-52

A license, registration, and nonresident's operating privilege suspended pursuant to § 32-35-52 shall remain so suspended and shall not be renewed, nor shall any such license or registration be thereafter

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issued in the name of such person, including any such person not previously licensed, unless and until every such judgment is stayed, satisfied in full, or to the extent provided in § 32-35-59, and until the said person gives proof of financial responsibility subject to the exemptions stated in §§ 32-35-54, 32-35-55, and 32-35-61.

Driver's license suspension/impoundment All Yes
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Washington Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 46.20.289 Suspension for failure to respond, appear, etc

Except for traffic violations committed under RCW 46.61.165, the department shall suspend all driving privileges of a person when the department receives notice from a court under RCW 46.63.070(6), 46.63.110(6),

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or 46.64.025 that the person has failed to respond to a notice of traffic infraction for a moving violation, failed to appear at a requested hearing for a moving violation, violated a written promise to appear in court for a notice of infraction for a moving violation, or has failed to comply with the terms of a notice of traffic infraction, criminal complaint, or citation for a moving violation, or when the department receives notice from another state under Article IV of the nonresident violator compact under RCW 46.23.010 or from a jurisdiction that has entered into an agreement with the department under RCW 46.23.020, other than for a standing, stopping, or parking violation, provided that the traffic infraction or traffic offense is committed on or after July 1, 2005. A suspension under this section takes effect pursuant to the provisions of RCW 46.20.245, and remains in effect until the department has received a certificate from the court showing that the case has been adjudicated, and until the person meets the requirements of RCW 46.20.311. In the case of failure to respond to a traffic infraction issued under RCW 46.55.105, the department shall suspend all driving privileges until the person provides evidence from the court that all penalties and restitution have been paid. A suspension under this section does not take effect if, prior to the effective date of the suspension, the department receives a certificate from the court showing that the case has been adjudicated.

Driver's license suspension/impoundment Traffic Yes
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West Virginia W. Va. Code § 62-4-17 Suspension of licenses for failure to pay fines and costs or failure to appear in court

(a) If costs, fines, forfeitures, penalties or restitution imposed by the circuit court upon conviction of a person for any criminal offense under this code are not paid in full when

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ordered to do so by the court, the circuit clerk shall notify the Division of Motor Vehicles of such failure to pay: Provided, That at the time the judgment is imposed, the court shall provide the person with written notice that failure to pay the same when ordered to do so shall result in the suspension of such person’s license or privilege to operate a motor vehicle in this state and that such suspension could result in the cancellation of, the failure to renew or the failure to issue an automobile insurance policy providing coverage for such person or such person’s family: Provided, however, That the failure of the court to provide such notice shall not affect the validity of any suspension of such person’s license or privilege to operate a motor vehicle in this state. For purposes of this section, such period of time within which the person is required to pay shall be stayed during any period an appeal from the conviction which resulted in the imposition of such costs, fines, forfeitures or penalties is pending.

Upon such notice, the Division of Motor Vehicles shall suspend the person’s driver’s license or privilege to operate a motor vehicle in this state until such time that the costs, fines, forfeitures or penalties are paid.

 

Driver's license suspension/impoundment All Yes
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Wyoming Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 31-9-303 Continued suspension until judgment satisfied; discharge in bankruptcy

Except as provided in W.S. 31-9-305, the license, registration and nonresident's operating privilege shall not be renewed, nor shall any license or registration be issued in the name of the

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person, including any person not previously licensed, until every judgment is stayed, satisfied or discharged, except that a discharge in bankruptcy does satisfy the judgment for the purposes of this section.

Driver's license suspension/impoundment All Yes