Paying a court fine
How to pay a court fine
If you have been fined by the court, you will be sent a Notice of Penalty which will say how much you have to pay. The court will usually give you 28 days to pay your court fine.
You can pay by:
- credit card over the phone on 1300 679 272
- credit card online on the
NSW Online Registry website - cheque or money order
- EFTPOS at the court.
Sample: Notice of penalty - explained
For more information, see Paying fines and judgment amounts on the Local Court of NSW website.
How to ask for more time to pay
If you would like more time to pay your fine, you need to complete an application for 'Time to Pay a Court Fine'.
You need one form:
- Application for Time to Pay a Court Fine
You can get copies from:
Sample: Application for time to pay court fines
You should file the completed form at a Local Court registry. There is no filing fee.
An offer to pay instalments of less than $100.00 per fortnight may not be accepted, unless there are exceptional circumstances. If you are receiving a Veterans Affairs Pension, Centrelink Payments or you have a concession card, you can offer to pay less than $100.00 as long as you pay at least $15.00 per fortnight.
When making your instalment payments make sure they are paid on or before the due date. If you do not pay the instalment on time, the court will refer the matter to Revenue NSW and they will start enforcement action against you to collect the outstanding money. They may add an additional fee to the fine. If this happens, you can apply to pay by instalments through Revenue NSW. For more information, see Responding to an overdue fine.
If you are not able to pay a court fine that is being enforced by the Revenue NSW, you may be able to ask the NSW Attorney General to recommend that your fine is remitted. If your fine is remitted, you will not have to pay it. For more information, see Remission of fines and driver licence disqualifications on the Department of Communities and Justice website.
What happens if you do not pay?
If you do not pay your court fine and the court has not agreed for you to pay by instalments or given you an extension of time to pay, your fine will be referred to Revenue NSW.
Revenue NSW will also send you an overdue fine to recover the money from you. They will also add an additional fee to the fine. For more information about what to do when you receive an overdue fine, see Responding to an overdue fine.
Payment by instalments if you are on Centrelink benefits
If you receive a Centrelink benefit, such as a pension or newstart allowance, you can apply to have instalment payments deducted from your fortnightly benefit through Centrepay. This is called 'early enforcement'.
You need one form:
- Early Enforcement of Court Fines for Customers in Receipt of a Government Benefit
You can get a blank copy of the form from Revenue NSW.
Sample: Early Enforcement of Court Fines for Customers in Receipt of a Government Benefit
If your application is approved, Revenue NSW will write to you. The deductions from your Centrelink payment will continue until your fine is paid off.
Voluntary enforcement - Work and Development Orders (WDOs)
You can choose to have your court fine 'voluntarily enforced' by Revenue NSW, so that you can pay off your fine through a Work and Development Order (WDO). A WDO is where you agree to do an activity, such as unpaid work, a training course, or undergo a medical treatment plan, to pay off your fines.
To have the fine paid off through a WDO, you need to make a request (verbally or in writing) to the Local Court where the fine was issued, within 28 days of the court order. If you don't do this within 28 days, extra enforcement costs may be added.
Once you make the request, the Local Court will refer the fine to Revenue NSW. Revenue NSW will determine if you are eligible for a WDO.
You may be eligible for a WDO if you:
- have a mental illness
- have an intellectual disability or cognitive impairment
- have a serious addiction to drugs or alcohol
- are homeless, or
- are experiencing acute economic hardship (which can include where you rely on Centrelink benefits).
For more information on WDOs, see Can't pay your debt on the Revenue NSW website or contact the WDO Hotline on 1300 478 879.
You will not have to pay the $65 enforcement fee if you choose to have your court fine voluntarily enforced to do a WDO.