From ​April 2013, Revenue NSW may send private debt collection companies to visit th​e homes of some people who have unpaid overdue fines.​ If you re​​​ceive a visit from a debt collector, you should get legal advice.

If you received a payment under the National Redress Scheme, a reparations payment or a funeral assistance payment through Aboriginal Affairs NSW, Revenue NSW may put your fine on hold or write off your fine. Revenue NSW can’t do this for all fines. You can give permission to the National Redress Scheme or Aboriginal Affairs NSW to contact Revenue NSW on your behalf.

Pay the fine in full

If you have received an overdue fine and you want to pay it in full, you can pay:

• online (by credit card)
• by phone (by credit card)
• in person at Australia Post or Service NSW Service Centre
• by BPAY
• by mail

For more information, go to the Revenue NSW website.

Apply for a payment plan

If you have received an overdue fine and would like a payment plan, you can apply by:

• phone, or
• online, or
• in writing.

Phone

To apply by phone, you should contact Revenue NSW Monday to Friday between 7 am to 7 pm by calling:

• Fines: 1300 138 118, or
• Overdue fines: 1300 655 805

Online

You can apply online through the MyPenalty or MyEnforcement portal on the Revenue NSW website.

Writing

You can apply in writing by completing a Payment Plan application at Revenue NSW. For more information see Set up a payment plan on the Revenue NSW website.

Before a making a payment plan application, it is a good idea to get some help working out what repayments you can afford. For help with this, talk to a financial counsellor. For referral to a free financial counsellor in your area, go to the Financial Counsellors' Association of NSW.

If you are already paying other fines off by a payment plan and you get a new fine, you can add the new fine to the existing payment plan. You should contact Revenue NSW if you want to do this.

​If Revenue NSW refuses your application for a payment plan, you can appeal this decision to the Hardship Review Board. Before you make this appeal you should get legal advice.

If TfNSW has suspended your licence or cancelled your vehicle registration, you may be able to have these restrictions lifted after you have made arrangements for a payment plan. For more information, see Consequences of an overdue fine.

Apply to have your overdue fine heard in court

You may apply to go to court once an overdue fine has been issued. However in your application you will need to prove that you were prevented from paying or managing your fine before the due date. This is called hindrance. You will need to supply supporting evidence, such as medical or travel documents. When an overdue fine is issued, any demerit points will remain on your licence until your court application is processed.

The outcome of the court application could be:

If Revenue NSW does not accept your court application for the overdue fine, you can ask the Local Court to cancel it. If the Local Court cancels your overdue fine, it is called an ‘annulment.’

Step by step guide: Taking an overdue fine to court.

​Taking a fine to court could mean you get a heavier penalty. Before taking an overdue fine to court, you should get legal advice. 

There is no time limit on applying to have your overdue fine heard in court, however, you should make your application as soon as you can. Any delay in applying without a good reason can affect your chances of the court application being accepted.

 You should provide Revenue NSW with your hinderance information and supporting evidence. For information on how to apply online, see Apply to go to court for a fine on the Revenue NSW website.

 The processing of your court application will be delayed if your hindrance reasons and supporting evidence are not provided to Revenue NSW.

If you do not have access to a computer or to the internet, you should contact Revenue NSW and ask them to send you a form.

There is no fee for making this application.

Most fines are for traffic offences, but you could also get an infringement notice for other offences, for example, shoplifting. These fines are called criminal infringement notices (CIN). If you received a CIN and your court application successful, your fine may be listed in a local court where it will be heard as if you were charged with the criminal offence. All CINs that are heard in court will appear on your criminal history and if you are convicted, it will appear on your criminal record. If you take a fine to court you could get a more serious penalty.

Before appealing any fine, you should get legal advice.

If Revenue NSW rejects your court application, you will have a further 28 days to ask the Local Court to cancel the overdue fine, make a payment or set u a payment plan before recovery action recommences.

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Request a review

Revenue NSW may review a fine, even if an overdue fine has been issued.

You can request a review either: 

• Online via myPenalty. 
• By writing a letter to Revenue NSW.
  

Apply for a Work and Development Order (WDO)

If you cannot pay your fine, you may be able to apply for a Work and Development Order (WDO).  A WDO is where you agree to do an activity, like unpaid work, a training course, or undergo a medical treatment plan to pay off some or all of your fines. 

The activities you can do vary, depending on your personal circumstances. Activities can include:

• unpaid work
• medical or mental health treatment
• a course
• financial counselling
• drug or alcohol treatment
• a mentoring program (if you are under 25).

Your application must be supported by an approved organisation. For a list of approved organisations, see Sponsors on the Revenue NSW website. If you want to have medical treatment then you will need a medical practitioner, for example a doctor, to support your application.

If you think you may be eligible for a Work and Development Order, contact the Revenue NSW Work and Development Order Hotline on 1300 478 879 or see Work and development order on the Revenue NSW website.

If Revenue NSW refuses your application for a Work and Development Order you can appeal this decision to the Hardship Review Board. Before you make this appeal, you should get legal advice.

Apply for a write off of your fine or fines

If you are unable to pay a fine and this is unlikely to change, you can write to Revenue NSW and ask for your fine to be written off.

You will need to show that because of your financial, medical or personal circumstances:

A write-off is a long process. Revenue NSW will first postpone your fines for five years. After five years, if your circumstances have not improved, Revenue NSW may agree to write your fines off completely. 

If you receive another overdue fine or your financial circumstances improve within five years Revenue NSW may ask you to pay the fine. If you are asked to pay a fine which has been written off, you should get legal advice.

For more information, go to the Revenue NSW website.

If Revenue NSW refuses your application for a write off you can appeal this decision to the Hardship Review Board. Before you make this appeal you should get legal advice.

Get help

If you are not sure what to do or you are thinking about applying for a Work and Development Order or applying to Revenue NSW to ask for a write-off of your fines, you should get further help.

You may also be able to get free advice or help from:

• Legal Aid NSW
• a Community Legal Centre
• a financial counsellor.