Multiple fines

If you have a large number of fines and you don't think you will ever be able to pay them, there are some options you can consider: 

​Financial counselling

If you have a number of old or unpaid fines, it may help to get some free financial counselling. A financial counsellor may be able to help you:

• decide what steps to take,
• talk to Revenue NSW
• write letters and fill out forms.

The Financial Counsellor's Association of NSW (FCAN) can help you to find a free financial counsellor. You can find services on the FCAN website or call them on 1300 914 408.

Community Service Order

If an overdue fine has been issued and hasn't been finalised, Revenue NSW can make a Community Service Order (CSO) that requires you to do community service work to pay off the fine. Revenue NSW will only make a order if all of the other recovery actions have been unsuccessful.

It is often better to try and work out a way to pay the fine or apply for a write-off, rather than wait for a order to be made against you. This is because if you breach a CSO, Revenue NSW can issue a warrant for you to be arrested and sent to prison. If you have been issued with a CSO or breached a CSO, you should get legal advice.

Work and Development Order

If you can't 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. A WDO is only available if you:

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.

For further assistance, you can contact:

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

For more information, see  Fined Out, written by Legal Aid, Redfern Legal Centre and the Inner City Legal Centre.

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

Write off

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

You may be eligible if you:

You will need to include supporting documents, such as medical reports, financial documents, letters from social workers or welfare agencies, copies of court orders, etc.

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-off your fines 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. 

If you need help asking for a write off, you may be able to get free help from:

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

You can also look at a resource called Fined Out. Fined Out was written by Legal Aid, Redfern Legal Centre and the Inner City Legal Centre and contains lots of useful information, together with sample forms and letters.

For more information, see the Apply to have your debt written off on the Revenue NSW website or get legal advice.

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.

Apply to have your fine heard in court

If you don't believe you broke the law you may want to apply to have your fine heard in court. If you had a reason for breaking the law and you think the fine is too harsh, you may also apply to have your fine heard in court and explain what happened. The magistrate must consider your ability to pay any fine they give you.

For more information, see Apply to have your fine heard in court.

You can apply to have your fine heard in court up until the due date on your fine reminder notice. 

If the due date on the fine reminder notice has passed, you will need to wait until you receive an overdue fine from Revenue NSW. You can apply to have an overdue fine heard in court however 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.

For more information, see What if I do nothing?

Challenging a fine in court can be complicated and you may have to pay costs for the court to hear your matter. Before you apply to have your fine heard in court, you should get legal advice.

Bankruptcy

If you have a number of debts that you cannot pay, you may be considering becoming bankrupt. If you want to file for bankruptcy, you should first get legal advice and speak to a financial counsellor.

Bankruptcy does not automatically end all fines debts. You will still have to pay fines that have been ordered by a court after your period of bankruptcy ends (usually three years). You will also have to pay any fines that you have received after you have been declared bankrupt.