Help with paying fines

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Find out about how court can help you if you are having trouble paying and how to add a new fine to a payment plan. If you have overpaid your fines find out how to get a refund. You can also find out about alternative sentences.

Find out how you can pay your fine

Help paying fines for employers

The court may give you more time or allow a payment plan

If you can’t pay your fine all at once or need more time to pay, call us on 0800 4 FINES to talk to the court about your options.

We may be able to extend the due date or offer you a payment plan (called a time to pay arrangement). The court decides whether to give you these options.

You may be able to:

  • pay directly from your wages or benefit

  • pay by automatic payment from your bank account

  • pay over the counter at a district court, PostShop or Westpac Bank using your notice of fine.

You need agreement from the court to start a payment plan.

Court staff may ask you about your finances to make sure you need the extra time. To help with this process you can download a statement of means form. You can fill out the form and either call us to tell us the information or email it to us.

Statement of means form [PDF, 187 KB]

Contact us to ask for help paying your fines

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The court can take enforcement action if you stop paying

If any payment is missed, or payment stops early, the court can take enforcement action against you. If you are having trouble meeting your payments or know you are going to miss a payment call us on 0800 4 FINES first to let us know.

Find out about enforcement action

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You must add new fines to your payment plan

If you receive a new fine and you cannot pay by the due date, contact us on 0800 4 FINES. You need to talk to us so that the court can add the new fines to your payment plan.

New fines will not be added to your payment plan automatically. Infringements need to be sent to the court before they can be added to your payment plan.

Find out more about infringement fines

We can refund overpaid fines

If you have paid too much, we will refund the extra money by direct credit. This can take upto 21 days.

Usually we will contact you if you have overpaid. If you know that you have overpaid and we have not contacted you yet, you can contact us.

Contact us to ask for a refund

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The court can give alternative sentences

An alternative sentence is an enforcement action that the court can take. Usually, the court only considers an alternative sentence when all other options have not worked.

Find out more about enforcement actions

Before the court considers an alternative sentence, they will look at your finances and property to find out if you can pay. An alternative sentence may include:

  • community work

  • home or community detention

  • prison.

If you would like to ask about an alternative sentence, go in to your local district court with financial information, such as a budget from a budget advisor or a bank statement, that shows why you cannot pay your fines.

Find a district court near you

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