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Overdue court fines

Information about what happens if a fine given to you by the Court becomes overdue, and your options to deal with it.

If you don’t pay your fine by the due date, it will become overdue and will be sent to Revenue NSW. Revenue NSW can take steps to recover the fine.

If you do not take action to resolve your overdue fine by the due date, Revenue NSW may take action to recover the debt. 

Your licence will usually be suspended first, then any vehicles registered in your name, and if you still do not pay within 21 days of having your licence suspended, Revenue NSW will move on to the other recovery actions (called 'civil enforcement'). Revenue NSW will add $65.00 (as at July 2023) to the fine for each of the recovery actions that it takes.

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. 

If you don’t pay the amount owing in an overdue fine, Revenue NSW can direct TfNSW to suspend your driver's licence and cancel the registration for any car or vehicle in your name.

If your licence is suspended you can’t drive. If your vehicle registration is cancelled, you can’t drive that vehicle. It is important that you don’t ignore your Transport for NSW restrictions. Further penalties will apply if you continue to drive while suspended or are caught driving an unregistered vehicle/vessel. 

In some cases, Revenue NSW can negotiate to lift Transport for NSW restrictions when overdue fines are still owing. Contact Revenue NSW if you have more questions about Transport for NSW restrictions and how to have them lifted.

You should check with TfNSW that any restrictions on your licence or registration have been lifted before driving. 

TfNSW exchanges information with licensing authorities in other states. If your licence is suspended, cancelled or disqualified in NSW you will not be able to get a licence in another state. If you have a NSW driver's licence and commit a traffic offence in another state, demerit points may be added to your NSW licence.

A Property Seizure Order allows the sheriff to seize your personal property and sell it to pay the amount you owe.

If a Property Seizure Order is issued and the sheriff is going to seize your personal property, has seized your personal property or has seized property you dispute you owe, you should get legal advice.

A garnishee order allows Revenue NSW to take money from your wages or bank accounts. This means that Revenue NSW can take a part of your wages to pay the amount you owe. Revenue NSW can also take money from your bank account.

If Revenue NSW garnishes your wages or bank accoun​t, you should get legal advice.

An Examination Notice requires you to provide details about your financial circumstances to Revenue NSW.  If you fail to provide your financial details on the Examination Notice, Revenue NSW can issue an Order for Examination.  An Order for Examination is an order that you attend a Local Court where a representative of Revenue NSW will ask you questions about your financial situation.

If you are served with an Examination Notice and do not attend court, a warrant can be issued for your arrest. If you are served with an Examination Notice you should get legal advice.

If you own land in NSW, Revenue NSW can register an interest (charge) on your land. A charge on your land means that you cannot sell your land without paying the debt owed to Revenue NSW.

If Revenue NSW has registered a charge on your land, you should get legal advice.

If you hold a licence and/or have a vehicle registered in your name from another state or territory or you have an international licence you have 'visitor driving privileges' which means you can drive in NSW on your interstate or international licence.

Revenue NSW can remove permission for you to drive on any roads in NSW

For more information about getting a suspension of visitor driving privileges lifted, see Unpaid fines.

Revenue NSW may send private debt collection companies to visit the homes of some people who have overdue fines from unpaid fines.  If you receive a visit from a debt collector, you should get legal advice.

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.

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. 

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. 

A WDO is available if you:

  • are experiencing serious financial hardship
  • are experiencing a mental health condition
  • have an intellectual or cognitive disability  
  • are experiencing homelessness 
  • are experiencing an alcohol or substance use disorder 
  • are under the age of 18.

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.

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:

  • you are not able to pay the fine and will not be able to pay in the future
  • you don’t have any property or possessions that can be taken and sold to pay the fine
  • you don’t own any land
  • you cannot complete community service
  • a work and development order is not appropriate for you 

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.

Resources

Can't pay your fines

This page has information about how a Work and Development Order (WDO) can help you if you can't pay your fine and how you can reduce your fines by up to $1000 a month.

Reviewing Local Court decisions

This page has information on what to do if you miss your court date and how to apply for an annulment in a Local Court in New South Wales.

Appealing to the district court

This page has information about how to appeal against orders made in the Local or Children’s court if you are not happy about a decision that was made in your case.