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Criminal fines and debt

Criminal fines from a court are very important debts. Courts have special powers to collect fines.

Contact the court straight away if:


  • You are struggling to make the payments or
  • You have missed a payment

The court can take action that makes your fine harder to deal with if you do not contact them.

What happens if I cannot pay my fine?

The consequences of not paying a fine can be very serious.

The court’s powers vary between the different countries of the UK.

The most common methods to collect fines include:

England and Wales


  • Taking a regular weekly amount straight from some benefits
  • Ordering your employer to send a percentage of your wage to the court
  • Bailiffs and enforcement officers visiting your home to remove and sell goods
  • Adding the fine to a public register so it appears on your credit file
  • Ordering you to carry out unpaid work in the community
  • You can be sent to prison, as a last resort

Scotland


  • Taking a regular weekly amount straight from some benefits
  • Ordering your employer to send a percentage of your wage to the court
  • Taking money directly from your bank account using a bank arrestment
  • Clamping and towing away your vehicle
  • Ordering you to carry out unpaid work in the community
  • You can be sent to prison, as a last resort

Northern Ireland


  • Taking a regular weekly amount straight from your benefits
  • Ordering your employer to send a percentage of your wage to the court
  • Adding the fine to a public register so it appears on your credit file
  • You can be sent to prison

It’s more common to be sent to prison for non-payment of fines in Northern Ireland as there are fewer ways to enforce payment of the fine.

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Prison for non-payment of fines

Prison is a risk for not paying a criminal fine in all UK countries.

This is normally only used as a last resort for people who are:


  • Ignoring the fine or
  • Trying to avoid payment

This is why you must let the court know if you are struggling to afford the payments.

It is unlikely they will send you to prison if they understand you are not ignoring the fine, and are making every effort to pay what you can.

Get free debt advice for help finding out what you can pay.