{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/19.2-353.5.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/19.2-353.5.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/19.2-353.5.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/19.2-353.5.html"}],"law_id":62533,"edition_id":1,"section_id":62533,"structure_id":15851,"section_number":"19.2-353.5","catch_line":"Interest on fines and costs","history":"1987, c. 648; 1988, cc. 106, 508; 1995, cc. 375, 566; 1996, c. 226; 2016, c. 282; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 388; 2025, c. 337.","full_text":"A\n\nFor purposes of this section, “incarcerated” or “incarceration” means confinement in a local or regional correctional facility, juvenile correctional facility, state correctional facility, residential detention center, or facility operated pursuant to the Corrections Private Services Act (§ 53.1-261 et seq.).B\n\nNo interest shall accrue on any fine or costs imposed in a criminal case or in a case involving a traffic infraction (i) for a period of 180 days following the date of the final judgment imposing such fine or costs; (ii) during any period the defendant is incarcerated; and (iii) for a period of 180 days following the date of the defendant’s release from incarceration if the sentence includes an active term of incarceration.C\n\nA person who owes fines and costs on which interest has accrued during a period of incarceration may move any court in which he owes fines and costs to waive the interest that accrued on such fines and costs during such period of incarceration. Upon certification of the period of incarceration by the superintendent, warden, or other official in charge of a correctional facility on a form developed by the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court, such interest shall be waived.D\n\nIn no event shall interest accrue during any period in which a fine, costs, or both a fine and costs are being paid in deferred or installment payments pursuant to an order of the court. Whenever interest on any unpaid fine or costs accrues, it shall accrue at the judgment rate of interest set forth in § 6.2-302.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":228039,"text":"For purposes of this section, “incarcerated” or “incarceration” means confinement in a local or regional correctional facility, juvenile correctional facility, state correctional facility, residential detention center, or facility operated pursuant to the Corrections Private Services Act (§ 53.1-261 et seq.).","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":228040,"text":"No interest shall accrue on any fine or costs imposed in a criminal case or in a case involving a traffic infraction (i) for a period of 180 days following the date of the final judgment imposing such fine or costs; (ii) during any period the defendant is incarcerated; and (iii) for a period of 180 days following the date of the defendant’s release from incarceration if the sentence includes an active term of incarceration.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"C"},"2":{"id":228041,"text":"A person who owes fines and costs on which interest has accrued during a period of incarceration may move any court in which he owes fines and costs to waive the interest that accrued on such fines and costs during such period of incarceration. Upon certification of the period of incarceration by the superintendent, warden, or other official in charge of a correctional facility on a form developed by the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court, such interest shall be waived.","type":"section","prefixes":["C"],"prefix":"C","entire_prefix":"C","prefix_anchor":"C","level":1,"prior_prefix":"B","next_prefix":"D"},"3":{"id":228042,"text":"In no event shall interest accrue during any period in which a fine, costs, or both a fine and costs are being paid in deferred or installment payments pursuant to an order of the court. Whenever interest on any unpaid fine or costs accrues, it shall accrue at the judgment rate of interest set forth in § 6.2-302.","type":"section","prefixes":["D"],"prefix":"D","entire_prefix":"D","prefix_anchor":"D","level":1,"prior_prefix":"C"}},"ancestry":[{"id":15851,"edition_id":1,"name":"Collection and Disposition of Fines","identifier":"3","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":14348,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 04:00:31","date_modified":"2026-06-26 04:00:31","permalink":{"id":170015,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15851,"identifier":"3","token":"19.2\/21\/3","url":"\/19.2\/21\/3\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":14348,"edition_id":1,"name":"Recovery of Fines and Penalties","identifier":"21","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12801,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:47:50","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:47:50","permalink":{"id":169977,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14348,"identifier":"21","token":"19.2\/21","url":"\/19.2\/21\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12801,"edition_id":1,"name":"Criminal Procedure","identifier":"19.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:53","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:53","permalink":{"id":168169,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12801,"identifier":"19.2","token":"19.2","url":"\/19.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":85694,"structure_id":15851,"section_number":"19.2-348","catch_line":"Attorneys for Commonwealth or clerks to superintend issue of executions, etc","url":"\/19.2-348\/","token":"19.2\/21\/3\/19.2-348","metadata":false},{"id":80926,"structure_id":15851,"section_number":"19.2-349","catch_line":"Responsibility for collections; clerks to report unsatisfied fines, etc.; duty of attorneys for Commonwealth; duties of Department of Taxation","url":"\/19.2-349\/","token":"19.2\/21\/3\/19.2-349","metadata":false},{"id":75946,"structure_id":15851,"section_number":"19.2-349.1","catch_line":"Receipt of unpaid fines, costs, forfeitures, penalties, or restitution by Department of Motor Vehicles","url":"\/19.2-349.1\/","token":"19.2\/21\/3\/19.2-349.1","metadata":false},{"id":78545,"structure_id":15851,"section_number":"19.2-350","catch_line":"When sheriff not to receive fines","url":"\/19.2-350\/","token":"19.2\/21\/3\/19.2-350","metadata":false},{"id":84581,"structure_id":15851,"section_number":"19.2-351","catch_line":"How fines disposed of; informer","url":"\/19.2-351\/","token":"19.2\/21\/3\/19.2-351","metadata":false},{"id":70306,"structure_id":15851,"section_number":"19.2-352","catch_line":"Officers to pay fines to clerks; default; forfeiture, etc","url":"\/19.2-352\/","token":"19.2\/21\/3\/19.2-352","metadata":false},{"id":68447,"structure_id":15851,"section_number":"19.2-353","catch_line":"Certain fines paid into Literary Fund","url":"\/19.2-353\/","token":"19.2\/21\/3\/19.2-353","metadata":false},{"id":66634,"structure_id":15851,"section_number":"19.2-353.1","catch_line":"Fieri facias and proceedings thereon","url":"\/19.2-353.1\/","token":"19.2\/21\/3\/19.2-353.1","metadata":false},{"id":78736,"structure_id":15851,"section_number":"19.2-353.2","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/19.2-353.2\/","token":"19.2\/21\/3\/19.2-353.2","metadata":false},{"id":80714,"structure_id":15851,"section_number":"19.2-353.3","catch_line":"Acceptance of checks and credit or debit cards in lieu of money; additional fee","url":"\/19.2-353.3\/","token":"19.2\/21\/3\/19.2-353.3","metadata":false},{"id":61198,"structure_id":15851,"section_number":"19.2-353.4","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/19.2-353.4\/","token":"19.2\/21\/3\/19.2-353.4","metadata":false},{"id":62533,"structure_id":15851,"section_number":"19.2-353.5","catch_line":"Interest on fines and costs","url":"\/19.2-353.5\/","token":"19.2\/21\/3\/19.2-353.5","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":61198,"structure_id":15851,"section_number":"19.2-353.4","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/19.2-353.4\/","token":"19.2\/21\/3\/19.2-353.4","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/19.2-353.5\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1987. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 648 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1987 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 5 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1988, chapters 106 and 508; in 1995, chapters 375<\/a> and 566<\/a>; in 1996, chapter 226<\/a>; in 2016, chapter 282<\/a>; in 2025, chapter 337<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":87276,"section_number":"53.1-261","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/53.1-261\/"},{"id":70402,"section_number":"6.2-302","catch_line":"Judgment rate of interest","order_by":null,"url":"\/6.2-302\/"}],"permalink":{"id":170061,"object_type":"law","relational_id":62533,"identifier":"19.2-353.5","token":"19.2\/21\/3\/19.2-353.5","url":"\/19.2-353.5\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/19.2-353.5\/","token":"19.2\/21\/3\/19.2-353.5","dublin_core":{"Title":"Interest on fines and costs","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 19.2-353.5","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> For purposes of this section, “incarcerated<\/span>” or “incarceration<\/span>” means confinement in a local or regional correctional facility, juvenile correctional facility, state correctional facility, residential detention center, or facility operated pursuant to the Corrections Private Services Act (§ 53.1-261<\/a> et seq.). <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> No interest shall accrue on any fine or costs imposed in a criminal case or in a case involving a traffic infraction (i) for a period of 180 days following the date of the final judgment<\/span> imposing such fine or costs; (ii) during any period the defendant<\/span> is incarcerated<\/span>; and (iii) for a period of 180 days following the date of the defendant<\/span>’s release from incarceration<\/span> if the sentence includes an active term of incarceration<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

C.<\/span> A person who owes fines and costs on which interest has accrued during a period of incarceration<\/span> may move any court<\/span> in which he owes fines and costs to waive<\/span> the interest that accrued on such fines and costs during such period of incarceration<\/span>. Upon certification of the period of incarceration<\/span> by the superintendent, warden, or other official in charge of a correctional facility on a form developed by the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court<\/span>, such interest shall be waived. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

D.<\/span> In no event shall interest accrue during any period in which a fine, costs, or both a fine and costs are being paid in deferred or installment payments pursuant to an order<\/span> of the court<\/span>. Whenever interest on any unpaid fine or costs accrues, it shall accrue at the judgment<\/span> rate of interest set forth in § 6.2-302<\/a>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nINTEREST ON FINES AND COSTS (\u00a7 19.2-353.5)\n\nA. For purposes of this section, “incarcerated” or\n“incarceration” means confinement in a local or regional\ncorrectional facility, juvenile correctional facility, state correctional\nfacility, residential detention center, or facility operated pursuant to the\nCorrections Private Services Act (§ 53.1-261 et seq.).\n\nB. No interest shall accrue on any fine or costs imposed in a criminal case or\nin a case involving a traffic infraction (i) for a period of 180 days following\nthe date of the final judgment imposing such fine or costs; (ii) during any\nperiod the defendant is incarcerated; and (iii) for a period of 180 days\nfollowing the date of the defendant’s release from incarceration if the\nsentence includes an active term of incarceration.\n\nC. A person who owes fines and costs on which interest has accrued during a\nperiod of incarceration may move any court in which he owes fines and costs to\nwaive the interest that accrued on such fines and costs during such period of\nincarceration. Upon certification of the period of incarceration by the\nsuperintendent, warden, or other official in charge of a correctional facility\non a form developed by the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme\nCourt, such interest shall be waived.\n\nD. In no event shall interest accrue during any period in which a fine, costs,\nor both a fine and costs are being paid in deferred or installment payments\npursuant to an order of the court. Whenever interest on any unpaid fine or costs\naccrues, it shall accrue at the judgment rate of interest set forth in §\n6.2-302.\n\nHISTORY: 1987, c. 648; 1988, cc. 106, 508; 1995, cc. 375, 566; 1996, c. 226;\n2016, c. 282; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 388; 2025, c. 337.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}