<?xml version="1.0"?>
<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>81152</law_id><section_number>19.2-354</section_number><catch_line>Authority of court to order payment of fine, costs, forfeitures, penalties or restitution in installments or upon other terms and conditions; community work in lieu of payment</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>15.2-1431</reference><reference>19.2-305.2</reference><reference>19.2-349</reference><reference>19.2-354.1</reference><reference>19.2-357</reference><reference>19.2-358</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="19.2">Criminal Procedure</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="21">Recovery of Fines and Penalties</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="4">Payment of Fines and Costs on Installment Basis, etc</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> Any <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> convicted of a traffic infraction or a violation of any criminal <span class="dictionary">law</span> of the Commonwealth or of any political subdivision thereof, or found not innocent in the case of a juvenile, who is sentenced to pay a fine, <span class="dictionary">restitution</span>, forfeiture, or <span class="dictionary">penalty</span> may pay such fine, <span class="dictionary">restitution</span>, forfeiture, or <span class="dictionary">penalty</span> and any costs that the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> may be required to pay in deferred payments or installments. The <span class="dictionary">court</span> assessing the fine, <span class="dictionary">restitution</span>, forfeiture, or <span class="dictionary">penalty</span> and costs shall authorize the clerk to establish and approve individual deferred or installment payment agreements. If the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> owes <span class="dictionary">court</span>-ordered <span class="dictionary">restitution</span> and enters into a deferred or installment payment agreement, any moneys collected pursuant to such agreement shall be used first to satisfy such <span class="dictionary">restitution</span> <span class="dictionary">order</span> and any collection costs associated with <span class="dictionary">restitution</span> prior to being used to satisfy any other fine, forfeiture, <span class="dictionary">penalty</span>, or cost owed, unless an <span class="dictionary">order</span> for <span class="dictionary">restitution</span> is docketed in the name of the victim or it is ordered that an assignment of the <span class="dictionary">judgment</span> to the victim be docketed. Any payment agreement authorized under this section shall be consistent with the provisions of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Deferred or installment payment agreements" href="/19.2-354.1/">19.2-354.1</a>. The requirements set forth in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Deferred or installment payment agreements" href="/19.2-354.1/">19.2-354.1</a> shall be posted in the clerk&#x2019;s office and on the <span class="dictionary">court</span>&#x2019;s website, if a website is available. As a condition of every such agreement, a <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> who enters into an installment or deferred payment agreement shall promptly inform the <span class="dictionary">court</span> of any change of mailing address during the term of the agreement. If the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> is unable to make payment within 90 days of sentencing, the <span class="dictionary">court</span> may assess a one-time fee not to exceed $10 to cover the costs of management of the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span>&#x2019;s account until such account is paid in full. This one-time fee shall not apply to cases in which costs are assessed pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Fixed felony fee" href="/17.1-275.1/">17.1-275.1</a>, <a class="law" title="Fixed fee for felony reduced to misdemeanor" href="/17.1-275.2/">17.1-275.2</a>, <a class="law" title="Fixed felony revocation fee" href="/17.1-275.3/">17.1-275.3</a>, <a class="law" title="Fixed misdemeanor reduced from felony revocation fee" href="/17.1-275.4/">17.1-275.4</a>, <a class="law" title="Fixed misdemeanor fee" href="/17.1-275.7/">17.1-275.7</a>, <a class="law" title="Fixed drug misdemeanor fee" href="/17.1-275.8/">17.1-275.8</a>, or <a class="law" title="Fixed misdemeanor revocation fee" href="/17.1-275.9/">17.1-275.9</a>. Installment or deferred payment agreements shall include terms for payment if the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> participates in a program as provided in subsection B or C. The <span class="dictionary">court</span>, if such sum or sums are not paid in full by the date ordered, shall proceed in accordance with &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Procedure on default in deferred payment or installment payment of fine, costs, forfeiture, restitution or penalty" href="/19.2-358/">19.2-358</a>. <a id="paragraph-290886" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-354/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> When a person sentenced to the Department of Corrections or a local correctional facility owes any fines, costs, forfeitures, <span class="dictionary">restitution</span>, or penalties, he shall be required as a condition of participating in any work release, home/electronic incarceration, or nonconsecutive days program as set forth in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Extending limits of confinement of state prisoners for work and educational programs; disposition of wages; support of certain dependents; penalties for violations" href="/53.1-60/">53.1-60</a>, <a class="law" title="Provision for release of prisoner from confinement for employment, educational or other rehabilitative programs; escape; penalty; disposition of earnings" href="/53.1-131/">53.1-131</a>, <a class="law" title="Provision for sentencing of person to nonconsecutive days in jail; payment to defray costs; penalty" href="/53.1-131.1/">53.1-131.1</a>, or <a class="law" title="Assignment to a home/electronic incarceration program; payment to defray costs; escape; penalty" href="/53.1-131.2/">53.1-131.2</a> to either make full payment or make payments in accordance with his installment or deferred payment agreement while participating in such program. If, after the person has an installment or deferred payment agreement, the person fails to pay as ordered, his participation in the program may be terminated until all fines, costs, forfeitures, <span class="dictionary">restitution</span>, and penalties are satisfied. The Director of the Department of Corrections and any sheriff or other administrative head of any local correctional facility shall withhold such ordered payments from any amounts due to such person. Distribution of the moneys collected shall be made in the following <span class="dictionary">order</span> of priority to: <a id="paragraph-290887" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-354/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B1" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> Meet the obligation of any judicial or administrative <span class="dictionary">order</span> to provide support and such funds shall be disbursed according to the terms of such <span class="dictionary">order</span>; <a id="paragraph-290888" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-354/#B1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B2" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> Pay any <span class="dictionary">restitution</span> as ordered by the <span class="dictionary">court</span>; <a id="paragraph-290889" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-354/#B2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B3" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">3.</span> Pay any fines or costs as ordered by the <span class="dictionary">court</span>; <a id="paragraph-290890" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-354/#B3"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B4" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">4.</span> Pay travel and other such expenses made necessary by his work release employment or participation in an education or rehabilitative program, including the sums specified in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Contributions by persons on parole, probation, and work release" href="/53.1-150/">53.1-150</a>; and <a id="paragraph-290891" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-354/#B4"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B5" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">5.</span> Defray the offender&#x2019;s keep.
				The balance shall be credited to the offender&#x2019;s account or sent to his family in an amount the offender so chooses.
				The State Board of Local and Regional Jails shall promulgate regulations governing the receipt of wages paid to persons sentenced to local correctional facilities participating in such programs, the withholding of payments, and the disbursement of appropriate funds. The Director of the Department of Corrections shall prescribe rules governing the receipt of wages paid to persons sentenced to state correctional facilities participating in such programs, the withholding of payments, and the disbursement of appropriate funds. <a id="paragraph-290892" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-354/#B5"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> The <span class="dictionary">court</span> shall establish a program and may provide an option to any person upon whom a fine and costs have been imposed to discharge all or part of the fine or costs by earning credits for the performance of <span class="dictionary">community service</span> work (i) before or after imprisonment or (ii) in accordance with the provisions of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Eligibility for participation in community corrections alternative program; evaluation; sentencing; withdrawal or removal from program; payment of costs" href="/19.2-316.4/">19.2-316.4</a>, <a class="law" title="Prisoners performing work for localities, state agencies or nonprofit civic organizations; payment of costs; foremen as guards" href="/53.1-59/">53.1-59</a>, <a class="law" title="Extending limits of confinement of state prisoners for work and educational programs; disposition of wages; support of certain dependents; penalties for violations" href="/53.1-60/">53.1-60</a>, <a class="law" title="Workforces and authorized work places" href="/53.1-128/">53.1-128</a>, <a class="law" title="Order permitting prisoners to work on state, county, city, town, certain private property or nonprofit organization property; bond of person in charge of prisoners" href="/53.1-129/">53.1-129</a>, or <a class="law" title="Provision for release of prisoner from confinement for employment, educational or other rehabilitative programs; escape; penalty; disposition of earnings" href="/53.1-131/">53.1-131</a> during imprisonment. The program shall specify the rate at which credits are earned and provide for the manner of applying earned credits against the fine or costs. The <span class="dictionary">court</span> assessing the fine or costs against a person shall inform such person of the availability of earning credit toward discharge of the fine or costs through the performance of <span class="dictionary">community service</span> work under this program and provide such person with written notice of terms and conditions of this program. The <span class="dictionary">court</span> shall have such other authority as is reasonably necessary for or incidental to carrying out this program. <a id="paragraph-290893" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-354/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> When the <span class="dictionary">court</span> has authorized deferred payment or installment payments, the clerk shall give notice to the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> that upon his failure to pay as ordered he may be fined or imprisoned pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Procedure on default in deferred payment or installment payment of fine, costs, forfeiture, restitution or penalty" href="/19.2-358/">19.2-358</a>. <a id="paragraph-290894" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-354/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="E"><p><span class="prefix-number">E.</span> The failure of the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> to enter into a deferred payment or installment payment agreement with the <span class="dictionary">court</span> or the failure of the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> to make payments as ordered by the agreement shall allow the Tax Commissioner to act in accordance with &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Responsibility for collections; clerks to report unsatisfied fines, etc.; duty of attorneys for Commonwealth; duties of Department of Taxation" href="/19.2-349/">19.2-349</a> to collect all fines, costs, forfeitures, and penalties. <a id="paragraph-290895" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-354/#E"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 19.1-347.1; 1971 Ex. Sess., c. 250; 1975, c. 495; 1977, c. 585; 1982, c. 244; 1984, c. 32; 1986, c. 230; 1988, cc. 770, 852; 1994, cc. 841, 945; 1995, cc. 380, 441; 1996, c. 273; 1998, c. 831; 1999, c. 9; 2001, c. 414; 2002, c. 831; 2009, c. 741; 2012, c. 615; 2015, c. 265; 2016, c. 282; 2017, cc. 757, 802, 806; 2018, c. 61; 2020, cc. 25, 188, 759, 964, 965; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, cc. 190, 388, 393.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
