How to use the unpaid criminal fine calculator
Korea converts an unpaid fine into a fixed number of days in a labor workhouse at a daily rate the sentencing court sets. United States law has no equivalent automatic conversion, so this page is built around the mechanism that does apply: a payment schedule and the constitutional limits on jailing someone who cannot pay.
In federal cases 18 U.S.C. 3572(d) makes a fine payable immediately unless the court sets installments, and 18 U.S.C. 3613(b) keeps the debt alive for twenty years after entry of judgment or after release from imprisonment, whichever is later. Default can lead to resentencing under 18 U.S.C. 3614, but subsection (c) bars incarcerating a defendant solely because of an inability to pay. The constitutional rule comes from Bearden v. Georgia, 461 U.S. 660 (1983): before jailing someone for nonpayment a court must inquire into the reasons, and imprisonment is reserved for willful refusal or a failure to make bona fide efforts to pay.
Nonpayment may still be enforced through liens, wage garnishment or civil contempt, and state courts follow their own fee and collection statutes. Figures reflect federal law as of September 2026. This calculator is for reference only and is not legal advice. Consult a licensed attorney about your specific situation.
Frequently asked questions
Not automatically. Under Bearden v. Georgia the court must first examine why the fine went unpaid, and incarceration is not available solely because the defendant is unable to pay.
Liability generally runs for twenty years from entry of judgment or from release from imprisonment under 18 U.S.C. 3613(b), and it also ends on the defendant's death.