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Kentucky · Snapshot 09/05/2026

KRS 534.070: Incarceration for failure to pay fine or court costs or failure to appear

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Where this section sits in the code
  1. KRS Chapter 534

in court -- Daily credit against fine or court costs for time served --

Application of partial payment.

(1) A defendant who has been sentenced to jail for failure to pay court costs, fees,

or fines or for failure to appear in court on a date set for the sole purpose of

addressing nonpayment of court costs, fees, or fines shall receive credit

against the court costs, fees, or fines owed for each day the defendant spends

in jail at the following rates:

(a) Fifty dollars ($50) per day if the defendant does not work at a community

service or community labor program; or

(b) One hundred dollars ($100) per day if the defendant works eight (8) hours

per day at a community service or community labor program. If the

defendant works less than eight (8) hours in a community service or

community labor program, the defendant shall be allowed an amount of

one-eighth (1/8) of the one hundred dollars ($100) for each hour worked

in a community service or community labor program.

(2) Credit against court costs, fees, or fines earned by a defendant pursuant to this

section shall prohibit the collection of any part of court costs, fees, or fines

which has been credited pursuant to this section, and that portion of the court

costs, fees, or fines shall be considered paid.

(3) (a) The jailer shall be responsible for monitoring a defendant's community

service and tracking the number of days to be served to pay any

outstanding court costs, fees, or fines.

(b) Unless the defendant is incarcerated pursuant to orders in other cases,

upon the service of sufficient days in jail to have sufficient credit to satisfy

the court costs, fees, or fines, the defendant shall be released from jail.

(4) If a partial payment is made by the defendant or on behalf of a defendant, that

payment shall be applied first to court costs, then to fees, and then to fines

pursuant to KRS 534.020 prior to the application of any credit earned pursuant

to this section. Credit earned pursuant to this section shall not be applied to

restitution.

Collected 2026-09-05T21:00:06Z. Source file · JSON

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