{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-534.045","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 534.045","heading":"Assessment of reimbursement fee against jail prisoners -- Collection -- Fee","body":"determination -- Relevant evidence -- Modification.\n(1) Pursuant to a conviction of a misdemeanor, including traffic offenses, where a\nperson is sentenced to incarceration in the county jail, the District Court may assess\na reimbursement fee to help defray the expenses of the prisoner's room and board.\nThe reimbursement fee shall not exceed twenty -five percent (25%) of the prisoner's\ngross daily wages or forty dollars ($40) per day, whichever is less. All moneys shall\nbe paid directly to the jailer.\n(2) In determining whether a reimbursement fee as described in subsection (1) of this\nsection is to be assessed, and in establishing the amount of the fee, the court shall\nconsider e vidence relevant to the prisoner's ability to pay the fee but shall not\nconsider as evidence the following:\n(a) Joint ownership, if any, that the prisoner may have in real property;\n(b) Joint ownership, if any, that the prisoner may have in any assets, ear nings, or\nother sources of income; and\n(c) The income, assets, earnings, or other property, both real and personal, that\nmight be owned by the prisoner's spouse or family.\n(3) After considering all relevant evidence to the issue of the prisoner's ability t o pay,\nthe court shall enter as part of its judgment the amount of the reimbursement fee, if\nany, that shall be paid by the prisoner during his period of incarceration in the\ncounty jail. The fee shall bear a reasonable relationship to the person's income.\nUpon petition by the prisoner affected by the order, the amount may be modified to\nreflect any changes in the financial status of the prisoner. In any appeal that might\nbe taken from the conviction, the amount of the reimbursement fee may be\nchallenged.\n(4) If the person sentenced to jail is released in accordance with the provisions of KRS\n439.179 and is subject to the provisions of KRS 439.179(4), the payment of the\nreimbursement fee shall be suspended so long as the person is gainfully employed.\n(5) When imposing any payment authorized by this section, the court shall order the\ndefendant to make the payment to the named officer, person, or organization. The\ncourt shall not order any payment authorized by this section to be made through the\ncircuit clerk.","path":["KRS Chapter 534"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=20099","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T21:00:06Z","sha256":"9b591fb3744fc3a925e6b52fd30b2d7d112de67d061a2a6561a280aa2b5ab0d3","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-534.040","next":"us-ky/krs-534.050"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}