{"data":{"id":"us-nj/n.j.-stat.-2b-12-23.1","jurisdiction":"us-nj","citation":"N.J. Stat. § 2B:12-23.1","heading":"Penalties payable in installments; alternative penalties.","body":"1. a. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, if a municipal court finds that a person does not have the ability to pay a penalty in full on the date of the hearing or has failed to pay a previously imposed penalty, the court may order the person to perform community service in lieu of the payment of a penalty; or, order the payment of the penalty in installments for a period of time determined by the court.  If a person defaults on any payment and a municipal court finds that the defendant does not have the ability to pay, the court may:\n(1)\treduce the penalty, suspend the penalty, or modify the installment plan;\n(2)\torder that credit be given against the amount owed for each day of confinement, if the court finds that the person has served jail time for the default;\n(3)\trevoke any unpaid portion of the penalty, if the court finds that the circumstances that warranted the imposition have changed or that it would be unjust to require payment;\n(4)\torder the person to perform community service in lieu of payment of the penalty; or\n(5)\timpose any other alternative permitted by law in lieu of payment of the penalty.\nb.\tFor the purposes of this section, \"penalty\" means any fine, statutorily-mandated assessment, surcharge or other financial penalty imposed by a municipal court, except restitution or a surcharge assessed pursuant to subsection f. of section 1 of P.L.2000, c.75 (C.39:4-97.2).\nL.2009, c.317, s.1; amended 2013, c.255.","path":["TITLE 2B COURT ORGANIZATION AND CIVIL CODE"],"source_url":"https://pub.njleg.state.nj.us/statutes/STATUTES-TEXT.zip","current_through":"P.L.2025, c.405, and J.R.22","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-27T17:54:13Z","sha256":"e1be5d78b0c520921f271bd1b43d2f96fdf0edeb92a246dacf19128d639f698e","source_id":"us-nj","stale":true,"prev":"us-nj/n.j.-stat.-2b-12-23","next":"us-nj/n.j.-stat.-2b-12-24"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}