Mandatory Surcharge, Crime Victim Assistance Fee and Other Fees

At Sentencing, there are a number of fees and surcharges that the defendant may be charged with. The amount of the surcharge or fee depends on the crime you are convicted of committing. Possible fees include:

• Mandatory Surcharge: this fee is charged to every convicted defendant.
• Crime Victim Assistance Fee: this fee is charged to every convicted defendant.
• Town and Village Court Fee.
• Sex offender Registration Fee: this fee applies to defendants convicted of sex offenses.
• DNA Databank Fee.
• Supplemental Sex Offender Victim Fee.
• Vehicle and Traffic Law Surcharges and Fees.

Payment

Fees and surcharges are paid to the Clerk of the Court. Mandatory surcharges and crime victim assistance fees can be paid by cash, money order or credit card. Some Courts accept personal checks. Outside New York City, you can ask the Court to apply Bail money to pay a surcharge or fee. Fees must be paid:

• For defendants with no prison time or who go to prison less than 60 days, fees and surcharges must be paid within 60 days of the sentence.
• For defendants who go to prison for more than 60 days, the money owed is taken from your inmate fund.

If you need more time to pay, you can ask the court. Contact the court to find out how to do this. You can use the Court locator box to find the court’s phone number.

If you do not pay on time, depending on your crime, you could end up with a warrant for your arrest, suspension of your driver’s license, or a civil judgment against you that can affect your credit rating.