Fines

By far the most common penalty imposed by the Local Court is a fine.  When deciding the amount of any fine the Magistrate or Judge should consider your financial situation and your ability to pay any fine they set.

The Magistrate or Judge that sets the fine is likely to tell you that you only have 28 days to pay the fine.  This is the maximum time that the Magistrate or Judge can set to repay the fine.  However, the court registry is likely to give you more time to pay the fine if you cannot pay it within that time. 

To apply for extra time to pay the fine is a simple process.  You attend the court registry where the fine was set and ask for an application for time to pay form.  You fill out this form and give it to the court registry staff who make a decision.  It is our understanding that extra time to pay applications are normally approved.

The chart below sets out statistics about the size of fines imposed in the Local Court for most common offences.  Just because your offence is listed below does not mean that you will receive a fine.  The court may impose a less or more serious penalty. These statistics are only published as a guide and should not be used in court.