CaliforniaCalifornia ends collection of many criminal court fees in 2027
Starting in 2027, many unpaid criminal court costs become uncollectible, and people in prison or county jail will not owe specified trial court fees.
What it does
Starting January 1, 2027, most unpaid court-imposed costs covered by the listed laws cannot be collected, and courts must clear those amounts from judgments.
Starting January 1, 2027, public agencies and contractors cannot charge people to complete covered court-ordered community service or educational programs.
People sentenced to state prison or held in county jail do not have to pay trial court filing fees or costs tied to their underlying criminal conviction.
Starting January 1, 2027, specified unpaid fees under several criminal laws, along with traffic-school payment-plan fees, cannot be collected and must be cleared from judgments.
Argument forPeople with criminal court debt could avoid collection and judgment penalties, and people doing court-ordered service would not have to pay to take part.
Argument againstCounties and other agencies could have less money to run courts, programs, and public services because they can no longer collect many fees.
More detail
Courts must stop collecting most covered court-imposed costs and clear the related parts of judgments. This covers outstanding costs under the listed state laws, including costs tied to criminal convictions, incarceration, and court-ordered community service. The collection bar and judgment changes begin January 1, 2027.
Counties, cities, and contracted programs must not charge fees for covered community service. The ban covers community service used instead of a criminal fine or as punishment, and service or educational programs used as a hardship alternative for an infraction fine. Courts may not deny participation because a program cannot charge or recover its costs. The fee ban for programs under Sections 1205.3 and 1209.5 begins January 1, 2027. Section 1210.2 states no start date.
People sentenced to state prison or held in county jail do not have to pay specified trial court fees and costs. People sentenced to state prison or confined in a county jail are covered. This applies only to trial court fees and costs related to the person's incarceration for the underlying criminal conviction. The new section sets no start date for this payment exemption. Beginning January 1, 2027, unpaid costs imposed under the prior version of that section cannot be collected, and related judgment amounts must be cleared.
Courts must stop collecting specified unpaid fees and clear related judgment amounts. This includes unpaid costs under the hazardous-substance cleanup law and outstanding fees under certain animal-market, probation-release, building-safety, medical-care, and jail-release laws, plus traffic-school installment fees. The listed criminal-law balances become uncollectible on January 1, 2027. Traffic-school installment fees have the same start date.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Sep 20Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 398, Statutes of 2026.Latest
- Sep 20Approved by the Governor Gavin Newsom.Became Law
- Sep 3Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m.To Governor
- Aug 27In Assembly. Ordered to Engrossing and Enrolling.Minor
- Aug 26Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 28. Noes 11.).Passed Senate
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading AB2428 Celeste Rodriguez By Cortese. Result: pass.Upper
- Aug 13Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass. Result: pass.Upper
- Aug 13From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 5. Noes 1.) (August 13).Minor
- Aug 3In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.Minor
- Vote recorded Placed on suspense file. Result: pass.Upper
- Jun 24From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) (June 23). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Jun 23
- Vote recorded Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Upper
- Jun 10Referred to Com. on PUB. S.Minor
- May 27In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.Minor
- Vote recorded AB 2428 Celeste Rodriguez Assembly Third Reading By ROGERS. Result: pass.Lower
- May 26Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 56. Noes 18. Page 5383.)Passed Assembly
- May 19Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- May 18Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.Major
- May 14From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 4.) (May 14).Major
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended. Result: pass.Lower
- May 6In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.Minor
- Apr 21Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Apr 20Read second time and amended.Major
- Apr 16From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 8. Noes 0.) (April 14).Major
- Apr 14
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 9Referred to Com. on PUB. S.Minor
- Feb 21From printer. May be heard in committee March 23.
- Feb 20Read first time. To print.Introduced
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