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Pennsylvania Courts Collect $483 million in 2018

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania courts collected over $483 million in fees, fines, costs and restitution in 2018, including a record $130 million paid online through PAePay®, more than a 14 percent increase over the previous year.  PAePay® allows people to conveniently make payments via the Internet with a debit or credit card.

 

The state received $239.2 million of the total $483.4 million collected by the courts. Counties received $158.4 million and municipalities $42.6 million to support local government programs. Crime victims received a total of $39.3 million in restitution, and various entities such as airports, parking authorities and libraries, received $3.9 million. (See Financial Dashboards for more information.)

 

Over the past 10 years, the judiciary has collected nearly $4.65 billion. Most recently, the judiciary’s case management computer systems have helped the courts improve collections by:

 

  • Sharing information electronically with PennDOT for suspension of the driver’s licenses of defendants failing to pay court costs related to traffic violations;
  • Working with the Department of Revenue to recoup outstanding court-ordered obligations by intercepting tax refunds over $25, and lottery winnings over $2,500; and
  • Facilitating a statewide, collection agency contract for counties and providing case financial data directly to outside collection agencies, which are currently used by 44 counties.

 

In addition, magisterial district courts, criminal divisions of the Common Pleas Courts and the Philadelphia Municipal Court collect money from fees, fines, costs and restitution to help support government programs and crime victims.