What if you do nothing about your fine

Recovery action

If you get a fine, don’t ignore it. A fine will not go away if you try to avoid it.

You have options for dealing with your fine. You must do this by the due date.

If you don’t, Revenue NSW will give you a fine reminder notice and a further 28 days to deal with your fine.

If you don’t respond the fine reminder notice by the due date, Revenue NSW will send you an overdue fine with enforcement costs. For more information about enforcement costs, see What happens if you don't pay your fine? on the NSW Government website.

If you get an overdue fine, Revenue NSW will begin recovery action against you.

To avoid recovery action, you should deal with your fine as soon as possible.

If Revenue NSW has started recovery action against you, you can stop it by paying your fine in full. If you can’t afford to pay your fine in full, you have other options for dealing with your fine.

For more information, see Revenue NSW enforcement action.

Pay your fine

You can pay your fine:

• online
• by phone
• by BPAY
• by cheque or money order
• in person at an Australia Post Office or Service NSW Service Centre, or
• using the Service NSW app.

These options will be explained on your fine.

You should keep a record of your payment and any receipts that you are given.

For more information, see Pay your fine. 

Set up a payment plan

If you can’t pay the fine in one payment, you may be able to set up a payment plan and pay it in smaller instalments.

If you are on a Centrelink benefit, such as a pension or JobSeeker payment, you can apply to have fortnightly instalments deducted from your payments automatically through Centrepay. For more information, see Centrepay in the Services Australia website.

If you have a payment plan and you get another fine, you can ask to add the new fine to your existing plan. 

If your payment plan application is approved, Revenue NSW won’t take enforcement action against you as long as you make your payments.

For more information, see Pay your fine.

Go to court

You may want to go to court if:

• you don’t believe you broke the law, or
• you did break the law, but you have an excuse, and you think the fine is too harsh.

You can do this even if you have paid your fine.

The fine you were given will be cancelled and the court will decide what penalty you get, if any.

Before you apply to have your fine heard in court, you should get legal advice. If you are found guilty, the court can give you a larger fine.

For more information, see Take your fine to court.

To apply to have an overdue fine heard in court, you need to prove that you were prevented from paying or managing your fine before the due date - this is called hindrance. You will need to supply supporting evidence, such as medical or travel documents. 

You will also need to show that you took action to manage your fine within a reasonable time once you were no longer hindered from dealing with the fine.

For more information, see Step-by-step guide: Taking an overdue fine to court.

Name the driver

If someone else was driving your vehicle when the traffic offence happened, you can still name the driver, even if the fine is overdue.

You must name the driver for an offence that carries demerit points.

If Revenue NSW accepts your nomination, the fine and demerit points will be transferred to the driver.

For more information, see Name the driver.

Request a review

You can ask Revenue NSW to review a fine if you believe that you should not have been fined or if you think the fine is unfair. 

Revenue NSW can review any fine. 

You can ask for a review even if you have paid the fine.

If you ask Revenue NSW to review your fine, it will be put on hold until the review is complete.

For more information, see Request a review.

Apply for a Work and Development Order (WDO)

If you can’t pay your fine, you may be able to complete a WDO. 

A WDO involves doing an activity as a way of paying off some or all of your fines. It may include:

• doing unpaid work
• completing a course
• getting treatment.

Your application for a ​WDO must be supported by an approved organisation or qualified health practitioner. Revenue NSW must approve your application before fines you can start completing activities to pay off your fines.

If you complete your WDO, your fine(s) will be paid. No further enforcement action will be taken against you. 

For more information, see Work and Development Orders.

Request a fine reduction

If you can’t afford to pay your whole fine, you may be able to apply to have your fine reduced by 50%.

Revenue NSW will only reduce your fine if you can’t complete a payment plan or Work and Development Order (WDO).

For more information, see Request a fine reduction.

Ask to have your fine written-off

If you can’t pay your fine and this is unlikely to change, you can ask Revenue NSW to write off your fine.

If Revenue NSW agrees, you won’t have to pay the fine.

For more information, see Ask to have your fine written-off.

Dealing with financial stress

If you are experiencing financial stress, you should speak to a financial counsellor.

If you have, or are experiencing domestic violence, there are specialist financial counsellors that can help you deal with debt, financial hardship, Centrelink and managing your money.

If you are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, you can call Mob Strong Debt Help to speak to a First Nations financial counsellor. 

For information and tools to help you manage your finances, see:

• Managing your money on the Services Australia website, and
• the moneysmart website.

Last updated: August 2026