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Cover art for part 9 of the 'Fined out' publication, featuring people in various fine-related scenarios on a snakes and ladder board game.

Fined out part 9: Useful contacts, glossary, sample letters

Government agencies

Revenue NSW Advocacy Hotline

Community workers, financial counsellors and lawyers can use a special hotline number to speak with Revenue NSW about clients with fines debt. To use the hotline you must be a registered advocate.

To become a registered advocate, you apply online through the Advocates page of the Revenue NSW website.

Fines and traffic offences

Email wdo@revenue.nsw.gov.au or call the WDO Hotline on 1300 478 879.

To find a sponsor, use the WDO sponsor finder tool on the Revenue NSW website.

Call the Revenue NSW First Nations Hotline on 1800 002 345.

For more information, see Support for First Nations Peoples on the Revenue NSW website.

For fines, call 1300 138 118 or (02) 7808 6940, and for overdue fine notices call 1300 655 805.

To make a payment, request a review, nominate someone else or elect to go to court, visit myPenalty.

To apply for a payment plan or dispute an overdue fine, visit myEnforcement.

If you need further assistance paying a fine, see Difficulty paying your fine on the Revenue NSW website.

For information about demerit points, fines, licence suspensions, call 13 22 13 or visit Demerit points, penalties and offences on the NSW Government website.

To pay or manage your fine, call 13 77 88 between 7am and 7pm, Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays) or by visiting the Service NSW website.

You can also view, pay or query fines online with your MyServiceNSW account.

To find your nearest Service NSW Centre, use the Find a Service NSW location tool or call 13 77 88.

Call (02) 7808 6946 or visit Contact the HRB on the Hardship Review Board (HRB) website.

Other useful government contacts

Call 1300 364 785 or visit Contact the AFSA on the Australian Financial Security Authority (AFSA) website.

Call 1800 472 679 or email ipcinfo@ipc.nsw.gov.au.

For more information, visit the Information and Privacy Commission (IPC) NSW website.

Call (02) 9286 1000 or 1800 451 524 (toll free), or visit Contact the NSW Ombudsman on the NSW Ombudsman website.

For general enquiries, call the NSW Sheriff’s Office’s Enforcement Operations Centre (EOC) on (02) 8688 4080 between 8:00am and 4:30pm, Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays).

For court related matters, call the Courts Service Centre on 1300 679 272 between 8:30am and 4:30pm, Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays).

For more information, visit the NSW Sheriff’s Office website.

Finance and credit

Call the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007 or visit the Financial Rights Legal Centre (FRLC) website.

Contact list available on the Rural Financial Counselling Service (RFCS) page of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) website.

Legislation

The Fines Act 1996 (NSW) and other laws and regulations referred to in this publication can be found at the following websites:

Glossary

A person or body approved to supervise and administer WDOs by the Secretary of the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ).

A free service allowing payments to made directly from Centrelink benefits.

Revenue NSW may register an interest in your land or property with the Registrar-General, Land Registry Service, which may affect your ability to sell the property.

A Community Legal Centre.

An examination notice from Revenue NSW, which requires you to answer questions and give information, including documents, about your financial circumstances.

Where a third party, such as a bank or employer, holds funds on a Revenue NSW customers behalf. In certain circumstances, Revenue NSW can make a garnishee order directing that third party to pay Revenue NSW from the customers funds.

A division of the NSW Treasury with the authority to review a decision made by Revenue NSW in circumstances of genuine serious financial, medical or domestic circumstances, or a combination of these.

An independent review body that deals with complaints against acts, decisions and omissions of most NSW Government departments and agencies.

Revenue NSW gives the NSW Sheriff the power to take your goods and auction them. The money from the auction then goes to pay your fines.A person or body approved to supervise and administer WDOs by the Secretary of the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ).

The NSW Government agency that provides one-stop access to NSW government services through their website, by phone or in-person at service centres.

For a list of all services offered through Service NSW, see the Service NSW Information Guide on the Service NSW website.

The NSW Government agency responsible for improving road safety, testing and licensing drivers, registering vehicles and managing the state road network.

Sample letters

Here are some sample letters. Please note that these are only intended to be used as a guide. Letters and forms should always be tailored to your specific circumstances.

Contact LawAccess NSW to get help with preparing letters.

01 October 20XX

The Director
Revenue NSW
PO Box 786
Strawberry Hills 2012

Dear Sir/Madam

Application for review of speeding fines 11223344, 33445566 and 55667788, and camera-detected red light fine 99887766.

I am writing to apply for internal review of the fines listed above because of the following special circumstances.

I own the vehicle with registration number ABC 123, which is the vehicle the fine relate to, but I was not the driver when the offences were committed. My vehicle was stolen from the street outside my home at 789 XYZ Street, Sydney NSW 2000 on 27 August 20XX. I have enclosed copies of the police report I filed on 28 August 20XX and of the letter I sent on 2 September 20XX to the NRMA asking to make a claim under my insurance policy. The NSW police have given me Event Number 9999999 in relation to the theft of my vehicle.

As your records show, these fines were all given after 27 August 20XX, so I could not have been the driver of the vehicle when they were given. I don’t know who was driving the vehicle at those times.

Transport for NSW records will show that I have had a clear driving record since I got my NSW driver licence 7 years ago. I have also enclosed a certified copy of my traffic record from Vic Roads, which shows that I had a clean driving record for 10 years in Victoria.

I am asking you to:

  • withdraw fines 11223344, 33445566, 55667788 and 99887766; and
  • remove any demerit points on my driving record in relation to these fines. If you have any questions, please contact me on (02) 9786 5342.

Yours sincerely,
Jo Bloggs

Additional information you could supply to Revenue NSW:

01 October 20XX

The Director
Revenue NSW
GPO Box 4042
Sydney NSW 2001

Dear Sir/Madam

Application for write off of fine 12345678.

My details are:

  • Date of birth: XX Month 19XX
  • Address: 789 XYZ Street, Sydney NSW 2000
  • Licence number: 99999999

I am applying for the fine to be written off for the following reasons. I suffer from severe back problems and depression. I was hospitalised 4 months ago for my back problems, which were caused by injuries that happened 3 years ago. My doctor believes that I am unlikely to be fit to return to any kind of work in the next 18 months, so I cannot do unpaid work under a work and development order. Because of my medical condition and because I was a bricklayer, I am not likely to be able to get full-time work unless there is a great improvement in my condition. I have enclosed a medical report from Dr Fisher.

I am also having psychiatric treatment. This is because of a court order. This treatment is not suitable for a work and development order. My psychiatrist, Dr Goldsmith, has been treating me since 02 February 20XX for depression, which is caused by my marriage break-up and the divorce. I have enclosed Dr Goldsmith’s report.

I live with my 4-year-old daughter. I share arrangements for my daughter with my ex-wife. I am unemployed and have been on Centrelink benefits since 15 March 20XX. get $578.00 a fortnight, and shows that it is spent on rent, food, medical expenses, schooling costs, transport and loan repayments to Ram Loans & Credit. The loan repayments are for a car, which I have to have because of my back problems. I have enclosed supporting documents, including a letter from Centrelink and my car registration.

I don’t own anything of value, except furniture and personal effects, that I can sell to pay my fines, and I don’t have family or friends who can help me financially. I feel it is unlikely that I will be able to pay off my debt to Revenue NSW, or manage a payment plan, in the next 12-18 months.

I know that you can only write off the payment of fines in extreme circumstances, but I think it would be the right thing to do in my case. I would also like to ask for all proceedings against me to be stopped while you make your decision on this application.

If you have any questions about this, please call me on (02) 9876 5432.

Yours sincerely,
Jo Bloggs

01 October 20XX

The Director
Revenue NSW
GPO Box A2571
Sydney South NSW 1235

Dear Sir/Madam

Application for stay of overdue fines 99887766 and 11223344.

I live at [insert address]. I am asking for an urgent hold on these overdue fines. Transport for NSW has put restrictions on my driver licence and there is a property seizure order from 30 April 20XX.

I am 31 and used to work as a labourer. I injured my spine playing rugby 18 months ago and have not been able to work as a labourer since then. At the moment, my expenses are more than my income. I am on a disability support pension, and I need extra help from community charities and my family and friends to cover my living costs.

I am having treatment from a physiotherapist, Melissa Black, and an occupational therapist, Jennifer Lau. I also get home assistance from a Community Health caseworker, Ms Isabelle Smith. I have enclosed letters from Ms Black and Ms Smith that give their opinions about my recovery and return to work. Like them, I am confident I will be able to go back to full-time work within the next 6 months.

I am in the middle of writing a Declaration of your Financial Circumstances and I have asked for a report from my doctor and my financial counsellor. I will send copies to you as soon as they arrive.

I would like these overdue fines placed on hold until I am in a position to set up a payment plan with Revenue NSW, which will be as soon as I am well enough to look for work. I am also asking you to lift the Transport for NSW restrictions until I have sent in a payment plan application.

If you have any questions or need more information, please call me on (02) 9234 5678.

Yours sincerely,
Jo Bloggs

01 October 20XX

Fines Hardship Review Board
PO Box A2571
Sydney South NSW 1235

Dear Sir/Madam

Request for review of Revenue NSW decision on a payment plan application

I applied for a payment plan to pay overdue fine 111222333 in instalments. My application was approved, but the payments have been set at a higher rate than I asked for and I cannot pay them at that rate.

I am asking for the Hardship Review Board (HRB) to review Revenue’s decision and reduce my fortnightly payments to $20.00, which is what I asked for in the original application. Here are my reasons.

I suffer from severe osteoarthritis and pain in my shoulders caused by age and a work-related injury that happened 2 years ago. My doctor, Dr Jordan, thinks I am unlikely to be fit to return to my previous work (as a truck driver) in the next 18 months. I have enclosed a medical report from Dr Jordan.

At the moment, I am on worker’s compensation. I get $600.00 a fortnight, and it is all used for food, medical expenses, transport and mortgage payments (to the Commonwealth Bank). I have enclosed copies of letters from SafeWork NSW accepting my claim and bank statements from the last 3 months.

I am also struggling because my wife died not long ago and I am still paying for the funeral. I have to pay it on my own because I have no family or friends who can help me financially.

All this means that I can’t stick to the payment schedule in the payment plan. I am asking the board to reduce my instalments to $20.00 per fortnight.

Also, I am asking you to hold any recovery action against me while you are reviewing my application.

If you have any questions, please call me on (02) 9876 5432.

Yours sincerely,
Jo Bloggs

Downloads

You can download ‘Fined out’ as a PDF in English.

More information

There are nine parts to the ‘Fined out’ resource – you are currently viewing part 9.

View all parts

Updated October 2025

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