Md. Code, Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 7-504
This is the official text of Md. Code, Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 7-504, part of Maryland’s Code, Courts and Judicial Proceedings — governs court structure and civil procedure.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
§7–504.
Official statutory text
(a) A defendant who is unable to pay a fine ordered by a court may apply to the court for a reduction of the fine.
(b) If a defendant fails or is unable to pay a fine as ordered by a court, the court may investigate the reasons for the failure or inability to pay the fine, including the defendant’s financial and family situation and whether nonpayment of the fine is contumacious or is due to indigence.
(c) After an investigation that a court considers necessary as to the reasons for the failure or inability to pay a fine, the court:
(1) May order that the individual be committed to a correctional facility;
(2) May reduce the fine to an amount that the court determines the defendant is able to pay; or
(3) Subject to subsection (d) of this section, may direct that the individual be imprisoned until payment of:
(i) The fine; or
(ii) Part of the fine that is undischarged after a pro rata credit for time served instead of payment.
(d) (1) Subject to the limitations in this subsection, the court shall determine the period of imprisonment for default in payment of a fine.
(2) The period of imprisonment may not exceed:
(i) 1 day for each $10 of the fine; and
(ii) If the fine was imposed for a crime subject to punishment by imprisonment, one-third of the maximum term authorized by the statute or ordinance under which the individual was convicted, or 90 days, whichever is less; or
(iii) If the fine was imposed for a crime that is not subject to punishment by imprisonment, absent default in payment of a fine, 15 days.
(3) The period of imprisonment, when added to the original sentence, may not exceed the maximum term of imprisonment allowed for the crime.
(4) Each period of imprisonment imposed because of nonpayment of two or more fines shall run concurrently unless the court specifies that the periods of imprisonment shall run consecutively.
(b) If a defendant fails or is unable to pay a fine as ordered by a court, the court may investigate the reasons for the failure or inability to pay the fine, including the defendant’s financial and family situation and whether nonpayment of the fine is contumacious or is due to indigence.
(c) After an investigation that a court considers necessary as to the reasons for the failure or inability to pay a fine, the court:
(1) May order that the individual be committed to a correctional facility;
(2) May reduce the fine to an amount that the court determines the defendant is able to pay; or
(3) Subject to subsection (d) of this section, may direct that the individual be imprisoned until payment of:
(i) The fine; or
(ii) Part of the fine that is undischarged after a pro rata credit for time served instead of payment.
(d) (1) Subject to the limitations in this subsection, the court shall determine the period of imprisonment for default in payment of a fine.
(2) The period of imprisonment may not exceed:
(i) 1 day for each $10 of the fine; and
(ii) If the fine was imposed for a crime subject to punishment by imprisonment, one-third of the maximum term authorized by the statute or ordinance under which the individual was convicted, or 90 days, whichever is less; or
(iii) If the fine was imposed for a crime that is not subject to punishment by imprisonment, absent default in payment of a fine, 15 days.
(3) The period of imprisonment, when added to the original sentence, may not exceed the maximum term of imprisonment allowed for the crime.
(4) Each period of imprisonment imposed because of nonpayment of two or more fines shall run concurrently unless the court specifies that the periods of imprisonment shall run consecutively.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in Maryland?
Find a Maryland lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.