1. If a fine, administrative assessment, fee or restitution is imposed upon a defendant pursuant to this chapter, whether or not the fine, administrative assessment, fee or restitution is in addition to any other punishment, and the fine, administrative assessment, fee or restitution or any part of it remains unpaid after the time established by the court for its payment, the defendant is liable for a collection fee, to be imposed by the court at the time it finds that the fine, administrative assessment, fee or restitution is delinquent, of:

(a) Not more than $100, if the amount of the delinquency is less than $2,000.

(b) Not more than $500, if the amount of the delinquency is $2,000 or greater, but is less than $5,000.

(c) Ten percent of the amount of the delinquency, if the amount of the delinquency is $5,000 or greater.

2. A state or local entity that is responsible for collecting a delinquent fine, administrative assessment, fee or restitution may, in addition to attempting to collect the fine, administrative assessment, fee or restitution through any other lawful means, take the following actions:

(a) Request that the court take appropriate action pursuant to subsection 3.

(b) If the defendant has been found guilty of the offense for which the fine, administrative assessment, fee or restitution was imposed, contract with a collection agency licensed pursuant to NRS 649.075 to collect the delinquent amount and the collection fee. The collection agency must be paid as compensation for its services an amount not greater than the amount of the collection fee imposed pursuant to subsection 1, in accordance with the provisions of the contract.

3. The court may, on its own motion or at the request of a state or local entity that is responsible for collecting the delinquent fine, administrative assessment, fee or restitution, take the following actions:

(a) Enter a civil judgment for the amount due in favor of the state or local entity that is responsible for collecting the delinquent fine, administrative assessment, fee or restitution. A civil judgment entered pursuant to this paragraph may be enforced and renewed in the manner provided by law for the enforcement and renewal of a judgment for money rendered in a civil action. If the court has entered a civil judgment pursuant to this paragraph and the person against whom the judgment is entered is not indigent and has not satisfied the judgment within the time established by the court, the person may be dealt with as for contempt of court.

(b) If the court determines that the defendant has the ability to pay the amount due and is willfully avoiding payment, or if the defendant was given the opportunity to perform community service to satisfy the amount due because the defendant is indigent and the defendant has failed to perform such community service, order the suspension of the driver’s license of the defendant. If the defendant does not possess a driver’s license, the court may prohibit the defendant from applying for a driver’s license for a specified period. If the defendant is already the subject of a court order suspending or delaying the issuance of the defendant’s driver’s license, the court may order the additional suspension or delay, as appropriate, to apply consecutively with the previous order. At the time the court issues an order suspending the driver’s license of a defendant pursuant to this paragraph, the court shall require the defendant to surrender to the court all driver’s licenses then held by the defendant. The court shall, within 5 days after issuing the order, forward to the Department of Motor Vehicles the licenses, together with a copy of the order. At the time the court issues an order pursuant to this paragraph delaying the ability of a defendant to apply for a driver’s license, the court shall, within 5 days after issuing the order, forward to the Department of Motor Vehicles a copy of the order. The Department of Motor Vehicles shall report a suspension pursuant to this paragraph to an insurance company or its agent inquiring about the defendant’s driving record, but such a suspension must not be considered for the purpose of rating or underwriting.

(c) If the court determines that the defendant has the ability to pay the amount due and is willfully avoiding payment, order the confinement of the defendant in the appropriate prison, jail or detention facility, as provided in NRS 176.065 and 176.075.

4. Money collected from a collection fee imposed pursuant to subsection 1 must be distributed in the following manner:

(a) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (d), if the money is collected by or on behalf of a municipal court, the money must be deposited in a special fund in the appropriate city treasury. The city may use the money in the fund only to develop and implement a program for the collection of fines, administrative assessments, fees and restitution and to hire additional personnel necessary for the success of such a program.

(b) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (d), if the money is collected by or on behalf of a justice court or district court, the money must be deposited in a special fund in the appropriate county treasury. The county may use the money in the special fund only to:

(1) Develop and implement a program for the collection of fines, administrative assessments, fees and restitution and to hire additional personnel necessary for the success of such a program; or

(2) Improve the operations of a court by providing funding for:

(I) A civil law self-help center; or

(II) Court security personnel and equipment for a regional justice center that includes the justice courts of that county.

(c) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (d), if the money is collected by a state entity, the money must be deposited in an account, which is hereby created in the State Treasury. The Court Administrator may use the money in the account only to develop and implement a program for the collection of fines, administrative assessments, fees and restitution in this State and to hire additional personnel necessary for the success of such a program.

(d) If the money is collected by a collection agency, after the collection agency has been paid its fee pursuant to the terms of the contract, any remaining money must be deposited in the state, city or county treasury, whichever is appropriate, to be used only for the purposes set forth in paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of this subsection.

5. Any collection fee imposed pursuant to subsection 1 must be assessed on a per case basis and not on a per charge basis. The provisions of this subsection must not be construed to apply to any credit card processing fees that are assessed solely for the purpose of recouping any costs incurred to process a credit card payment. As used in this subsection, “case” means a single complaint, citation, information or indictment naming a single defendant that is based on the same act or transaction or based on two or more acts or transactions connected together or constituting parts of a common scheme or plan.

(Added to NRS by 1997, 899; A 1999, 425; 2001, 2569; 2013, 530; 2019, 2273, 2452)