# Court fines: imposed, collected and outstanding url: https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/court-fines/ updated: 29 September 2026 licence: Our words, analysis, charts and derived calculations: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), credit [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk). Figures: each source's own licence, listed under Sources. publisher: [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk) # Court fines: imposed, collected and outstanding Last updated 29 September 2026. Figures refresh every night. [How each figure is worked out](/methodology/). Courts in England and Wales imposed **£341m** of fines in 2025–26 and collected **£229m**, including payments on older fines. The unpaid balance reached **£1.2bn**, +£104m (+9.1%) on a year earlier. Fines are paid into the Consolidated Fund by law, though the Ministry of Justice keeps most of what it collects. Figure as of 22 September 2026. Source: [HM Courts and Tribunals Service](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a96e8c5df4246cf45e46755/HMCTS1021_Trust_Statement_2026_v10a_Corrected_RGB.pdf). ## Key figures - £341mCourt fines imposed, England and Wales ▲ 2025–26 - £229mCourt fines collected ▲ 2025–26 - £1,243mCourt fines outstanding at year end ▲ 2025–26 - £5,198mAll court-ordered sums outstanding ▲ 2025–26 - £233mFine income kept by the Ministry of Justice ▲ 2025–26 Source: [HM Courts and Tribunals Service](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a96e8c5df4246cf45e46755/HMCTS1021_Trust_Statement_2026_v10a_Corrected_RGB.pdf). ## How much is imposed, collected and outstanding? £341m Fines imposed in the year ▲ Figures for the 2025–26 financial year. Source: [HM Courts and Tribunals Service](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a96e8c5df4246cf45e46755/HMCTS1021_Trust_Statement_2026_v10a_Corrected_RGB.pdf). Checked by hand 22 September 2026. £229m Fines collected in the year ▲ Figures for the 2025–26 financial year. Source: [HM Courts and Tribunals Service](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a96e8c5df4246cf45e46755/HMCTS1021_Trust_Statement_2026_v10a_Corrected_RGB.pdf). Checked by hand 22 September 2026. £1,243m Fines outstanding at year end ▲ Figures for the 2025–26 financial year. Source: [HM Courts and Tribunals Service](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a96e8c5df4246cf45e46755/HMCTS1021_Trust_Statement_2026_v10a_Corrected_RGB.pdf). Checked by hand 22 September 2026. £5,198m All court-ordered sums outstanding ▲ Figures for the 2025–26 financial year. Source: [HM Courts and Tribunals Service](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a96e8c5df4246cf45e46755/HMCTS1021_Trust_Statement_2026_v10a_Corrected_RGB.pdf). Checked by hand 22 September 2026. **Court fines in England and Wales, £ million** Why fines imposed and collected were much higher in 2021-22 and 2022-23: the Trust Statement does not say, so the fall is shown without an explanation. **The numbers behind this chart** | Year | Imposed | Collected | Outstanding at year end | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2021–22Details | £747m | £640m | £893m | | Collected£640mOutstanding at year end£893m | | | | | 2022–23Details | £498m | £401m | £977m | | Collected£401mOutstanding at year end£977m | | | | | 2023–24Details | £348m | £251m | £1,064m | | Collected£251mOutstanding at year end£1,064m | | | | | 2024–25Details | £317m | £229m | £1,139m | | Collected£229mOutstanding at year end£1,139m | | | | | 2025–26Details | £341m | £229m | £1,243m | | Collected£229mOutstanding at year end£1,243m | | | | Figure as of 22 September 2026. Source: [HM Courts and Tribunals Service](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a96e8c5df4246cf45e46755/HMCTS1021_Trust_Statement_2026_v10a_Corrected_RGB.pdf). HMCTS does not publish an annual collection rate, because fines are paid over years. Its measure is that about 80% of what is imposed has been collected by the time the debt is five years old. Checked 22 September 2026. Source: [HM Courts and Tribunals Service](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a96e8c5df4246cf45e46755/HMCTS1021_Trust_Statement_2026_v10a_Corrected_RGB.pdf). Checked by hand 22 September 2026. ## How does a court set a fine? Magistrates start from one of six bands, each a percentage of the offender's weekly income after tax, then adjust for aggravating and mitigating factors. Each offence also has a legal maximum on the standard scale. | Band | Starting point, % of weekly income | Range | | --- | --- | --- | | ADetails | 50% | 25-75% | | Range25-75% | | | | BDetails | 100% | 75-125% | | Range75-125% | | | | CDetails | 150% | 125-175% | | Range125-175% | | | | DDetails | 250% | 200-300% | | Range200-300% | | | | EDetails | 400% | 300-500% | | Range300-500% | | | | FDetails | 600% | 500-700% | | Range500-700% | | | ### What does this mean for you? Magistrates start from a share of weekly income after tax. What is yours? Weekly income after tax £ On £500 a week, the starting point is **£250** for a Band A offence, **£500** for Band B and **£750** for Band C. Starting points only: the court then moves up or down within the band’s range for aggravating and mitigating factors, and cannot go above the offence’s legal maximum. A victim surcharge of 40% of the fine, up to £2,000 is added. Figure as of 22 September 2026. Source: [HM Courts and Tribunals Service](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a96e8c5df4246cf45e46755/HMCTS1021_Trust_Statement_2026_v10a_Corrected_RGB.pdf). | Level | Maximum | | --- | --- | | Level 1 | £200 | | Level 2 | £500 | | Level 3 | £1,000 | | Level 4 | £2,500 | | Level 5 | Unlimited (since March 2015) | A **victim surcharge** of 40% of the fine, up to £2,000 is added to fines for offences since 16 June 2022. £115m was imposed in 2025–26. It goes to the Victim and Witness General Fund, for victims' services. ## Where does the money go? **Court fines (England and Wales)** Consolidated Fund (general Treasury funds) the Consolidated Fund by law. In practice the Ministry of Justice keeps most of what it collects as part of its spending settlement. [Courts Act 2003, s38; Sentencing Act 2020, s132(6) for Crown Court fines](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/39/section/38) Any sums received by the Lord Chancellor under this section are to be paid by him into the Consolidated Fund. **Victim surcharge** Paid to a named body the Ministry of Justice, to fund victims' services. [Sentencing Act 2020, s42](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2020/17/section/42) **Fines, fixed penalties and forfeitures in Scotland** Consolidated Fund (general Treasury funds) the Scottish Consolidated Fund, with a matching reduction in UK funding for the Scottish Government. [Scotland Act 1998 (Designation of Receipts) (Amendment) Order 2017](https://www.gov.scot/publications/fiscal-framework-outturn-report-2025/pages/5/) Revenue from FFFPs is paid into the Scottish Consolidated Fund (SCF) after being collected by the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service and other bodies. Legal position as of 22 September 2026. Source: [legislation.gov.uk](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/). Checked by hand 22 September 2026. In Scotland, 90% of sheriff court fines by value are paid or on track within three years. Share of sheriff court fines, by value, paid or on track to be paid within three years. Justice of the peace courts: 89.5%. [Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service](https://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/about-us/scts-statistics/). ## Are fines working? ### The case for fines - Income-based bands mean the same offence costs a richer offender more. - Most fine money is eventually collected, given time. - A fine is far cheaper for the public than a custodial sentence. ### The case against - The unpaid balance has risen every year shown. - Collection takes years, and some is never recovered. - For people on very low incomes, fines add to debt without changing behaviour. ## Common questions Where does court fine money go? Into the Consolidated Fund, under section 38 of the Courts Act 2003. The Ministry of Justice keeps most of what it collects as part of its spending settlement.What is the victim surcharge? An extra 40% of the fine, up to £2,000, added to fines for offences since 16 June 2022, which funds services for victims. ## Sources for this page | Source | Publisher | Figures as of | Updated | Licence | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [HMCTS Trust Statement 2025 to 2026](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a96e8c5df4246cf45e46755/HMCTS1021_Trust_Statement_2026_v10a_Corrected_RGB.pdf) | HM Courts and Tribunals Service | 22 September 2026 | annual | [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) | | [legislation.gov.uk and official guidance, provision by provision](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/) | legislation.gov.uk | 22 September 2026 | annual | [Open Government Licence v3.0 (legislation.gov.uk)](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) | Each source's figures are used under the licence shown. Our own words, analysis, charts and derived calculations are ours, under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Related pages - [Next in this section: HMRC penalties and interest](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/hmrc-penalties-and-interest/) - [How much does the state charge for passports, licences, certificates and other services?](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/government-fees/) - [How much are probate, court, Land Registry and planning fees?](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/probate-court-land-registry-and-planning-fees/) - [Where does my tax money actually go?](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/for-every-100-pounds-of-tax/) ## More from this publisher - [UK tax calculators](https://howlongisit.co.uk) Published by [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk). Our words, analysis, charts and derived calculations: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), credit [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk). The figures belong to the publishers listed under Sources and are used under their licences. Figures last updated 29 September 2026.