News

Online Court Payments Top $100 Million

News Article

June 10, 2013

More than $100 million in traffic fines and other court-ordered fines, costs and restitution has been collected over the last two years through the court’s convenient online payment feature known as “e-pay” Chief Justice of Pennsylvania Ronald D. Castille today announced.

“By providing an easy way to settle court-ordered costs, defendants can avoid future court action such as warrants or contempt of court proceedings, driver’s license suspensions and/or additional collection agency fees,” said Chief Justice Castille.

“We are applying technology to improve court management, cut court costs and provide conveniences for court users,” Chief Justice Castille said. “E-pay saves time for the public and court staff by allowing the public to make court payments from home, while eliminating the need for court staff to enter payment data into the court’s computer systems.”

E-pay is increasingly becoming a popular method of choice for defendants paying court-ordered fines, fees, costs and restitution. In 2011 one in every $17 collected by Pennsylvania courts was collected via e-pay. In 2012 that number increased to one in every $10. Through the first quarter of 2013, that figure stood at approximately one in every $8.

Court administrative officials believe the convenient online payment option is contributing to higher court-ordered collections. (See annual e-pay court collections table by county.) Annual court collections have increased slightly over the last five years, while total case filings throughout the state have declined 13 percent during the same period. (See court disbursement reports.) The money collected by the courts is disbursed to the state, local governments and victims. Only a small portion of court-collected funds flows back to the Judiciary.

By December 2011 all Common Pleas criminal and magisterial district courts were offering the e-pay payment option to defendants. Unlike credit and debit card payment options that may exist in some counties, e-pay is online and fully integrated with both the magisterial district and Common Pleas criminal court systems, creating a one-stop shop for defendants to make multiple payments on the Internet with a single transaction fee of $2.75. To make a court payment online, visit the Unified Judicial System Web Portal at http://ujsportal.pacourts.us/Default.aspx.

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Media contact: Steve Schell
717-231-3331