Fine imposed by a criminal court (non-lump sum fine)

Verified 28 November 2025 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

What happens if a fine is imposed by a criminal court? The person sentenced to a non-lump sum fine must pay it within a certain period. If it complies with this deadline, it will be able to benefit from a reduction in the amount of the fine. Otherwise, the Treasury will try, by any means, to obtain payment of the fine. The decision imposing a fine may be challenged by the convicted person. Here is the information you need to know.

A non-lump sum fine is a penalty that can be imposed after a criminal trial. It is a sum of money to be paid to the state.

Where the perpetrator has committed an offense contravention or a offense, a non-flat-rate fine shall be always incurred.

For the crimes, the fine must be provided for in the text that punishes this offense (for example, the text that punishes the manufacture of drugs provides that the perpetrator of this offense infringement shall be punished by 20 years' imprisonment and €7 500 000 fine).

FYI  

The legal persons shall always be liable to a fine.

In the event of a non-flat-rate fine, the criminal jurisdiction may include a reprieve. Thus, the person who complies with the conditions of his or her stay will not have to pay the fine.

Warning  

The non-lump sum fine should not be confused with damages and interest granted to the victim and court costs.

The amount of the fine varies according to the severity of the offense committed and the circumstances of the case.

The way in which this amount is determined is not the same in the case of a single infringement as in the case of multiple infringements.

FYI  

For the legal persons, the maximum fine shall be 5 times higher that of the fine provided for natural persons.

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Single infringement

The criminal jurisdiction set the amount of the fine freely, taking into account the circumstances of the offense, the personality of the perpetrator, his financial resources and his expenses (e.g. rent).

The amount of the fine fixed by the criminal court may not exceed the maximum provided for by law or regulation.

If the fine ticketed or delict and the fixed procedural rights are paid within one month of the decision (or sa meaning), ua reduction of 20% shall be granted. This reduction may not exceed €1,500.

Example :

If a person is fined €750 by the police court and that it pays the sum within one month of service of the judgment, it shall pay €649.60 (€750 of a fine + €62 of fixed procedural law - 20% reduction).

Multiple Offenses

When a person is tried during the same trial for one or more tickets accompanied by offenses and/or crimes, the fines provided for in the various infringements add up.

Example :

A person may be fined €9,150 if tried at the same time for the following 2 offenses:

On the other hand, there is no cumulation of fines if the offenses for which the person is convicted are only crimes and/or misdemeanors. The maximum amount of the fine which may be pronounced by the criminal jurisdiction is the one for the most serious offense.

Example :

A person faces a maximum fine of €9,000 for the following 2 offenses:

  • Drug use punishable by a €3,750 maximum
  • Driving under the influence of drugs punishable by a fine of €9,000 maximum.

FYI  

If the fine (or fines) and fixed procedural rights are paid within one month of the decision (or sa meaning), ua reduction of 20% shall be granted. This reduction may not exceed €1,500.

For example, if a person is fined €750 and another fine of €350 by the police court and that it settles the sum within one month of service of the judgment, it shall pay €920.60 (€1,100 of a fine + €62 of fixed procedural law - 20% reduction).

In principle, the fine must be paid in a one month delay following the sentencing decision (or its meaning).

If the fine is not paid within that period, the Treasury sends a reminder to the convicted person.

FYI  

The sentenced person may request a deferral of payment of the fine from the State Treasury. To do this, she must travel to the public finance center nearest to her home, with all the documents proving her precarious financial situation (example: statement of account).

If the convicted person does not pay the fine within the time specified in the reminder (or reminders), the Treasury may seize his assets (example: seizure on salary).

Such seizure may take place within a period of:

  • 3 years from the day on which decision has become final, if the fine penalizes a ticket
  • 6 years from the day on which the decision became final, if the fine penalizes a offense
  • 20 years from the day on which the decision became final, if the fine crime.

Please note

For crimes and misdemeanors punishable by imprisonment, the application sentencing judge may order the imprisonment of a person sentenced to a fine if he refuses to pay it. The duration of imprisonment is fixed by the judge, within the limits of the maximums provided by law (example: for a fine whose amount is between €2,000 and €4,000, imprisonment may be for 20 days).

At the end of the hearing, the court shall criminal conviction record to the convicted person. If she and her lawyer are absent from the hearing, this statement is served at the same time as the court decision.

The conviction record is essential to pay the fine.

If the sentenced person does not have it, he may apply to the registry of the court which issued the decision.

Who shall I contact

To pay the fine, there is several solutions:

  • The sentenced person may go directly to the office of execution of sentences of the court which convicted her. She must present her criminal conviction record.
  • Or the sentenced person may transmit his record of criminal conviction accompanied by a check (completed and signed) at any public finance center.
  • Or the person has the opportunity to move at public finance center from his home. She must present her criminal conviction record. Payment can be made by any means.

A fine imposed by a criminal jurisdiction may be the subject of call. In this case, the payment of the fine is suspended until the decision of the Court of Appeal.

If the Court of Appeal accepts the application of the convicted person but the fine has already been paid, it may request the repayment of the fine by writing to the Directorate-General for Public Finance (DGFIP).

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