(1)(a) A person may request a payment plan at any time for the payment of any monetary penalty, fee, cost, assessment, or other monetary obligation associated with a traffic infraction. If the person does not have the ability to pay the monetary obligation in full, the person has not previously been granted a payment plan for the same monetary obligation, and the court has not authorized its collections agency to take civil legal enforcement action, the court shall enter into a payment plan with the individual. Where the court has authorized its collections agency to take civil legal enforcement action, the court may, at its discretion, enter into a payment plan.

(b) If a court authorized community restitution program for offenders is available in the jurisdiction, the court may allow conversion of all or part of the monetary obligations due under this section to court authorized community restitution in lieu of time payments if the person is unable to make reasonable time payments.

(2) The person may voluntarily pay an amount at any time in addition to the payments required under the payment plan.

(3) If a payment required to be made under the payment plan is delinquent or the person fails to complete a community restitution program on or before the time established under the payment plan, unless the court determines good cause therefor and adjusts the payment plan or the community restitution plan accordingly, the court may refer the unpaid monetary penalty, fee, cost, assessment, or other monetary obligation for civil enforcement until all monetary obligations have been paid and court authorized community restitution has been completed, or until the court has entered into a new payment plan or community restitution agreement with the person.

(4)(a) If a person has not entered into a payment plan with the court and has not paid the monetary obligation in full, no sooner than 90 days from the date of the infraction the court may refer the unpaid monetary penalty, fee, cost, assessment, or other monetary obligation to a collections agency until all monetary obligations have been paid or until the person has entered into a payment plan under this section.

(b) If a person responded to a traffic infraction for a moving violation attesting that the person did not have the ability to pay the infraction in full, the court must attempt to enter into a payment plan with the person prior to referring the monetary obligation to a collections agency.

(5) If the payment plan is to be administered by the court, the court may assess the person a reasonable administrative fee to be wholly retained by the city or county with jurisdiction. The administrative fee shall not exceed $10 per infraction or $25 per payment plan, whichever is less.

(6) Nothing in this section precludes a court from contracting with outside entities to administer its payment plan system. When outside entities are used for the administration of a payment plan, the court may assess the person a reasonable fee for such administrative services, which fee may be calculated on a periodic, percentage, or other basis.

(7) The court may modify a payment plan at any time.

(8) The court may require a person who fails to make payment as required under a payment plan to appear and provide evidence of ability to pay.

(9) For the purposes of this section, "payment plan" means a plan that requires reasonable payments based on the financial ability of the person to pay as determined by court rule.

Effective date—2021 c 240: See note following RCW 46.63.060.