Do you owe legal financial obligations that were imposed before July 1, 2023?
New laws went into effect on July 1, 2023, and you might be eligible to have these fines waived.
Two types of fines are affected – the $500 victim penalty assessment (VPA) and the $100 DNA fee. If you were convicted before July 1, 2023, these fines were imposed on your case.
You may get the $100 DNA fee waived simply by filing a motion with the Court.
For the $500 VPA, you must file a motion and demonstrate that:
You were under 18 at the time of the offense OR
You are indigent under RCW 10.01.160(3). There are several ways to establish indigency, such as — low annual income, being unhoused, receiving food stamps or EBT, Medicaid (Apple Health), Supplemental Social Security (SSI), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Aged, Blind, or Disabled assistance benefits (ABD), serious mental illness, or other compelling circumstances that explain an inability to pay LFOs.
For all juvenile convictions, if you file a GR 39 motion with the court, they must waive all non-restitution legal financial obligations. This includes but is not limited to, fines, victim penalty assessments, DNA sampling fees, diversion fees, copy feeds, examinations, evaluations, court-ordered treatment, probation bail fees, and interest. All you need to do to get these obligations waived is file a simple motion with the Court.
You do not need an attorney to seek relief from the court. The Snohomish County Clerk’s Office provides free forms for you to file to ask the court to waive your outstanding legal financial obligations. This form is called General Rule 39 (GR 39) motion and order. The GR 39 form can be used in any court in Washington. To download the GR 39 form, click the link below.
If you are not able to file a motion on your own, you can ask us to review your circumstances. To do so, please click the “Ask us for help” button to enter your information.
Please note: Due to the significant number of individuals affected by these legal reforms, priority will be given to individuals currently represented by the Snohomish County Public Defender Association (SCPDA), individuals being garnished for waived LFOs, and juvenile judgments. Requests for help will be prioritized for review and response. To request SCPDA to review, click the “Ask us for help” Form button below.