Dispute an overdue fine

If you don’t think you should pay your overdue fine and would like to challenge it, you can apply for an annulment to have it overturned in court.

If you received your fine before 1998, you may not need to apply for annulment. Contact us to learn how you can dispute it.

Failure to vote

If you've received a failure to vote notice there is a separate dispute process.

You can dispute your overdue fine online using myEnforcement Order if you:

• did actually vote
• haven’t received any previous fine notices from the NSW Electoral Commission
• legitimately could not vote.

You can contact us to talk more about your options.

Failure to appear for jury service

You may have a reason to dispute a fine for failing to appear for jury service if you:

• did attend jury service
• did not receive previous notices from the NSW Sheriff’s Office
• had a legitimate reason for not attending jury service.

If this is the case, you can dispute the fine.

• Log in to MyEnforcement Order using the overdue fine reference number.
• Select “contact us” and fill in all the details including your reason for requesting a review.
• Attach any supporting documents such as a medical certificate, letter from a health practitioner/case worker, or proof of change of address (eg lease agreement).

If your fine is not withdrawn, you can pay the overdue fine or you can apply for an annulment.

Apply for an annulment

You can apply to have your overdue fine annulled. In most cases, this means your matter will be referred to the court and heard by a magistrate.

If the court determines the fine was correctly issued, they can vary the fine amount up to a maximum of $2,200.

You will need the following information and supporting documents to complete the online application:

• reference numbers for your overdue fines
• penalty notice numbers
• your driver's licence number
• email address
• phone number.

You can't start the application form and save the information to finish it later. You need to fill out all the information in one go to submit the form.

How to apply

We’ll need to see documents that:

• support your reason for disputing your fine
• prove that you were prevented from taking appropriate action before the due date.

You will also need to complete these steps to apply for an annulment:

1. Annulment questionnaire: find out if you’re eligible to dispute your overdue fine.
2. Lodge your application: if you’re eligible, you can then lodge your application online.
3. Pay an application fee of $50 per overdue fine. If you can prove financial hardship, you might not have to pay this fee.

Apply online now

Get legal advice

You might find it helpful to get legal advice during the application process and if your application is approved.

Contact LawAccess for free legal information and referral services.

What happens next

We’ll assess your application within six weeks.

If there's enough information to support your claim, your case will be listed before a court. This is generally the court closest to where the initial incident took place.

We’ll also review your fine ourselves if there has not already been a formal review.

If the court finds in your favour, you won’t have to pay your fine.