Art. 43.03. PAYMENT OF FINE.  (a)  If a defendant is sentenced to pay a fine or costs or both and the defendant defaults in payment, the court after a hearing under Subsection (d) of this article may order the defendant confined in jail until discharged as provided by law, may order the defendant to discharge the fines and costs in any other manner provided by Article 43.09 of this code, or may waive payment of the fines and costs as provided by Article 43.091.  A certified copy of the judgment, sentence, and order is sufficient to authorize confinement under this subsection.
(b) A term of confinement for default in payment of fine or costs or both may not exceed the maximum term of confinement authorized for the offense for which the defendant was sentenced to pay the fine or costs or both.  If a court orders a term of confinement for default in payment of fines or costs under this article at a time during which a defendant is serving another term of confinement for default or is serving a term of confinement for conviction of an offense, the term of confinement for default runs concurrently with the other term of confinement, unless the court orders the terms to run consecutively under Article 42.08 of this code.
(c) If a defendant is sentenced both to confinement and to pay a fine or costs or both, and he defaults in payment of either, a term of confinement for the default, when combined with the term of confinement already assessed, may not exceed the maximum term of confinement authorized for the offense for which the defendant was sentenced.
(d)  A court may not order a defendant confined under Subsection (a) of this article unless the court at a hearing makes a written determination that:
(1)  the defendant is not indigent and has failed to make a good faith effort to discharge the fines and costs;  or
(2)  the defendant is indigent and:
(A)  has failed to make a good faith effort to discharge the fines and costs under Article 43.09(f);  and
(B)  could have discharged the fines and costs under Article 43.09 without experiencing any undue hardship.

Text of subsection effective until January 01, 2025

(e)  This article does not apply to a court governed by Chapter 45.

Text of subsection effective on January 01, 2025

(e)  This article does not apply to a court governed by Chapter 45A.
(f)  For purposes of a hearing described by Subsection (d), a defendant may be brought before the court in person or by means of an electronic broadcast system through which an image of the defendant is presented to the court.  For purposes of this subsection, "electronic broadcast system" means a two-way electronic communication of image and sound between the defendant and the court and includes secure Internet videoconferencing.
Acts 1965, 59th Leg., vol. 2, p. 317, ch. 722.  Amended by Acts 1971, 62nd Leg., p. 2990, ch. 987, Sec. 2, eff. June 15, 1971;  Acts 1973, 63rd Leg., p. 974, ch. 399, Sec. 2(A), eff. Jan. 1, 1974.


Amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 900, Sec. 5.04, eff. Sept. 1, 1993;  Subsec. (a) amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1111, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.
Amended by: 
Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1263 (H.B. 3060), Sec. 9, eff. September 1, 2007.
Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 474 (S.B. 414), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2009.
Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 765 (H.B. 4504), Sec. 2.026, eff. January 1, 2025.