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Enforcement Warrant

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If you don't pay your fine and you ignore all reminders, the Magistrates' Court may issue an Enforcement Warrant against you and a fee of $62.60* will be added to your fine.

An Enforcement Warrant can be issued against a company or an individual. Once an Enforcement Warrant is issued, a sheriff's officer has the power to search for and seize your property to sell, wheel clamp or detain your vehicle, remove your vehicle’s number plates.

Learn more about what happens when the Sheriff contacts you on the Department of Justice and Community Safety website.

Your options

To avoid further enforcement action against you once an Enforcement Warrant has been issued, you can:

How are Enforcement Warrants issued?

Enforcement Warrants are issued by a registrar of the Magistrates’ Court and sent to the Sheriff of Victoria electronically. The Court can issue warrants electronically under section 115(3) of the Fines Reform Act 2014.  

Electronically issued warrants mean sheriff’s officers can access information to make it easier to engage with you and reflect modern processes of Fines Victoria and the Court.

What documents will I be provided with when a warrant is executed?

When a warrant is executed, sheriff’s officers will provide you with:

  • the details of the warrant – A Debtor Summary Report. This will include the date the warrant was issued, details of the offence(s) including which legislation the offence falls under and the outstanding amount
  • the warrant powers summary – This is an official record that tells you what the warrant is, where the powers for the warrant come from and what the Sheriff can do under the warrant
If you don't do anything about your Enforcement Warrant

If you do not pay the full amount owed, apply to pay by instalments or ask for more time to pay, as an individual, you will be personally served with a 7 Day Notice. Sheriff’s officers can also take other enforcement action against you such as wheel clamping your vehicle or seizing your property.

For more information on court fines, see Court fine FAQs.

Talk to someone

If you'd like to find out more or discuss your options, contact Fines Victoria.

* Fine amounts and fees correct as of 1 July 2023. Amounts are adjusted in July each year.

 

 

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About the Sheriff

The Sheriff of Victoria is an officer of the Supreme Court of Victoria responsible for actioning warrants issued by Victorian courts for civil and criminal matters. 

If a fine remains unpaid, the Sheriff must enforce the warrant issued against you. Sheriff's officers have authority under the legislation to action warrants. 

A sheriff's officer can:

  • come to your address and ask for payment (this is an official process called a 'payment demand')
  • stop you at a police roadblock
  • wheel clamp, detain or sell your vehicle
  • search for and seize your property to sell
  • remove the number plates from your vehicle
  • arrest you, so that you are brought before a magistrate or judge or release you on a community work permit to undertake community work under certain conditions.

See what happens when the sheriff contacts you on the Department of Justice and Community Safety website.

© State Government of Victoria