§15A-5-8. Jail processing fee.

(a) A person committed to be housed in jail by order of magistrate, circuit judge, or by temporary commitment order shall, at the time of initial booking into the jail, pay a processing fee of $30. If the person is unable to pay at the time of booking, the fee shall be deducted, at a rate of 50 percent, from any new deposits made into the person’s trust account until the jail processing fee is paid in full. The fee shall be credited to:

(1) The Jail’s operating budget if the person is committed to and housed in a jail;

(2) The county commission if the person is committed to and housed in a county jail; or

(3) The municipality if the person is committed to and housed in a municipal jail. The fee should be paid prior to the offender being released.

(b) A refund of a fee collected under this section shall be made to a person who has paid the fee if the person is not convicted of the offense for which the person was booked and the person provides documentation from the court showing that all charges for which the person was booked were dismissed, accurate current name and address and a valid photographic identification. In the case of multiple offenses, if the person is convicted of any of the offenses the fee may not be refunded. If the person is convicted of a lesser included offense or a related offense, no refund may be made.