We Have Cleared All Late Fines from Your Accounts

As of today, May 4, we have cleared late fines from all library accounts. We call this new initiative A Fresh Start for All. This gives library users a fresh start before we resume charging late fines on September 15.

The pandemic placed many hardships on King County communities. To help, we temporarily stopped assessing late fines in March 2020. We understand you may have accumulated overdue materials. You will have until September 15 to return items before late fines resume.

Learn more about the actions we're taking to help prepare patrons for this change.

On May 4:

  • All accounts automatically received a one-time waiver of late fines.  
  • Charges for lost and damaged materials will remain on accounts. 
  • Items that are more than 30 days overdue will be processed as lost. Replacement charges for these items will appear on accounts. 
  • Patrons with lost materials and balances greater than $25 will receive billing notices. You will have until September 15 to return items or pay fees before accounts are blocked.

Starting September 15: 

  • We will resume charging late fines. 
  • Accounts with balances greater than $25 will be blocked. Blocked accounts will not be able to renew items or check out additional materials. 
  • We will introduce automatic renewals. We will renew your materials if there are no other holds on them. More information about this feature will be available later this summer. 

What changes do you want to see at your library? How can we better meet your needs? Go to our comment form to share your suggestions.

Related FAQs