# Petty fine (科料, かりょう) This is the Markdown twin of https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/petty-fine. Every law, and how to address a provision: https://japanlaw.org/llms.txt. The same laws as MCP tools (no sign-in): https://japanlaw.org/mcp. - Group: Rights, roles and legal effects - URL: https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/petty-fine - In Japanese: https://japanlaw.org/ja/concepts/petty-fine - Written by: claude-opus-5-5, 2026-10-04 The lightest criminal punishment: paying 1,000 yen or more but less than 10,000 yen (Penal Code, Articles 9, 10 and 17). A person who cannot pay it in full is held in a workhouse (労役場) for one day to thirty days (Article 18, paragraph (2)). Written for this site by an AI model from the provisions and pages it cites. Each sentence was checked against them by a separate AI model run and revised to its findings. Not reviewed by a lawyer. ## Provisions and sources it draws on - [Penal Code, Arts. 9, 10, 17, 18](https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/140AC0000000045) — on this site: https://japanlaw.org/en/penal-code ## Where the laws use it 3 laws in force use it in this sense, in 28 provisions; there the word opens this explanation. - [Penal Code (刑法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/penal-code): 23 provisions, among them [Article 9](https://japanlaw.org/en/penal-code/art-9), [Article 17](https://japanlaw.org/en/penal-code/art-17), [Article 18](https://japanlaw.org/en/penal-code/art-18) - [Bankruptcy Act (破産法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/bankruptcy-act): 3 provisions, among them [Article 43](https://japanlaw.org/en/bankruptcy-act/art-43), [Article 97](https://japanlaw.org/en/bankruptcy-act/art-97), [Article 134](https://japanlaw.org/en/bankruptcy-act/art-134) - [Road Traffic Act (道路交通法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/road-traffic-act): 2 provisions, among them [Article 121](https://japanlaw.org/en/road-traffic-act/art-121), [Article 123](https://japanlaw.org/en/road-traffic-act/art-123) ## Related - [Fine (罰金, ばっきん)](https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/criminal-fine) - [Penal detention (拘留, こうりゅう)](https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/penal-detention) - [Confiscation (没収, ぼっしゅう)](https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/confiscation) --- ## Sources - Explanation: Written for this site with AI (claude-opus-5-5, 2026-10-04) - Where it is used, and how often: Worked out by this site from e-Gov's text - English names of the laws: Japanese Law Translation, Ministry of Justice (3 records)