Fines & Policies

Overdue Fines

You are charged daily fines for each item not returned by its due date. As a courtesy, the Library will attempt to notify you when an item is overdue and fines have been accrued. Overdue fines are approved by the Merced County Board of Supervisors.

• New arrival fines - $0.50 / day per item
• All other items - $0.25 / day per item

Payment Information

Fines may be paid at any Merced County library branch. We accept cash or checks made payable to Merced County Public Library. Payment may also be mailed to a branch location, sent to the attention of the Circulation Department. You can now pay by Visa, MasterCard or Discover Card online via Smart Pay.

Lost Items

If you have lost an item, you will be responsible for paying a replacement fee based on the type of item lost (book, DVD, CD, etc.). Lost item fees are approved by the Merced County Board of Supervisors.

Individuals who have lost an item should expect to pay the following fees:

• Replacement cost - varies
• Overdue fines - if accrued

Blocked Cards

You cannot check out or renew materials if your account has been blocked. An account with fines or fees totaling more than $2 or an account in collections will be blocked from use. Library card accounts with fines and/or fees totaling $100 or more will be sent to Merced County Revenue and Reimbursements for collection. A fee may be added to the patron’s account to cover collection costs.