Late fees are no more at the King County Library System.

KCLS announced late last month that starting May 9, no more late fees will be charged for library items that are overdue.

Additionally, all late fines that have accrued will be cleared from patron’s accounts.

“Late fines worsen inequality and discourage library use,” a press release reads. “Individuals with low-income and limited access to transportation and technology are most impacted.”

The library system also noted that late fees make up less than 1% of its operation budget.

According to KCLS’ 2023 budget, the library system expected to only collect about $245,000 in late fees.

However, don’t think this means you can keep library materials indefinitely without consequence; KCLS will still charge replacement fees for “lost” items that are more than 60 days overdue at retail cost.

Accounts with more than $75 in fees (an increase from $25, another recent change) are locked from borrowing additional materials.

According to KCLS’ budget, it expects to bring in about $113,000 in lost fees this year.