Court administrative fees are the standardized charges you pay to use the public court system, separate from any attorney fees or fines. In federal district court, opening a civil case costs $405, and additional charges follow for serving papers, pulling records, ordering transcripts, and paying witnesses. State court fees vary by jurisdiction and case type. If you can’t afford to pay, you can apply for a waiver or, in bankruptcy, ask to pay in installments.
What It Costs to File a Case
The filing fee is the first and largest cost you’ll face. In federal district court, the statutory fee for a civil action is $350, plus a $55 administrative fee, for a total of $405.1United States Courts. District Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule A habeas corpus petition costs $5.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1914 – Filing Fee
State court filing fees vary widely with the type of case and the amount in dispute. Small claims cases tend to cost between $30 and $300. General civil cases in state courts can run from under $200 to well over $400.
Bankruptcy has its own fee structure. Chapter 7, 12, and 13 cases carry a $78 administrative fee on top of the base filing fee. Chapter 9, 11, and 15 cases carry a $571 administrative fee.3United States Courts. Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule The statutory filing fees Congress sets sit on top of those numbers.
Service of Process
After you file, the other side has to be officially notified. In federal court, the U.S. Marshals Service handles this at $65 per hour per employee, plus travel and out-of-pocket expenses.4eCFR. 28 CFR 0.114 – Fees for Services The fee applies even if the attempt fails and papers come back unserved. State court service costs are usually lower because private process servers or sheriff’s deputies handle the work, but they still vary with the number of people to serve and how easy they are to find.
Records, Copies, and Other Routine Fees
Beyond filing and service, federal courts charge for a range of routine administrative tasks under the District Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule:1United States Courts. District Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule
- Certified copies: $12 per certification, plus $0.50 per page for paper reproductions.
- Record searches: $34 per name or item searched.
- Exemplification (authenticated copy of a document): $24.
- Attorney admission: $199 for original admission, $21 for a duplicate certificate.
- Record retrieval from a Federal Records Center: $70 for the first box, $43 for each additional box.
State courts set their own schedules, so certified copy and record search fees differ by jurisdiction. Many state courts also charge a jury demand fee when a party requests a jury trial, and some charge a small fee for each intermediate motion. Check your local court’s published fee schedule before filing anything.
Electronic Access Through PACER
Federal court records are available through PACER at $0.10 per page, capped at $3.00 per document. Audio recordings of proceedings cost $2.40 per file. If you spend $30 or less in a quarter, the fees are waived entirely.5PACER: Federal Court Records. PACER Pricing: How Fees Work Researchers on scholarly projects can request an exemption from an individual court, though approval is discretionary. Charges add up faster than most people expect in document-heavy litigation; pulling an entire case file with hundreds of docket entries can run well into double digits.
Transcripts and Witness Fees
If you need a written record of what happened in court, transcripts are among the steeper administrative costs. The Judicial Conference sets maximum per-page rates for federal court reporters:6United States Courts. Federal Court Reporting Program
- Standard 30-day delivery: $4.40 per page for the original, $1.10 for the first copy to each party.
- Expedited 7-day delivery: $5.85 per page for the original.
- Next-day delivery: $7.30 per page for the original, $1.45 for the first copy.
The first party to order pays the original rate; anyone ordering afterward pays the copy rate. A single day of testimony can easily run 200 pages or more, which puts even a standard 30-day order near $900 for the original. Plan ahead if you know you’ll need one.
Witnesses who appear in federal court are entitled to $40 per day of attendance, including the travel days going to and from the courthouse.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1821 – Per Diem and Mileage Generally Witnesses who drive their own vehicle are reimbursed at the standard GSA mileage rate, $0.725 per mile in 2026.8General Services Administration. Privately Owned Vehicle (POV) Mileage Reimbursement Rates The party who subpoenas the witness pays these costs upfront, though they may be recoverable if you win.
Appellate Fees
Taking a case up triggers a new round of fees. In the federal courts of appeals, the docketing fee is $600 plus a $5 statutory fee, for a total of $605.9United States Courts. Court of Appeals Miscellaneous Fee Schedule Each party filing a separate notice of appeal pays its own fee, but parties filing jointly share one. The appellate schedule also carries charges for motions, reproductions, and searches similar to the district court schedule. Appeals from the bankruptcy appellate panel cost $5 for a notice of appeal.
Paying the Court
Most courts accept payment through electronic filing portals, where you enter a credit card or electronic check. These systems typically add a 2% to 3% convenience fee. Mailed checks or money orders work for courts that still accept paper filings. In-person payment windows generally take cash, debit cards, or certified checks during business hours, though not every courthouse offers a walk-up window.
If a payment bounces or a credit card charge is reversed, federal district courts assess a $53 returned payment fee.1United States Courts. District Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule More importantly, a failed payment means your filing fee hasn’t been paid, which can stall your case or trigger deadlines you didn’t realize were running. Always confirm your payment cleared, especially when filing close to a statute of limitations.
If You Can’t Afford the Fees
You can apply for a waiver by requesting to proceed “in forma pauperis” (IFP), a legal designation meaning you lack the resources to pay. In federal court, this requires filing an affidavit detailing your assets and demonstrating your inability to pay fees or post security.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1915 – Proceedings in Forma Pauperis The federal statute doesn’t set a fixed income threshold; the judge reviews your financial picture and decides whether a reasonable person in your position could afford the fees.
Many state courts take a more structured approach, using income cutoffs tied to the federal poverty level. Some states presume eligibility if you already receive public benefits like SNAP or Supplemental Security Income. If you don’t receive public assistance, state courts typically ask for tax returns, pay stubs, and a detailed monthly budget. The 2026 federal poverty level is $15,960 for a single person in the contiguous states and $33,000 for a family of four.11U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2026 Poverty Guidelines State eligibility thresholds are often set at 125% or 150% of those figures.
A successful IFP application removes the upfront filing cost, but the court can revoke it if the judge later finds the claim of poverty was untrue.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1915 – Proceedings in Forma Pauperis On appeal, IFP status carries over if the district court granted it, but the appellate court can independently review the request.12Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure – Rule 24 Proceeding in Forma Pauperis
Installment Payments in Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy courts offer an alternative to a full waiver. An individual filing a voluntary petition can apply to pay the filing fee in up to four installments. All payments must be completed within 120 days of filing, though a court can extend the deadline to 180 days for good cause. Until the fee is paid in full, you cannot pay an attorney or anyone else providing services in the case.13Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure – Rule 1006
Special Rules for Incarcerated Filers
The Prison Litigation Reform Act changed the fee rules for people in custody. Even if an incarcerated person qualifies for IFP status, they still owe the full filing fee, paid in installments from their prison trust account. The court collects an initial payment of 20% of either the average monthly deposits or the average monthly balance in the account over the six months before filing, whichever is greater. After that, the custodial agency forwards 20% of each month’s income to the court whenever the account balance exceeds $10.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1915 – Proceedings in Forma Pauperis A person with no funds at all can’t be blocked from filing, but deliberately refusing to pay can lead to dismissal.
Getting Your Costs Back If You Win
Many administrative fees you pay during litigation are recoverable if you prevail. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 54(d) establishes a presumption that the prevailing party gets its costs back.14Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Civil Procedure – Rule 54 Judgment and Costs The specific recoverable categories are listed in 28 U.S.C. § 1920:15Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1920 – Taxation of Costs clerk and marshal fees, transcripts necessarily obtained for use in the case, witness fees and printing, copies necessarily obtained for the case, and compensation for court-appointed experts and interpreters.
To collect, you file a bill of costs with the clerk after judgment. The clerk taxes the costs on 14 days’ notice, and the losing party has 7 days after that to challenge the amount before a judge.14Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Civil Procedure – Rule 54 Judgment and Costs Attorney’s fees are not part of this process. Those require a separate motion and are only awarded when a statute or contract specifically authorizes them.
What Happens If You Don’t Pay
Failing to pay required fees is one of the fastest ways to derail a case. At the filing stage, the clerk will reject your paperwork if the fee isn’t included or the payment fails. If fees come due later and you don’t pay, the opposing party can move to dismiss your claims under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(b) for failure to comply with a court order.16Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Civil Procedure – Rule 41 Dismissal of Actions A dismissal under that rule operates as a decision on the merits unless the judge says otherwise, which means you may lose the ability to refile.
Courts don’t send reminders or extend grace periods for missed fee payments. If your statute of limitations is running and your filing gets bounced for a $53 shortfall, the deadline doesn’t pause while you sort out the payment. Confirm the exact amount from the court’s fee schedule, double-check your math, and verify the payment clears before you assume your case is on file.