Court filing fees run from as little as $10 in some small claims courts to $405 for a civil lawsuit in federal district court, with divorce petitions, bankruptcy cases, and appeals landing at different points in between. The fee covers the court’s work of opening your case, assigning a number, and maintaining the file. It is almost never the only cost you will pay, so it helps to see the whole picture before you hand over a check.
Federal Civil and Appeal Fees
Filing a civil lawsuit in any U.S. District Court costs $405. That figure combines a $350 statutory filing fee set by Congress with a $55 administrative fee imposed by the Judicial Conference of the United States.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1914 District Court Filing and Miscellaneous Fees2United States Courts. District Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule
If you lose and want to appeal, the price rises. Docketing an appeal in a U.S. Court of Appeals costs $600, plus a separate $5 notice-of-appeal fee paid to the district court.3United States Courts. Court of Appeals Miscellaneous Fee Schedule4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC Chapter 123 – Fees and Costs So a federal appeal starts at $605 before you pay for anything else.
State Court Fees: Civil, Small Claims, Divorce
State courts set their own fees, and the variation is wide. A few patterns hold across most jurisdictions.
General Civil Cases
A standard civil case at the state trial court level — personal injury, breach of contract, a landlord-tenant dispute — typically costs $200 to $500 to file. The exact amount depends on the court’s tier and often on the dollar value of the claim. Higher-value suits usually carry higher filing fees.
Small Claims Court
Small claims filing fees run from about $10 to $300, with most falling in the $30 to $100 range. Many jurisdictions tie the fee to the size of the claim, so suing for $500 costs less to file than suing for $8,000.
Divorce Petitions
Filing for divorce generally costs $100 to $400 for the initial petition. Some jurisdictions add a supplemental fee when minor children are involved, and the responding spouse pays a separate, smaller fee to file an answer.
Bankruptcy Fees
Bankruptcy fees are set at the federal level and do not vary by state. The amount depends on the chapter you file under:
- Chapter 7: statutory fee of $245, with administrative fees and a trustee surcharge bringing the total to $338.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1930 Bankruptcy Fees
- Chapter 13: statutory fee of $235, with administrative fees bringing the total to $313.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1930 Bankruptcy Fees
Unlike most other court filings, bankruptcy courts let individual debtors pay in installments. File your petition along with Form 103A, and the court will set a schedule of up to four installments. All payments must be made within 120 days of filing, though a judge can extend that to 180 days for good cause. One catch: until the filing fee is paid in full, you cannot pay your bankruptcy attorney or any other service provider working on your case.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 11 USC App Rule 1006 Filing Fee
Costs That Come After Filing
Opening the case is only the first bill. Several other charges show up as a lawsuit moves along.
Service of Process
You have to formally deliver the papers to the other side. In federal court, the U.S. Marshals Service handles service for $8 per item by mail, or $65 per hour plus travel and expenses for personal service.7eCFR. 28 CFR Part 0 Subpart T – United States Marshals Service In state courts, a county sheriff or private process server usually does the job. Private servers generally charge $40 to $100, with rush or same-day service adding $25 to $50. Hard-to-find defendants cost more.
Transcripts
A written record of a hearing or trial carries per-page fees. In federal court, a transcript on a 30-day turnaround is $4.40 per page, seven-day expedited service is $5.85 per page, and next-day delivery runs $7.30 per page.8United States Courts. Federal Court Reporting Program A full day of trial testimony can easily run 200 pages or more, so one transcript can cost $900 to $1,500.
Certified Copies and Record Searches
A certified copy of a federal court order or judgment costs $12 per certification. An exemplification certificate, a more formal authentication sometimes needed to use a document in another court, is $24. If the clerk has to search records for you, that runs $34 per name or item searched.2United States Courts. District Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule State courts set their own rates for similar services.
PACER Access
Federal court records are available electronically through PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) at $0.10 per page, capped at $3.00 per document regardless of length.9United States Courts. Appendix 2 – Electronic Public Access Program FY2026 If your total PACER usage stays at $30 or less in a quarter, the fees are waived for that period.10PACER. Are Government Agencies Exempt From Charges Someone checking on their own case a few times a quarter usually stays under that cap.
Fee Waivers If You Cannot Pay
If you cannot afford the filing fee, you can ask the court to waive it. This is formally called proceeding “in forma pauperis.” In federal court, 28 U.S.C. § 1915 lets any federal court accept your filing without prepayment if you submit an affidavit showing you cannot afford the fee.11Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1915 Proceedings In Forma Pauperis Most state courts have similar programs, though the forms and income cutoffs vary.
The application asks for detailed financial information:
- Income, shown through pay stubs, benefit statements, or similar proof
- Public benefits such as SNAP, TANF, or SSI
- Assets, including cash on hand, bank balances, and property or vehicle values
- Expenses, including rent or mortgage, utilities, food, transportation, medical costs, and dependent care
A judge reviews the application and either grants the waiver, denies it, or asks for more information. If granted, the waiver covers court fees for the full life of the case, not just the initial filing. If denied, you will need to pay the full fee to proceed, and courts generally give a short window (often around 10 days, though this varies) before treating the case as withdrawn. When a federal court grants the waiver, it specifically exempts the $55 administrative fee on top of the statutory filing fee.2United States Courts. District Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule
Confirming the Exact Fee and Paying It
The fastest way to find the exact fee for your case is the official website of the court where you plan to file. Look for “Fee Schedule” or “Clerk of Court.” Before you search, know the county where you are filing and the precise legal name for your case type; a “petition for dissolution of marriage” will pull up a different fee than a “civil complaint.” If the site is unclear or you are not sure which category applies, call the clerk’s office. Clerks answer fee questions routinely and can tell you what payment methods the court accepts.
For in-person filings, most courts take cash, personal checks, cashier’s checks, money orders, and credit or debit cards. Many courts also run electronic filing portals where you can submit documents and pay online, which creates an immediate payment record.
One last thing to know: filing fees are almost never refundable. If your case settles, gets dismissed, or you decide not to pursue it, the money you paid to open the file stays with the court. Treat the filing fee as spent the moment the paperwork changes hands.