Pressing charges costs you nothing. Criminal prosecution is a government function paid for out of public budgets, so there is no filing fee, no court cost, and no bill sent to the victim. When people ask how much it costs to press charges, the honest answer is zero for the criminal case itself. What can cost money is everything that surrounds a crime: medical care, missed work, counseling, replacing what was taken, and a separate civil lawsuit if you decide to sue for damages.
Why the Criminal Case Is Free
“Pressing charges” is a phrase people use loosely, but only the government can actually file criminal charges. A prosecutor reviews what law enforcement gathered and decides whether the evidence supports a case. You cannot force that decision, and you cannot pay to influence it. Your part is to report what happened, cooperate with investigators, and testify if the case reaches trial.
Every expense in the criminal process comes out of taxpayer-funded budgets. Police salaries, crime lab work, prosecutor time, courtroom operations, and a public defender for the accused if they qualify — none of it is billed to you.
How a Case Starts and the One Small Fee You Might See
The process begins when you contact the police. Officers take a statement, document the scene, and open an investigation. Filing the report is free. If you later want a copy of that report for your own records or an insurance claim, most agencies charge a small administrative fee that varies by jurisdiction.
Police then forward their findings to the prosecutor. If the evidence is strong enough to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt, the state files charges. If it falls short, the prosecutor may decline, even if you believe a crime clearly happened. That can be frustrating, but the tradeoff is that no individual victim bears the cost or authority of prosecution.
The Costs Crime Actually Creates
The criminal case is free. The crime itself is not. These are the expenses that usually sit behind the question:
- Medical bills for emergency treatment, surgery, ongoing care, dental work, and prescriptions.
- Mental health counseling for trauma, PTSD, anxiety, or depression.
- Lost wages from recovery, court appearances, and dealing with the aftermath.
- Property loss from stolen or damaged belongings.
- Witness travel. In federal court the statutory attendance fee is only $40 per day, which does not begin to cover time away from work.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1821 – Witnesses; Fees
These land on you whether or not charges are filed and whether or not the offender is convicted. Two programs exist to help offset them: state victim compensation and court-ordered restitution.
Victim Compensation Programs
Every state runs a victim compensation program, funded in part through the federal Victims of Crime Act. These programs reimburse out-of-pocket expenses including medical costs, mental health counseling, lost wages, and funeral and burial costs.2Office for Victims of Crime. Victim Compensation You apply through your state’s program, and benefits are paid to you or directly to providers.
Maximum benefits and eligibility rules vary by state. Most programs require you to report the crime to law enforcement and cooperate with the investigation, though exceptions often apply in domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse cases. You do not need to wait for an arrest or conviction to apply. You can find your state’s program through the Office for Victims of Crime directory.3Office for Victims of Crime. Victim Compensation and Assistance in Your State
Restitution From the Offender
If the offender is convicted, the court can order restitution, requiring them to repay you for losses caused by the crime. Restitution can cover medical bills, lost income, property damage, counseling, and funeral costs.4Department of Justice. Restitution Process Every state gives courts authority to order it, and more than a third of states require it absent extraordinary circumstances.5Office for Victims of Crime. Ordering Restitution to the Crime Victim In federal court, restitution is mandatory for crimes of violence and property offenses with an identifiable victim who suffered physical injury or financial loss.6GovInfo. 18 USC 3663A – Mandatory Restitution to Victims of Certain Crimes
Getting the order and getting the money, though, are two different things. The Congressional Research Service estimates less than a tenth of restitution awarded in federal criminal cases is ever collected, mostly because offenders cannot pay. The Department of Justice puts the uncollected total near $100 billion, of which it expects to recover about $10 billion.7Congress.gov. Restitution in Federal Criminal Cases Payments often trickle in over years, and some never arrive. Pursue it, but do not plan your recovery around it.
Protection Orders Are Also Free
If you are a victim of domestic violence, stalking, dating violence, or sexual assault and need a protection order, federal law bars courts from charging you any fees for filing, issuing, registering, or serving that order. This applies to civil and criminal protection orders, including those enforced across state lines. Jurisdictions that charge these fees risk losing federal VAWA funding. If a clerk asks you to pay, ask about a fee waiver and contact a local victim advocacy organization.
Civil Lawsuits Are a Separate, Paid Path
Criminal cases punish the offender. Civil lawsuits compensate you. They are separate proceedings, and civil cases do carry costs the criminal process does not.
If you sue the person who harmed you, expect these expenses:
- Attorney fees. Personal injury and other victim-side lawyers often work on contingency, taking a percentage of your recovery rather than billing hourly. That percentage typically runs 30% to 40%. Hourly work, where it applies, averages roughly $250 to $400 nationally depending on experience and location.
- Court filing fees. Federal civil filing is $405. State court fees range from under $100 to over $1,000 depending on the jurisdiction and the amount in dispute.
- Service of process. Formally serving the defendant typically costs $40 to $100 through a private process server.
- Discovery. Depositions, document production, and expert witnesses all carry fees that add up quickly.
A civil case uses a lower burden of proof than a criminal case. You only need to show the defendant is liable by a preponderance of the evidence, meaning more likely than not. You can win a civil judgment even if the criminal case was dropped or ended in acquittal. The tradeoff is financial risk if you lose, which is why contingency arrangements are common in victim cases: the attorney absorbs most of that risk.
Filing a False Report Can Cost You a Great Deal
Because reporting a crime is free, people sometimes ask what stops a false report filed out of spite. Criminal liability does. Filing a false police report is a crime in every state, typically a misdemeanor punishable by fines and possible jail time, with penalties escalating if the report triggers a serious investigation or an arrest.
At the federal level, making a materially false statement to a federal law enforcement officer is a felony under 18 U.S.C. § 1001, carrying up to five years in prison.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 1001 – Statements or Entries Generally Cases involving terrorism or certain sex offenses raise that ceiling to eight years. The person you falsely accused can also sue you civilly for malicious prosecution, and those awards can be substantial. A truthful report costs nothing. A false one can cost everything.