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Court fee waivers: filing when you can't pay the fee

Every court system in the United States has a route for filing without paying the filing fee up front — called a fee waiver, fee deferral, or proceeding in forma pauperis (IFP). The waiver covers court fees; it does not turn a private process server or a newspaper into a free service.

Federal court

In the U.S. District Courts, a person granted IFP status under 28 U.S.C. §1915 does not pay the $55 administrative fee that is part of the $405 civil filing fee. In bankruptcy, the waiver is narrower: only Chapter 7 has one, on Form 103B, for filers below 150% of the HHS federal poverty guidelines who cannot pay even in instalments; everyone else who needs time can apply to pay in instalments on Form 103A. See the bankruptcy fee guide.

State courts

States run their own procedures, but the shape is consistent: a sworn application listing income, assets, and household size; a judge or clerk reviews it; the result is a full waiver, a deferral (pay later or in instalments), or a denial you can ask the court to reconsider. Court self-help pages publish the forms — North Dakota's courts, for example, publish their fee-waiver forms alongside the official fee list, and Alaska's court site pairs its fee schedule with its fee-waiver guidance. Ask the clerk for the waiver packet when you pick up the filing forms; there is no separate trip.

What a waiver usually does not cover

• Private process-server charges (ask about sheriff service, and whether the waiver covers it in your court).
• Newspaper publication — a real barrier in publication states; some courts can order a cheaper alternative notice, so ask.
• Third-party charges such as fingerprinting or mandatory classes.
• Attorney fees — a waiver is about court fees only. Legal aid is the separate route for advice.

Sources: U.S. Courts — Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule · U.S. Courts — District Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule · ND Courts — Filing Fees & Fee Waiver · Alaska Court System — Court Fees & Fee Waiver. Researched October 2026 — confirm current figures with the court clerk.