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North Carolina court costs guide
Filing for divorce in North Carolina costs $225 in court filing fees. This guide covers the verified filing fees for divorce, name change, general civil cases, and probate in North Carolina — every figure from the official schedule or statute named at the foot of the page.
| North Carolina at a glance | Figure |
|---|---|
| Court | District Court |
| Divorce filing fee | $225 total — $150 District Court civil facilities/general fund total plus the $75 absolute-divorce add-on (G.S. §7A-305(a2)), per the Judicial Branch cost charts (January 1, 2026). |
| Name change filing fee | $120 — the Special Proceedings total under G.S. §7A-306. |
| Name-change publication | Not required — Not required — G.S. ch. 101 contains no notice or publication requirement (§101-2(b) was repealed effective December 1, 2025; the historical rule was courthouse-door posting, never newspaper publication). |
| General civil filing fee | District Court $150; Magistrate $96; Superior Court $200 (G.S. §7A-305 totals). |
| Probate filing fee | $120 base (G.S. §7A-307) plus $0.40 per $100 of gross estate (minimum $15 per filing, maximum cumulative $6,000). Probate of a will without qualification is $30. |
Divorce filing fees
$225 total — $150 District Court civil facilities/general fund total plus the $75 absolute-divorce add-on (G.S. §7A-305(a2)), per the Judicial Branch cost charts (January 1, 2026).
See the national picture — including the states where the fee is set county by county — in our divorce filing cost guide.
Name change: fee and publication
$120 — the Special Proceedings total under G.S. §7A-306.
Publication: Not required — G.S. ch. 101 contains no notice or publication requirement (§101-2(b) was repealed effective December 1, 2025; the historical rule was courthouse-door posting, never newspaper publication).
Publication is the step readers most often get wrong, because the rule changed recently in several states. The full state-by-state picture is in our name change cost guide.
General civil filing fees
District Court $150; Magistrate $96; Superior Court $200 (G.S. §7A-305 totals).
Probate court costs
$120 base (G.S. §7A-307) plus $0.40 per $100 of gross estate (minimum $15 per filing, maximum cumulative $6,000). Probate of a will without qualification is $30.
How filing works in North Carolina
- Prepare the petition or complaint for the District Court — most North Carolina courts publish the forms on their self-help pages.
- File with the clerk and pay the filing fee above. Keep the stamped copy; it is your proof of filing.
- Arrange service of process on the other party where the case requires it (divorce and general civil cases do; a name change usually does not).
- Complete any publication the rules require — for a North Carolina name change: not required.
- Attend the hearing or, in uncontested matters, submit the proposed decree for the judge's signature.
Worked total: what a divorce filing costs
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Filing fee | $225 |
| Service of process (typical private process server) | $50–$100 |
| Estimated total to file | $275–$325 |
Filing fee plus service for one respondent, before any mediation, parenting-class, or copy charges described in the guides. Run your own combination in the cost calculator.
Sources: NC Judicial Branch — Current Court Costs & Jan. 2026 charts · G.S. ch. 101 — NC General Assembly. Researched October 2026 — confirm current figures with the court clerk.
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