Kern Superior Court Filing Fees and Waivers

Applies to

Criminal case

Effective July 1, 2021, courts may not impose or collect the listed Government Code and Penal Code criminal administrative fees.

Effective July 1, 2021, courts no longer have authority to impose or collect the following fees: Government Code: § 27712 (public defense fee) *; § 27753 (cost of counsel); § 29550(c) (criminal justice administration fee); § 29550(f) (administrative screening fee and citation processing fee); § 29550.1 (criminal justice administration fee); § 29550.2 (county booking fee); § 29550.3 (city booking fee); Penal Code: § 987.4 (minor public defense fee); § 987.5 (public defense registration fee); § 987.8 (public defense fee); § 1203 (interstate compact supervision); § 1203.016 (adult home detention administrative fee); § 1203.018 (electronic monitoring administrative fee); § 1203.1b (probation department investigation/progress report fee); § 1203.1e (parole supervision fee); § 1208.2(b) (program administrative fee); § 1210.15 (continuous electronic monitoring fee); § 1463.07 (administrative screening fee and citation processing fee); § 3010.8 (parole continuous electronic monitoring fee); § 4024.2(e) (work furlough administrative fee); § 6266 (work furlough program fee).

Applies to

Small claims case

Small Claims filing fees vary according to the amount demanded.

Filing fees vary and depend upon the prayer amount (demand amount) of the suit. A Small Claims action cannot exceed $12,500.00. For assistance, please contact the Small Claims Advisor located at 1215 Truxtun Avenue, 1st floor or at 661-610-6518.

Fee

$435

Applies to

Civil harassment case

The Civil Harassment filing fee is $435, but the fee is waived if a Judicial Officer grants a Temporary Restraining Order.

The fee for filing is $435.00 unless the Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) is granted by a Judicial Officer. If the TRO is granted, the fee to file is waived.

Fee

$435

Applies to

Name change petition

The filing fee for a Name Change petition is $435.

The fee for filing is $435.00.

Applies to

Postponement request

A postponement request requires payment of the fee to the Clerk of the Court.

After service, parties may request a single postponement of no longer than fifteen (15) days through a written request and payment of the fee to the Clerk of the Court at least five (5) court days prior to the scheduled trial.

Applies to

Motion to set aside default judgment

A fee must be paid when presenting a motion to set aside a default judgment.

Appropriate legal forms for such motion must be prepared and presented to the court, with fees paid, within thirty (30) days from the date the default judgment is entered.

Applies to

Motion

Pre-cleared and reserved motions must be filed with their filing fees paid within three days of reservation, except for specified motions with delayed filing-time requirements.

All motions that are pre- cleared and reserved must be filed, and the motion filing fees paid within three (3) days of the date that the reservation is made, unless the motion is a type requiring notice to parties with delayed filing time limits, e.g., motions pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure section 128.7 or 437(c).

Applies to

Petition to terminate parental rights or step parent adoption

Investigation fees for petitions to terminate parental rights and step-parent adoptions are due when the petition is filed.

(e) For Petitions to Terminate Parental Rights and Step Parent Adoptions, investigation fees required for the investigations conducted by court investigators are due at the time of filing.

Applies to

Motion filing fee

A filing fee is required for a pre-cleared and reserved motion and must be paid within three days of the reservation.

All motions that are pre-cleared and reserved must be filed, and the motion filing fees paid within three (3) days of the date that the reservation is made.

Applies to

Temporary petition ex parte filing

Applicable fees are required when filing an ex parte application and temporary petition.

The moving party shall file the Ex-Parte Application, and Temporary Petition, along with the General Petition, if not previously filed, and all accompanying attachments as applicable, with proper case title captioned; the relief requested; a declaration in support of application; compliance declaration; a proposed order; and, the applicable fees.

Fee

$600

Applies to

Guardianship petition investigation

A $600 investigation fee is due when filing a guardianship petition.

1. Guardianship Petitions: A fee of $600 is required for investigations conducted by court investigators at the time of filing.

Fee

$600

Applies to

Guardianship termination petition investigation

A $600 investigation fee is due when filing a guardianship termination petition.

2. Termination Petitions: A fee of $600 is required for investigations conducted by court investigators at the time of filing.

Fee

$600

Applies to

Court ordered investigation

A $600 fee must be paid for a court-ordered investigation in an existing case.

3. Court-Ordered Investigations: For any court-ordered investigations in existing matters, a fee of $600 must be paid.

Fee

300

Applies to

Temporary conservatorship petition

A $300 investigation fee is required when filing a temporary conservatorship petition.

1. Temporary Conservatorship Petitions: A fee of $300 is required for the investigation at the time of filing.

Fee

600

Applies to

Conservatorship petition

A $600 investigation fee is required when filing a conservatorship petition.

2. Conservatorship Petitions: A fee of $600 is required for the investigation at the time of filing.

Fee

600

Applies to

Termination of conservatorship petition

A $600 investigation fee is required when filing a termination of conservatorship petition.

3. Termination of Conservatorship Petitions: A fee of $600 is required for the investigation at the time of filing.

Fee

600

Applies to

Court ordered investigation

A $600 investigation fee is required for a court-ordered investigation in an existing matter.

4. Court-Ordered Investigations: A fee of $600 is required for investigations ordered by the court on existing matters.

Fee

300

Applies to

Biennial review of conservatorship

A $300 investigation fee is due after the investigation report is submitted to the court for biennial review of a conservatorship.

5. Biennial Review of Conservatorship: A fee of $300 is due after the investigation report is submitted to the court.

Applies to

Court filing fee

A fee waiver packet is available from the Small Claims Court Clerk or Judicial Council Self-Help for filers unable to afford the fees.

If you cannot afford the fees, obtain a Fee Waiver packet from the small claims court clerk or at Judicial Council Self-Help.

Fee

$50

Applies to

Civil trust fund administration

The Court charges a one-time $50.00 fee for setting up, administering, and closing out trust for funds deposited with the Court in civil cases.

1. One-time fee to set up, administer and close out trust for funds on deposit with the Court in civil cases – $50.00 (Effective 1/1/23)

Fee

$22

Applies to

Civil trust warrant cancellation and reissuance

The Court charges a $22.00 fee when a civil trust warrant is canceled and reissued because of attorney error.

2. Cancellation of warrant and reissuance in civil trust due to attorney error – $22.00 (Effective 1/1/23)

Fee

$49

Applies to

Trust administration research

The Court charges an hourly $49.00 research fee for trust administration.

3. Hourly research fee for trust administration – $49.00 (Effective 1/1/23)

Fee

$14.5

Applies to

Media platform services, hardcopy photocopying, and searches

The Court charges $14.50 for each quarter hour for specified media services, hardcopy photocopying, and searches.

5. Fee of $14.50 for every quarter hour for: (Effective 1/1/22; rev. 7/1/24) a) media platform copies, transfers, recordings, and processing; (Effective 1/1/22; rev. 7/1/24) b) making photocopies from hardcopies; and (Effective 1/1/22) c) search fees. (Effective 1/1/22; renum. 7/1/24)

Fee

$20

Applies to

Off-site file retrieval

The Court charges $20.00 per file for off-site retrieval of files.

(a) Off-site retrieval of files – $20.00 per file (Effective 7/1/14; rev. 1/1/20)

Fee

$14

Applies to

Copy request on court-provided compact disc

The Court charges $14.00 for a copy request on a court-provided compact disc containing 1–50 pages.

1-50 pages - $ 14.00

Fee

$19

Applies to

Copy request on court-provided compact disc

The Court charges $19.00 for a copy request on a court-provided compact disc containing 51–75 pages.

51-75 pages - $ 19.00

Fee

$24

Applies to

Copy request on court-provided compact disc

The Court charges $24.00 for a copy request on a court-provided compact disc containing 76–100 pages.

76-100 pages - $ 24.00

Fee

$29

Applies to

Copy request on court-provided compact disc

The Court charges $29.00 for a copy request on a court-provided compact disc containing 101–125 pages.

101-125 pages - $ 29.00

Fee

$34

Applies to

Copy request on court-provided compact disc

The Court charges $34.00 for a copy request on a court-provided compact disc containing 126–150 pages.

126-150 pages - $ 34.00

Fee

$44

Applies to

Copy request on court-provided compact disc

The Court charges $44.00 for a copy request on a court-provided compact disc containing 151–200 pages.

151-200 pages - $ 44.00

A fax filing agency must pay all applicable filing fees when the fax filing is submitted.

The filing agency must pay all applicable fees at the time of filing.

The EFSP must pay applicable filing fees at submission and may charge reasonable electronic-filing fees; a party with a court-approved fee waiver is exempt from electronic-filing fees and costs and must identify the waiver in the submission fields.

The EFSP must pay all applicable fees at the time of filing and may charge reasonable fees in addition to any filing fees required by the court. Any party who has received a fee waiver from the court is exempt from the fees and costs associated with electronic filing and must designate so in related field(s) upon submission.

Applies to

Order to Appear

A timely refiling of an Order to Appear after missing the proof-of-service deadline requires a new filing fee.

If no timely proof of service is filed, the Judgment Creditor may again file an Order to Appear, which will require a new filing fee.

Applies to

Stenographic recording

The party requesting stenographic recording must post court reporter fees equal to one-half day’s fees when making the request.

The party requesting stenographic recording shall post court reporter fees equal to one-half day’s fees at the time the request is made.

Applies to

Jury trial

The party requesting a jury must post jury fees and, if desired, court reporter fees.

Jury fees and court reporter’s fees, if a court reporter is desired, shall be posted by the party requesting a jury not later than five (5) days prior to the date first assigned for trial.

Applies to

Jury trial

For each subsequent trial day, the party requesting a jury must post jury fees and any desired court reporter fees.

jury fees and court reporter’s fees, if a reporter is desired, shall be posted by the party requesting the jury trial, by the close of business the day before the next scheduled trial date.

Fee

$450

Applies to

Termination of parental rights investigation

The investigation fee for a termination of parental rights petition is $450.

1. Termination of Parental Rights Investigation: $450

Fee

$350

Applies to

Step parent adoption investigation

The investigation fee for a step-parent adoption petition is $350.

2. Step Parent Adoption Investigation: $350

Applies to

Investigation fee

Parties experiencing financial hardship may qualify for a waiver of the investigation fee.

4. If parties are experiencing financial hardship, they may qualify for a fee waiver.

Applies to

Guardianship investigation

Parties experiencing financial hardship may be eligible for a waiver of the investigation fee.

5. Financial Hardship: Parties experiencing financial hardship may be eligible for a fee waiver.

Filing fees are payable when the case is filed online at the end of the interview.

Filing Online – you may choose to file your case online at the end of the interview and pay the filing fees.

Fee

$2.13

Applies to

Postage and shipping for hardcopies

The Court charges $2.13 postage and shipping for 1–15 hardcopy pages.

1-15 pages - $ 2.13

Fee

$2.73

Applies to

Postage and shipping for hardcopies

The Court charges $2.73 postage and shipping for 16–30 hardcopy pages.

16-30 pages - $ 2.73

Fee

$3.13

Applies to

Postage and shipping for hardcopies

The Court charges $3.13 postage and shipping for 31–45 hardcopy pages.

31-45 pages - $ 3.13

Fee

$3.73

Applies to

Postage and shipping for hardcopies

The Court charges $3.73 postage and shipping for 46–60 hardcopy pages.

46-60 pages - $ 3.73

Fee

$4.13

Applies to

Postage and shipping for hardcopies

The Court charges $4.13 postage and shipping for 61–75 hardcopy pages.

61-75 pages - $ 4.13

Fee

$4.86

Applies to

Compact disc postage

The Court charges $4.86 postage for a compact disc.

7. Postage for CD – $ 4.86 (Effective 7/1/14; rev. 1/1/20; rev. 1/1/22)

Applies to

Additional court fees

The Court may increase the listed additional fees when U.S. Postal Service postage costs increase.

The Court reserves the right to increase these fees when the cost of postage is increased by the U.S. Postal Service.

Applies to

Probation or mental health report copies

On a proper request, probation and mental-health reports will be produced to counsel without further court order, subject to confidentiality and standard document-production fees.

Upon a request submitted to the Clerk’s Office, and without further order of the Court, such reports will be provided to the petitioner’s attorney of record and the Office of the Kern County District Attorney. The reports received by counsel shall not be released to the public, and standard court costs and fees for the production of documents will apply.

Applies to

Continuance stipulation

No filing fee is required for a continuance stipulation presented and submitted on the hearing date, and not all parties or counsel must be present.

In such cases, not all parties or counsel need to be present and no filing fees will be required for stipulations so presented and submitted on the date of hearing.

Applies to

Investigation fee

If an investigation is waived or expedited, a party may apply for a refund of the investigation fee.

5. If an investigation is waived or expedited, parties may apply for a refund of the investigation fee.

Applies to

Guardianship investigation

A party whose investigation is waived or expedited may apply for a refund of the investigation fee.

6. Refunds: If an investigation is waived or expedited, parties may apply for a refund of the investigation fee.

Applies to

Investigation fee

Parties facing financial hardship may qualify for a waiver of the investigation fee.

7. Financial Hardship: Parties facing financial hardship may qualify for a fee waiver.

Applies to

Investigation fee

If an investigation is waived or expedited, a party may apply for a refund of the investigation fee.

8. Refunds: If an investigation is waived or expedited, parties may apply for a refund of the investigation fee.