St. Louis County Circuit Court Filing Fees and Waivers

CRITICAL

Applies to

Common cases

Filing fees for the common cases are waived after the first filing fee is paid.

Filings fees for all common cases will be waived after the first filing fee is paid.

CRITICAL

Fee

$7.5

Applies to

Specified traffic and municipal ordinance violations

A $7.50 CVC surcharge must be assessed for the specified violations, except in dismissed cases or when costs are waived because the defendant is indigent.

The Court Administrator shall cause a $7.50 Crime Victims Compensation Fund (“CVC”) surcharge to be assessed on all non-moving and moving traffic violations and all other non-traffic municipal ordinance violations, unless the case has been dismissed, or costs have been waived due to the Division finding the defendant indigent.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Application for trial de novo

The applicant shall, at the time of filing of the application for trial de novo, deposit the sum provided for by state law and local rule with the appropriate clerk. In the event the deposit is not made, the application shall be accepted and processed without the fee. The judge of the court to which the case is assigned may impose and appropriate sanction for non-payment, including dismissal of the application for trial de novo.

The applicant shall, at the time of filing of the application for trial de novo, deposit the sum provided for by state law and local rule with the appropriate clerk. In the event the deposit is not made, the application shall be accepted and processed without the fee. The judge of the court to which the case is assigned may impose and appropriate sanction for non-payment, including dismissal of the application for trial de novo.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Execution application

Costs toward the sheriff’s fees must be paid to the clerk when the execution application is filed.

Costs to apply toward sheriff’s fees shall be paid to the clerk at the time of the filing of the application.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Amended petition counterclaim cross claim third party petition or consolidation motion

For the specified Chapter 517 filings that independently exceed its limits, the party must tender the required additional cost deposit with the filing or the pleading will not be accepted.

When a case has been filed to be heard pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 517 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri and a party files an amended petition, counterclaim, cross-claim, or third- party petition or a motion for consolidation of cases that independently exceeds the limits set forth in Chapter 517, that party shall tender therewith, to the appropriate clerk, the additional costs deposit required by Local Rule. The payment of the additional cost deposit is a condition precedent to filing the pleading, and no such pleading shall be accepted for filing unless the cost deposit is tendered with the pleading.

CRITICAL

In all cases filed in this Circuit there shall be deposited with the appropriate clerk a sum set from time to time by the court en banc in accord with the applicable statutes, ordinances, Supreme Court Rules and Local Rules, as posted in the Office of the Circuit Clerk. When a case is electronically filed by a registered attorney the fee shall be paid by credit card, debit account or e-check.

In all cases filed in this Circuit there shall be deposited with the appropriate clerk a sum set from time to time by the court en banc in accord with the applicable statutes, ordinances, Supreme Court Rules and Local Rules, as posted in the Office of the Circuit Clerk. When a case is electronically filed by a registered attorney the fee shall be paid by credit card, debit account or e-check.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Paternity case

No filing fee is required for the separate paternity case filed when paternity must be established in a dissolution case.

Due to issues of confidentiality, in any dissolution case in which paternity of one or more children must be established, a separate case shall be filed to establish paternity with no filing fee required.

CRITICAL

The Court Administrator must coordinate with the City to create a system for online court payments and provide free online access to specified case and docket information.

The Court Administrator shall communicate with the City to create an appropriate system to allow court payments online and further, to make available free, online access to information about pending cases, outstanding warrants and scheduled Division dockets.

CRITICAL

When qualifying nonprofit representation allows an indigent person to obtain a fee waiver without court approval, the organization must file a written indigency certification signed by one of its licensed attorneys.

In any case in which an indigent person seeks to have costs or fees waived because of representation by a legal aid society or legal services or other nonprofit organization, and because of such representation does not need approval of the court for the waiver of the fees, the organization shall be required to file a written certification that the person has been found indigent signed by a licensed attorney at law of the organization.

CRITICAL

Fee

$20

Applies to

Civil suit

Pursuant to Section 488.426.1, RSMo., the Circuit Clerk shall collect a surcharge of $20.00 from any party filing a civil suit to be heard under practices and procedures applicable before Associate Circuit Judges and any civil suit in the Circuit Court provided that such surcharge shall not be collected by the county or state or any city.

Pursuant to Section 488.426.1, RSMo., the Circuit Clerk shall collect a surcharge of $20.00 from any party filing a civil suit to be heard under practices and procedures applicable before Associate Circuit Judges and any civil suit in the Circuit Court provided that such surcharge shall not be collected by the county or state or any city.

CRITICAL

Indigent defendants must not be assessed Division costs.

Division costs shall not be assessed against indigent defendants, as per law.

CRITICAL

Approval allows the case to proceed without a cost deposit, subject to a later costs order in the interest of justice; if the request is denied, the petition must be filed with the denial and costs must be deposited within ten days to avoid dismissal without prejudice.

If the court approves the request, the case shall be filed without a cost deposit and proceed as any other case shall proceed. However, the court making the final determination of the case may order costs paid as it sees fit in the interest of justice. However, if the request is denied the petition shall be filed with a copy of the denial and the parties shall be given ten days to deposit the proper costs or the case will be dismissed without prejudice.

CRITICAL

A poor-person fee-waiver applicant must apply before filing, appear in court unless unavoidably prevented, and submit the petition with an affidavit containing the specified information.

Applicants to the Court for permission to sue as a poor person must, unless unavoidably prevented, be present in court when the application is made and the application shall be made before the case is filed. Every such application shall be accompanied with the petition in the case and an affidavit which shall contain (1) a statement of the inability of the applicant to pay or provide security for costs of the suit, (2) whether prior application has been made to any Court or Judge thereof and the result of that requests, (3) the period of time the applicant has resided in the circuit, and (4) that the applicant has truthfully stated to counsel or the court all the facts bearing on the case and has a meritorious cause of action.

WARNING

Applies to

Money held in separate interest bearing account

Money held by the Circuit Clerk in a separate, interest-bearing account must be paid as provided in Rule 12(1).

Money held by the Circuit Clerk in any separate, interest bearing account shall be payable as provided in Rule 12(1).

WARNING

The Court Administrator is not required to collect court-cost underpayments of less than $5.00.

The Court Administrator is not required to pursue collection of underpayments of court costs of less than $5.00.

WARNING

Applies to

Interpreter or translator fee deposit

When the Court orders an interpreter or translator fee deposit as a condition of appointment, the parties must pay the ordered funds to the Circuit Clerk.

When the Court, as a condition of entering an order for the appointment of a qualified interpreter or translator for a non-English speaking person, orders one or more of the parties to deposit funds into the Registry of the Court in a specified amount reasonably necessary to cover the fees and expenses of the qualified interpreter or translator, such funds shall be paid to the Circuit Clerk.

WARNING

Applies to

Copies of court documents

Copies furnished to city, county, or state agencies or departments are free; other parties are charged the applicable posted statutory and regulatory rate.

No charge shall be made for copies of documents furnished to any city, county, state agency or state department. Other parties shall be charged the rate specified by the applicable statutes and rules, and as posted in the Office of the Circuit Clerk.

WARNING

Witness fees are the responsibility of the party responsible for court costs when the witness submits a statement of fees and mileage to the court and parties for inclusion in the judgment.

The parties are responsible for paying the witness fees as court costs so that the party who is responsible for paying the court costs are responsible for any witness fee if the witness submits a statement of fees and mileage to the court and parties as part of the judgment of the court.

WARNING

Applies to

Interpreter or translator fee deposit

After disposition and a Court order, the Circuit Clerk must pay the deposited funds to the interpreter or translator and return any remainder to the parties.

Upon disposition of the proceedings and the order of the Court, the Circuit Clerk shall pay such funds to the qualified interpreter or translator, and shall return any portion of the deposit to the parties.

WARNING

Fee

100

Applies to

Investment administration costs

If the Court orders costs for administering the investment, those costs must include a reasonable Circuit Clerk fee of at least $100, paid from account interest.

Pursuant to Section 483.310 RSMo., the Court may order that the necessary costs for administering the investment shall be paid to the Circuit Clerk. The necessary costs shall include a reasonable fee to the Circuit Clerk of at least $100.00 and shall be paid from interest earned on the account.

WARNING

The Court Administrator is not required to refund court-cost overpayments of $5.00 or less.

The Court Administrator is not required to refund any overpayment of court costs of $5.00 or less.

WARNING

In a civil case, the Court may condition an interpreter or translator appointment order on parties depositing funds for the associated fees and expenses, and the Judicial Administrator may not retain the interpreter or translator until ordered funds are deposited.

In a civil case, the Court, as a condition of entering an order for the appointment of a qualified interpreter or translator, may order one or more of the parties to deposit funds into the Registry of the Court in a specified amount reasonably necessary to cover the fees and expenses of the qualified interpreter or translator, as provided by §476.806. (See Rule 12.8. Deposit of Fee for Qualified Interpreter or Translator for NonEnglish Speaking Person.) The Judicial Administrator shall not retain the necessary qualified interpreter or translator for the Court until such funds are deposited as ordered.

WARNING

Applies to

Court costs and fees

Court costs and fees may be paid to the Circuit Clerk by Master Card, Visa, or Discover, with each credit-card payment exceeding $1.00.

The payment of court costs and fees may be made to the office of the Circuit Clerk by credit card pursuant to this rule. Any credit card payment must be in excess of $1.00 and only payments via Master Card, Visa or Discover will be accepted.

WARNING

The court must rule on a fee-waiver request and may investigate whether the request or cause of action has merit.

The court shall rule on the request and may conduct any investigation necessary to determine if the request or the cause of action has merit.

INFO

Applies to

Certified or authenticated copies

Costs for certified or authenticated copies must be posted.

Costs for certified or authenticated copies shall be posted.

INFO

Costs are assessed for the prevailing party under Missouri law, are not billed by the Clerk, and become part of the court's judgment.

Costs shall be assessed in favor of the prevailing party in accordance with Missouri Law. The Clerk shall not bill for costs but the costs shall be part of the judgment of the court.

INFO

No cost deposit is required to file an exception to a condemnation commissioner's award and seek a jury trial.

No party shall be required to submit cost deposit in order to file an exception to a condemnation commissioner’s award and seek a jury trial.