Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Filing Fees and Waivers

INFO

Applies to

Pleadings

Appointment of counsel authorizes the defendant to proceed in forma pauperis and file pleadings without paying filing fees.

The appointment of counsel constitutes authority for the defendant to proceed in forma pauperis and authorization to file pleadings without the payment of filing fees.

INFO

Applies to

Action commencement

Commencement of actions, claims, and writs are exempt from library fees and taxes.

The commencement of any action or proceeding as well as claims and writs shall be exempt from any library fee or taxes.

INFO

Fee

$250

Applies to

Transcript

Real-time streaming to outside locations costs $250.00 per full day for requesting parties other than the Commonwealth.

for real time streaming (to outside locations), full day, $250.00; and

INFO

Fee

$2

Applies to

Transcript copy

Copies of ordinary transcripts cost $2.00 per page.

for an ordinary transcript, $2.00 per page;

INFO

Fee

$5

Applies to

Indexing additional names

Fee for indexing additional names is $5.00.

Indexing additional names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 5.00

INFO

Fee

$3

Applies to

Transcript copy

Copies of expedited transcripts cost $3.00 per page.

for an expedited transcript, $3.00 per page;

INFO

Fee

$25

Applies to

Transcript

An additional $25 is charged for ASCII format or Word Index transcripts.

in ASCII format, or with Word Index: add $25 for each.

INFO

The Office of Judicial Records accepts cash, checks, and American Express, Discover, MasterCard, and Visa credit and debit cards for filing fees.

(1) The Office of Judicial Records will accept for payment of all filing fees cash, checks and the following credit and debit cards: American Express, Discover, MasterCard, and Visa.

INFOCivil cases

Applies to

Motion to transfer from arbitration program

A case in the Compulsory Arbitration Program may be transferred to another Program by motion and court order, subject to payment of the applicable fee, if any.

(2) Upon the filing of a Motion to Transfer from the Compulsory Arbitration Program to another Program and the entry of an order transferring such case to another Program, subject to the payment of the applicable fee, if any.

INFO

Fee

$4

Applies to

Transcript copy

Copies of daily transcripts cost $4.00 per page.

for a daily transcript, $4.00 per page;

INFO

Fee

$4

Applies to

Writ of possession

Fee for a writ of possession is $4.00.

Writ of Possession . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 4.00

INFO

The Domestic Relations Section shall not require payment of a filing fee, per Pa.R.Civ.P. 1910.4(c) and (d).

As provided by Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure 1910.4(c) and 1910.4(d), the domestic relations section shall not require payment of a filing fee to

INFO

Fee

$4.5

Applies to

Transcript

Expedited transcripts cost $4.50 per page for requesting parties other than the Commonwealth.

for an expedited transcript, $4.50 per page;

INFO

All other fees follow the sheriff's fee bill for Philadelphia County.

All other fees shall be in accordance with the sheriff's fee bill applicable to Philadelphia County.

INFOCriminal cases

Fee

$43

Applies to

Subpoena

Subpoenaing first records from the First Judicial District requires payment of $43.00 plus mileage.

Act 81 of 2006 requires the payment of $43.00 plus mileage to the “First Judicial District of Pennsylvania” if District records are subpoenaed.

INFOCriminal cases

Applies to

Subpoena

Parties must request subpoenas from the Office of Judicial Records, which issues them upon payment of any required fees.

All parties shall request subpoenas from the Office of Judicial Records which shall issue same upon payment of any requisite fees.

INFO

Fee

$6

Applies to

Transcript

Daily transcripts cost $6.00 per page for requesting parties other than the Commonwealth.

for a daily transcript, $6.00 per page;

INFO

Fee

$11

Applies to

Transcript

Real-time transcripts cost $11.00 per page for requesting parties other than the Commonwealth.

for real-time, $11.00 per page;

INFOCivil cases

Applies to

Corrected praecipe

No additional filing fee is required when a corrected Praecipe is filed.

No additional filing fee need be paid when the corrected Praecipe is filed.

INFO

Fee

$2

Applies to

Transcript

Transcript costs for the Commonwealth or its subdivisions are $2.00 per page for ordinary delivery.

The transcript costs payable by the Commonwealth or a subdivision thereof, including but not limited to the District Attorney, the Pennsylvania Attorney General, the City of Philadelphia’s Law Department, court-appointed counsel, and the Defender Association of Philadelphia shall be two ($2.00) dollars per page for ordinary delivery.

INFO

Applies to

Transcript

Ordinary transcript costs are waived for litigants who are IFP, represented by court-appointed counsel or qualifying Legal Aid, or whose income is below 125% of the HHS poverty line, in matters under appeal or where the transcript is necessary to advance litigation.

transcript costs for ordinary transcripts shall be waived for a litigant who has been permitted by the court to proceed in forma pauperis; who is represented by court appointed counsel; who is represented by Legal Aid services which certify that the client meets financial eligibility; or whose income is less than 125 percent of the poverty line as defined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) guidelines for the current year.

INFO

Fee

$6

Applies to

Commencement of civil action 0 500

Filing fee for commencement of civil actions up to $500 is $6.00.

Commencement of civil actions $0 to $500. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 6.00

INFO

Fee

$3

Applies to

Transcript

Ordinary transcripts cost $3.00 per page for requesting parties other than the Commonwealth.

for an ordinary transcript, $3.00 per page;

INFO

The Office of Judicial Records will not accept advance deposits for future filing fees.

(2) The Office of Judicial Records will not accept advance deposit on account of future filing fees due to the difficulty in monitoring and accounting for such advance deposits.

INFO

Applies to

Transcript

Ordinary transcript costs are reduced by half for litigants whose income is below 200% of the HHS poverty line, in matters under appeal or where the transcript is necessary to advance litigation.

transcript costs for ordinary transcripts shall be reduced by one-half for a litigant whose income is less than 200 percent of the poverty line as defined by the HHS poverty guidelines for the current year.

INFO

Fee

$9

Applies to

Transcript

Same-day delivery transcripts cost $9.00 per page for requesting parties other than the Commonwealth.

for same-day delivery, $9.00 per page;

INFO

Fee

$6

Applies to

Transcript copy

Copies of same-day delivery transcripts cost $6.00 per page.

for same-day delivery, $6.00 per page.

INFOCivil cases

Applies to

Petition to proceed in forma pauperis

The court may excuse payment of the filing fee upon a petition to proceed in forma pauperis.

it is hereby ORDERED that the petitioner be excused from payment of the filing fee in this matter.

INFO

Fee

$12

Applies to

Commencement of civil action 500 2000

Filing fee for commencement of civil actions over $500 to $2,000 is $12.00.

Commencement of civil actions over $500 to $2,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $12.00

INFO

Fee

$32

Applies to

Commencement of civil action 2000 10000

Filing fee for commencement of civil actions from $2,000 to $10,000 is $32.00.

Commencement of civil actions $2,000 to $10,000. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $32.00

INFO

The Office of Judicial Records will not accept advance deposits for future filing fees.

The Office of Judicial Records will not accept advance deposit on account of future filing fees due to the difficulty in monitoring and accounting for such advance deposits.

INFO

Fee

$5

Applies to

Orders to satisfy

Fee for orders to satisfy is $5.00.

Orders to satisfy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 5.00