NYC Civil Court fees start at $15 to file a small claim of $1,000 or less and climb to $140 for a consumer credit case, with separate charges for jury demands, service of process, transcripts, and post-judgment collection layered on top. Every fee must be paid before the clerk will process your papers, so knowing the numbers before you walk in matters.
Filing Fees by Case Type
What you pay to open a case depends on the type of case and, for small claims, the amount in dispute:
- Small claims of $1,000 or less: $15
- Small claims over $1,000: $20
- Counterclaim in a small claim: $5 plus postage
- Commercial claims: $25 plus postage
- Counterclaim in a commercial claim: $5 plus postage
- General civil action (summons and complaint or first paper filed): $45
- Consumer credit transaction: $140
- Notice of petition (landlord-tenant and other summary proceedings): $45
The consumer credit filing fee catches many creditors off guard. A lawsuit on a credit card balance, auto loan, or similar consumer account costs $140 to file, not the $45 that applies to ordinary civil actions. A separate $95 fee applies if you file a judgment in a consumer credit case that was started before September 1, 2010.1New York State Unified Court System. Court Fees in the New York City Civil Court
How To Pay
Fees are prepaid. The clerk accepts cash (exact change only), certified checks, money orders, and bank checks made payable to “Clerk of the Civil Court.” Personal checks aren’t accepted.2New York City Civil Court. Court Fees in the New York City Civil Court
Credit cards are accepted, but a 2.99% service fee is added to the transaction and goes to the payment processor rather than the court. You’ll sign two separate receipts: one for the court fee, one for the surcharge. Paying by cash, certified check, or money order avoids the surcharge entirely.3New York State Unified Court System. Notice of Credit Card Service Fee
Fees During the Case
Several steps after filing carry their own charges:
- Notice of trial: $40
- Jury demand: $70, paid when you make the demand
- Notice of appeal: $30
- Entry of judgment on confession: $45
- Infant’s compromise: $40
- Name change petition: $65
- Satisfaction of judgment or certificate: $6
- Exemplification (authenticated copy for use in another court): $15
The official Civil Court fee schedule does not list a separate motion fee, and the statute governing Civil Court fees states that the listed fees “shall be” the court fees “and there shall be no others.” Motion-related costs in Civil Court run lower than in Supreme Court for that reason. Confirm with the clerk before filing.
Service of Process
Everyone named in your case must be handed a proper copy of the papers. New York law requires that a non-party at least 18 years old make the delivery.4New York State Senate. New York Code CVP – R2103 Service of Papers Your options:
- NYC Sheriff’s Office: $57 per summons, plus $35 for each additional service location after the first. Family offense summonses and orders of protection are served at no charge.5NYC Department of Finance. Serving Process
- Private process server: typically $50 to $100 per attempt, with higher rates for rush service or difficult addresses.
- A non-party adult friend or acquaintance: allowed, but in New York City a non-professional server is limited to five service attempts per year.
Once papers are delivered, you file an Affidavit of Service with the court proving the delivery happened correctly.6NY CourtHelp. How Legal Papers Are Delivered If the other party can’t be found, a judge may authorize alternative service such as publication in a newspaper, which can add several hundred dollars depending on the publication’s rates.
Transcripts and Copies
Court transcripts are priced per page, with rates depending on delivery speed and who pays. When the court system is responsible for payment, the standard rate starts at $2.50 per page. When anyone else is paying, which covers most civil litigants, rates run higher:
- Regular delivery: $3.30 to $4.30 per page
- Expedited delivery: $4.40 to $5.40 per page
- Daily delivery (same day): $5.50 to $6.50 per page
Each additional copy adds $1.00 to $1.25 per page on top of the original.7Legal Information Institute. New York Code of Rules and Regulations Title 22 108.2 – Payment for Transcript
Photocopies of court documents cost $0.25 per standard-size page, with the first five pages free. Certification by the clerk is $6.1New York State Unified Court System. Court Fees in the New York City Civil Court Some records are available online, but certified copies, the kind another court or government agency will accept as official, must be obtained in person or by mail.
Post-Judgment Collection
Winning a judgment doesn’t put money in your hand. If the losing side doesn’t pay voluntarily, enforcement carries its own fees:
- Transcript of judgment, filing: $25
- Transcript of judgment, issuance: $15
To garnish wages through an income execution, you file with the NYC Sheriff’s Office and pay two separate $40 fees, one for the debtor filing and one for the employer filing. If the employer is the City of New York, add a $2 check payable to the City Comptroller.8NYC Department of Finance. Request for an Execution from NYC Small Claims or Civil Court
For a property execution carried out by a City Marshal, expect a $10 receiving-and-entering fee plus a $25 mileage advance, so $35 before the marshal begins work. The marshal may charge additional fees as the execution proceeds. These costs are generally recoverable from the debtor, but only if collection is successful.
Fee Waivers
If you can’t afford court fees, you can ask a judge to waive them under New York Civil Practice Law and Rules Section 1101. A waiver can cover filing fees, jury demand fees, transcript costs, and other charges imposed by the court.9New York State Senate. New York Civil Practice Law and Rules 1101 – Motion to Waive Costs, Fees, and Expenses
There’s no fixed income cutoff. Eligibility turns on whether you receive public benefits, are low-income, or simply don’t have enough money to cover both your household needs and court costs. You apply by filing a motion with a sworn affidavit describing your income sources, property and its value, and why you can’t afford the fees. Judges vary in what proof they want. Some ask for pay stubs or benefit letters; others rely on the affidavit alone.10NY CourtHelp. Fee Waiver (Poor Person’s Relief)
A waiver doesn’t reach private expenses. You’ll still owe any attorney fees, process server charges, and costs owed to parties outside the court system.
What Happens If You Can’t Pay Upfront
There’s no grace period and no invoice. If you show up without the right form of payment or the right amount of cash, the clerk won’t process your papers that day. With a filing deadline in play, that delay can turn a live claim into a dismissed one. Either bring the exact fee in an accepted form, or file a waiver motion under CPLR 1101 before your deadline runs out.