Filing a small claims case in Philadelphia Municipal Court costs between $94.75 and $138.75, and the exact Philadelphia small claims court fees you pay depend on how much money you’re suing for. That total covers court costs, state taxes, and service on one defendant inside the city. Add defendants, send a server out of town, file a counterclaim, or try to collect on a judgment, and the price goes up from there.
What You Pay at Filing
Municipal Court uses a tiered schedule based on the dollar amount of your claim. When you’re suing one defendant located in Philadelphia and letting the court handle service, the totals are:
- $94.75 for claims up to $2,000
- $116.75 for claims from $2,000.01 to $10,000
- $138.75 for claims over $10,000, up to the court’s $12,000 ceiling
Each total bundles court costs, state tax, an automation fee, a $27.00 service charge, and the Access to Justice fee and surcharge.1Philadelphia Municipal Court. Philadelphia Municipal Court Filing Fees
When the Price Changes
The $27.00 service fee baked into those totals only pays for one defendant served by the court’s writ server inside Philadelphia. A few common situations change the math.
If your defendant lives outside Philadelphia but still in Pennsylvania, or if you’d rather use a private process server, the court takes the $27.00 city service charge off the top. That brings the filing fee down to $67.75 for claims up to $2,000 and $89.75 for claims between $2,000.01 and $12,000. You then pay separately for whichever service method you use: $45.00 per person for service elsewhere in Pennsylvania, or whatever a private server charges.1Philadelphia Municipal Court. Philadelphia Municipal Court Filing Fees
Each additional defendant served in Philadelphia costs another $27.00. If the court’s first service attempt fails, you’ll generally need to pay for a second attempt or switch to a private server at your own expense.
Add-On Charges During the Case
Several routine filings carry their own fees once a case is underway:
- Counterclaim, cross-claim, or additional defendant: $29.70
- Co-defendant: $21.20 plus service
- Set-off: $6.60
- Subpoena: $3.30 each
- Additional name indexing: $5.50 per name, except spouses filed together
- Motion or petition to relist: $10.00
- Writ of revival: $8.80 plus service
If you’re the defendant and want to sue the plaintiff back, that’s the $29.70 counterclaim fee.1Philadelphia Municipal Court. Philadelphia Municipal Court Filing Fees These charges are set under Municipal Court Rule 128.2Philadelphia Municipal Court. Philadelphia Municipal Court Rules of Civil Practice
If You Can’t Afford to Pay
Pennsylvania Rule of Civil Procedure 240 lets anyone without the financial resources to cover litigation costs file a Petition to Proceed In Forma Pauperis.3Pennsylvania Code. 231 Pa. Code Rule 240 – In Forma Pauperis The petition includes a sworn affidavit covering your monthly wages, other income from the past twelve months, the value of what you own (bank accounts, property, vehicles), and your regular monthly expenses. Receiving public assistance like SNAP, SSI, or Medicaid typically strengthens the request.
A granted petition waives the filing fee and other court costs, along with any bond requirements, for the duration of the case. A denial means paying the standard fees before anything moves forward, so fill out the affidavit completely and honestly; incomplete disclosures tend to be denied.3Pennsylvania Code. 231 Pa. Code Rule 240 – In Forma Pauperis
How to Pay
You can file in person at the Civil Filing Center or online through the First Judicial District’s electronic filing system, which takes credit and debit cards.4The Philadelphia Courts. The Philadelphia Courts For in-person filings, the court generally accepts money orders and certified checks. Personal checks from individual filers are typically not accepted, so bring something else to avoid a wasted trip.
What It Costs to Collect
Winning doesn’t mean getting paid. If the losing side doesn’t hand over the money, you’re the one who has to pay to enforce the judgment, and you pay upfront.
The sheriff charges $90.00 to execute a Municipal Court judgment against personal property, which covers seizing assets or garnishing wages.5American Legal Publishing. Philadelphia Code 10-1002 – Sheriff’s Fees You can add that cost to the balance the debtor owes, but recovery depends on whether the debtor actually has attachable assets or income. If they don’t, you may need to request a hearing to find out what they have, which triggers more filing and service fees.
Pennsylvania judgments earn interest from the date of entry at the statutory rate of 6% per year.6Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes Title 42 Chapter 81 Section 8101 – Interest on Judgments On a $5,000 judgment, that’s $300 a year until the debtor pays. A judgment stays enforceable for several years and can be revived with a writ of revival for $8.80 plus service.1Philadelphia Municipal Court. Philadelphia Municipal Court Filing Fees
If Someone Appeals
Either side can appeal a Municipal Court judgment to the Court of Common Pleas within 30 days, and the appeal costs more than the original case. An appeal of a supplementary order, for example, runs $216.29.7The Philadelphia Courts. Informational Guide for Municipal Court Appeal of a Supplementary Order The appeal is heard fresh at Common Pleas, and both sides can bring attorneys.8The Philadelphia Courts. Civil Division Rules – Municipal Court Appeal Rules If you won at Municipal Court and the other side appeals, expect a longer and more formal proceeding than the one you just finished.