Court filing fees by state · Louisiana
Louisiana · before you file
Court filing fees in Louisiana
In Louisiana: Small claims division of a city or parish court: $35 per defendant; justice of the peace court new suit $130 plus $20 per additional defendant, for claims up to $5,000. Service of the defendant is extra.
Fees at each court level
- Small claims (up to $5,000)
- Small claims division of a city or parish court: $35 per defendant; justice of the peace court new suit $130 plus $20 per additional defendant
- Limited or county civil
- City court civil: set by each court; the statute caps only a service charge
- General civil
- District court: set by each parish clerk within statutory maximums; no statewide figure exists
Who sets the fee
La. R.S. 13:5205 fixes the small claims fee and R.S. 13:2590 the justice of the peace fee statewide. District court costs are set by each clerk of court within the caps in R.S. 13:841, and Louisiana publishes no statewide table.
Locally: The small claims and justice of the peace figures are statewide; district court costs are your parish clerk's.
Sources and verification
- Schedule
- La. R.S. 13:5205 (Current)
- Authority
- La. R.S. 13:5205, via legis.la.gov
- Last confirmed
- 2026-10-23, by re-reading the schedule
- Usually changes
- Legislature only; parish deposits ad hoc
What this page does not include
Last reviewed: October 2026
- Service of process: a sheriff or constable fee per defendant, or certified mail through the clerk. See the service of process cost tool.
- Jury demands, motions, subpoenas, appeals and post-judgment filings, each with its own fee.
- Fee waivers. Every court has one for filers who cannot pay; the fee waiver checker covers the usual tests.
Informational only, not legal advice. Every figure is cited to the judiciary's schedule or the statute; confirm with the clerk before filing.
Also for Louisiana: post-judgment interest rate
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to file a small claims case in Louisiana?
Small claims division of a city or parish court: $35 per defendant; justice of the peace court new suit $130 plus $20 per additional defendant, for claims up to $5,000. La. R.S. 13:5205 fixes the small claims fee and R.S. 13:2590 the justice of the peace fee statewide. District court costs are set by each clerk of court within the caps in R.S. 13:841, and Louisiana publishes no statewide table.
What does it cost to file a regular civil case in Louisiana?
City court civil: set by each court; the statute caps only a service charge. District court: set by each parish clerk within statutory maximums; no statewide figure exists.
Does the filing fee include serving the defendant?
Almost never. Service of process is a separate charge, a sheriff or constable fee per defendant or certified mail through the clerk, and it is not in the figures on this page. A jury demand, a motion or an appeal also carries its own fee.
Can the fee be waived?
Every state court system has a fee waiver for people who cannot afford the fee, usually by filing an affidavit of indigency or an application to proceed without payment with the clerk. The Louisiana schedule linked above is where the court publishes its form, and this site's fee-waiver eligibility checker explains the usual tests.
Related tools
See exactly what it costs to file a small claims case, by state — cited to your court's own fee schedule.
Open tool →Total Cost to Sue CalculatorThe full out-of-pocket cost to sue in small claims court — filing fee plus service of process, added together and cited to each court's own fee schedule.
Open tool →Small Claims Limit CheckerSee whether your claim qualifies for small claims court and what the dollar limit is, by state and by plaintiff type — individual or business.
Open tool →Fee Waiver Eligibility CheckerSee whether you qualify to have your small claims filing fee waived for financial hardship, by state — cited to each court's own fee-waiver rule.
Open tool →Service of Process Cost CalculatorSee what it costs to serve a defendant, by state and by method — sheriff, court-arranged mail, or certified mail — cited to each state's own fee schedule.
Open tool →Small Claims Court Costs by StateFiling fees, claim limits, and service costs for every covered state, side by side.
Compare states →