Court filing fees in North Carolina

$96small claims filing fee
Statewide

Filing a small claims case in North Carolina costs $96 ($80 General Court of Justice fee + $12 facilities + $4 telecommunications), for claims up to $10,000. Service of the defendant is extra.

Fees at each court level

Small claims (up to $10,000): $96 ($80 General Court of Justice fee + $12 facilities + $4 telecommunications)
Limited or county civil (up to $25,000): District Court civil $150
General civil: Superior Court civil $200

Who sets the fee

G.S. 7A-305 sets the costs statewide; the Administrative Office of the Courts publishes a costs chart each January. Sheriff service is $30 per item on top.

Sources and verification

Schedule: NC Judicial Branch, Civil Court Costs Chart (In effect as of January 1, 2026)
Authority: N.C. Gen. Stat. §7A-305, via ncleg.gov
Last confirmed: 2026-10-23, by re-reading the schedule
Usually changes: New chart each January 1

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 North Carolina: the full cost to sue in small claims court · post-judgment interest rate

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to file a small claims case in North Carolina?

$96 ($80 General Court of Justice fee + $12 facilities + $4 telecommunications), for claims up to $10,000. G.S. 7A-305 sets the costs statewide; the Administrative Office of the Courts publishes a costs chart each January. Sheriff service is $30 per item on top.

What does it cost to file a regular civil case in North Carolina?

District Court civil $150. Superior Court civil $200.

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 North Carolina schedule linked above is where the court publishes its form, and this site's fee-waiver eligibility checker explains the usual tests.

Related tools

Small Claims Filing Fee Calculator

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 Calculator

The 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 Checker

See 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 Checker

See 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 Calculator

See 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 State

Filing fees, claim limits, and service costs for every covered state, side by side.

Compare states →