Court filing fees by state · New York
New York · before you file
Court filing fees in New York
In New York: New York City Civil Court: ≤$1,000 $15; over $1,000 $20. District and City Courts: $15 / $20. Town and Village Courts: $10 / $15, for claims up to $10,000. Service of the defendant is extra.
Fees at each court level
- Small claims (up to $10,000)
- New York City Civil Court: ≤$1,000 $15; over $1,000 $20. District and City Courts: $15 / $20. Town and Village Courts: $10 / $15 Limit: $10,000 in New York City Civil Court; $5,000 in District and City Courts; $3,000 in Town and Village Courts.
- Town and Village Justice Courts
- $10 (≤$1,000) or $15; limit $3,000; civil first paper $20
- Limited or county civil (up to $50,000)
- Civil, District and City Courts: $45 on the first paper (caps $50,000 NYC, $15,000 elsewhere); Town and Village civil $20
- General civil
- Supreme or County Court index number $210 ($190 + $5 + $15)
| Claim up to | Small claims fee |
|---|---|
| $1,000 | $15 |
| $10,000 | $20 |
Who sets the fee
Each court act's §1803 sets the small claims fee and §1911 the civil fee; CPLR §8018 sets the index-number fee. The figures are statewide within each court type, but which court serves you depends on where you live.
Sources and verification
- Schedule
- N.Y. City Civil Court Act §1803 (Current)
- Authority
- N.Y. CCA §1803, via nysenate.gov
- Last confirmed
- 2026-10-23, by re-reading the schedule
- Usually changes
- Legislature only
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 New York: 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 New York?
New York City Civil Court: ≤$1,000 $15; over $1,000 $20. District and City Courts: $15 / $20. Town and Village Courts: $10 / $15, for claims up to $10,000. Each court act's §1803 sets the small claims fee and §1911 the civil fee; CPLR §8018 sets the index-number fee. The figures are statewide within each court type, but which court serves you depends on where you live.
What does it cost to file a regular civil case in New York?
Civil, District and City Courts: $45 on the first paper (caps $50,000 NYC, $15,000 elsewhere); Town and Village civil $20. Supreme or County Court index number $210 ($190 + $5 + $15).
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 New York 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 →