Ohio · before you file

Court filing fees in Ohio

set by your county's courtsmall claims filing fee
Set by your county's court

Ohio has no single statewide small claims filing fee: Your court's cost schedule has the figure; deposits above the costs actually incurred are refunded. Below is how the fee is set, what cited courts charge, and the fees at the other court levels.

Fees at each court level

Small claims (up to $6,000): Set by each municipal or county court: about $45 to $92 observed
Limited or county civil (up to $15,000): Municipal or county court civil: set by each court's rule
General civil: Common pleas: an advance cost deposit set by local rule, about $250 to $435 observed

Who sets the fee

R.C. 1925.04 says a small claims case is filed with "a filing fee as determined by the court"; R.C. 1901.26 and 1907.24 have each municipal and county court set its schedule by rule, and common pleas clerks set deposits by local rule over the R.C. 2303.20 base. The Supreme Court of Ohio publishes no statewide table.

Locally: Your court's cost schedule has the figure; deposits above the costs actually incurred are refunded.

Cited examples

Cleveland Municipal Court small claims: $45 (+$7 per additional defendant)
Franklin County Municipal Court small claims: $92 plus service (schedule)
Cuyahoga County Common Pleas civil complaint deposit: $250 (schedule)
Union County Common Pleas civil deposit: $435

Sources and verification

Schedule: Ohio Rev. Code §1925.04 (Current)
Authority: Ohio Rev. Code §1925.04, via codes.ohio.gov
Last confirmed: 2026-10-23, by re-reading the schedule
Usually changes: Each court amends its own schedule at will

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 Ohio: post-judgment interest rate

Frequently asked questions

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

There is no single statewide figure. R.C. 1925.04 says a small claims case is filed with "a filing fee as determined by the court"; R.C. 1901.26 and 1907.24 have each municipal and county court set its schedule by rule, and common pleas clerks set deposits by local rule over the R.C. 2303.20 base. The Supreme Court of Ohio publishes no statewide table.

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

Municipal or county court civil: set by each court's rule. Common pleas: an advance cost deposit set by local rule, about $250 to $435 observed.

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 Ohio 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 →