Court filing fees by state · Rhode Island
Rhode Island · before you file
Court filing fees in Rhode Island
Filing a small claims case in Rhode Island costs $75.75 at the counter: $55 statutory entry fee + $17.50 e-filing processing + $3.25 technology surcharge, for claims up to $5,000. Service of the defendant is extra.
Fees at each court level
- Small claims (up to $5,000)
- $75.75 at the counter: $55 statutory entry fee + $17.50 e-filing processing + $3.25 technology surcharge
- Limited or county civil (up to $10,000)
- District Court regular civil $80 entry fee plus the same $20.75
- General civil
- Superior Court $160 entry fee plus the technology surcharge
Who sets the fee
R.I. Gen. Laws §9-29-1 and §9-29-18 set the entry fees and the state court administrator sets the technology surcharge under §8-15-11; the e-filing fee applies even to paper filed at the counter. Statewide.
Sources and verification
- Authority
- R.I. Gen. Laws §9-29-1, via webserver.rilegislature.gov
- Last confirmed
- 2026-10-23, by re-reading the schedule
- Usually changes
- Legislature only (last 2014)
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 Rhode Island: post-judgment interest rate
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to file a small claims case in Rhode Island?
$75.75 at the counter: $55 statutory entry fee + $17.50 e-filing processing + $3.25 technology surcharge, for claims up to $5,000. R.I. Gen. Laws §9-29-1 and §9-29-18 set the entry fees and the state court administrator sets the technology surcharge under §8-15-11; the e-filing fee applies even to paper filed at the counter. Statewide.
What does it cost to file a regular civil case in Rhode Island?
District Court regular civil $80 entry fee plus the same $20.75. Superior Court $160 entry fee plus the technology surcharge.
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 Rhode Island 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 →