California

Civil Procedure

Rule 3.55 – Court fees and costs included in all initial fee waivers

Court fees and costs that must be waived upon granting an application for an initial fee waiver include:

(1) Clerk’s fees for filing papers;
(2) Clerk’s fees for reasonably necessary certification and copying;
(3) Clerk’s fees for issuance of process and certificates;
(4) Clerk’s fees for transmittal of papers;
(5) Sheriff’s and marshal’s fees under article 7 of chapter 2 of part 3 of division 2 of title 3 of the Government Code (commencing with section 26720 );
(6) Reporter’s fees for attendance at hearings and trials;
(7) The court fee for a telephone appearance under Code of Civil Procedure section 367.5;
(8) Clerk’s fees for preparing, copying, certifying, and transmitting the clerk’s transcript on appeal to the reviewing court and the party. A party proceeding under an initial fee waiver must specify with particularity the documents to be included in the clerk’s transcript on appeal;
(9) The fee under rule 8.130(b) or rule 8.834(b) for the court to hold in trust the deposit for a reporter’s transcript on appeal; and
(10) The clerk’s fee for preparing a transcript of an official electronic recording under rule 8.835 or a copy of such an electronic recording.

Cal. R. Ct. 3.55

Rule 3.55amended effective September 1, 2019; Rule 3.55 amended and renumbered effective July 1, 2009; adopted as rule 3.61 effective January 1, 2007; previously amended effective January 1, 2009. Former Rule 3.55, adopted effective January 1, 2007, was repealed effective July 1, 2009.

Advisory Committee Comment

The inclusion of court reporter’s fees in the fees waived upon granting an application for an initial fee waiver is intended to provide a fee waiver recipient with an official court reporter or other valid means to create an official verbatim record, for purposes of appeal, on a request. (See Jameson v. Desta(2018) 5 Cal.5th 594.) It is intended to include within a waiver all fees mandated under the Government Code for the cost of court reporting services provided by a court.