Court fees and costs that must be waived upon granting an application for an initial fee waiver include:
Rule 3.55.Court fees and costs included in all initial fee waivers
Division 2. Waiver of Fees and Costs · Last amended 2023 · Last verified July 29, 2026
In one sentenceRule 3.55 lists the court fees and costs that every granted initial fee waiver must cover automatically, from clerk’s filing and copying fees through reporter’s fees for hearings and specific fees tied to appellate transcripts.
Full Text of Rule 3.55
(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;
(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.
Plain-English Summary
Rule 3.55 is the mandatory floor of a fee waiver. Once a court grants an initial fee waiver, ten categories of fees and costs are waived without any further request: the clerk’s fees for filing, necessary certification and copying, issuing process and certificates, and transmitting papers; sheriff’s and marshal’s fees for specified services; court reporter’s fees for attendance at hearings and trials; the fee for a telephone appearance; and a set of appeal-related fees covering the clerk’s transcript and transcripts of official court proceedings.
Court reporter’s fees deserve particular note. Because many California superior courtrooms do not provide an official reporter as a matter of course, this waiver is what lets a fee-waiver recipient obtain an official verbatim record of a hearing when the case later needs one for appeal.
Rule 3.56, immediately after this one, adds a second layer of fees a court may waive on top of this mandatory list, depending on what the case requires.
Advisory Committee Comment
The following comment is published by the Judicial Council of California alongside the rule itself — not commentary from this site.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
What fees does a California court fee waiver automatically cover?
Ten categories listed in Rule 3.55, including clerk’s filing and copying fees, fees for issuing process, sheriff’s and marshal’s fees, court reporter’s fees for hearings and trials, the telephone appearance fee, and several appeal-related transcript fees.
Does a California court fee waiver cover the cost of a court reporter?
Yes. Rule 3.55(6) includes the reporter’s fees for attendance at hearings and trials among the fees a granted waiver must cover.
Are there fees a court may waive beyond the list in Rule 3.55?
Yes. Rule 3.56 lists additional fees, such as jury fees and certain witness fees, that a court may also waive depending on the case.
Amendment History
Rule 3.55 amended effective January 1, 2023; adopted as rule 3.61 effective January 1, 2007; previously amended and renumbered as rule 3.55 effective July 1, 2009; previously amended effective January 1, 2009; July 1, 2015, and September 1, 2019.
Source & verification. Rule text is reproduced verbatim from
the Judicial Council of California. Adopted by the Judicial Council of California.
Last verified July 29, 2026.
· Official source
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