Necessary court fees and costs that may be waived upon granting an application for an initial fee waiver, either at the outset or upon later application, include:
Rule 3.56.Additional court fees and costs that may be included in initial fee waiver
Division 2. Waiver of Fees and Costs · Last amended 2015 · Last verified July 29, 2026
In one sentenceRule 3.56 lists fees a court may waive on top of the mandatory Rule 3.55 list, such as jury fees, court-appointed interpreter fees for witnesses, certain peace-officer and expert witness fees, and other itemized expenses, either at the outset or later.
Full Text of Rule 3.56
(1) Jury fees and expenses;
(2) Court-appointed interpreter’s fees for witnesses;
(3) Witness fees of peace officers whose attendance is reasonably necessary for prosecution or defense of the case;
(4) Witness fees of court-appointed experts; and
(5) Other fees or expenses as itemized in the application.
Plain-English Summary
Where Rule 3.55 sets a mandatory floor, Rule 3.56 gives the court discretion to go further. It lists five categories of fees the court may add to a fee waiver, either when it first grants the waiver or later when the need arises: jury fees and expenses, fees for a court-appointed interpreter for witnesses, witness fees for peace officers whose testimony is reasonably necessary to the case, witness fees for court-appointed experts, and any other fees or expenses the applicant itemizes.
Because these fees are not automatic, an applicant who needs them has to raise the request, either in the initial application or in a later one, using the form built for additional fees rather than the standard initial application.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are jury fees automatically waived with a California court fee waiver?
No. Jury fees fall under Rule 3.56, which the court may waive but is not required to include automatically, unlike the mandatory fees in Rule 3.55.
Can additional fees be waived after the initial fee waiver is granted?
Yes. Rule 3.56 allows these fees to be waived either at the outset or on a later application.
What form is used to request the additional fees listed in Rule 3.56?
Request to Waive Additional Court Fees, form FW-002, as specified in Rule 3.51(a).
Amendment History
Rule 3.56 amended effective July 1, 2015; adopted as rule 3.62 effective January 1, 2007; previously amended and renumbered as rule 3.56 effective July 1, 2009.
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
Also known as: jury fees waived California fee waiveradditional court fees fee waiverinterpreter fees waived California court