Each trial court must post in a conspicuous place near the filing window or counter a notice, 8½ by 11 inches or larger, advising litigants in English and Spanish that they may ask the court to waive court fees and costs. The notice must be substantially as follows: “NOTICE: If you are unable to pay fees and costs, you may ask the court to permit you to proceed without paying them. Ask the clerk for the Information Sheet on Waiver of Superior Court Fees and Costs or Information Sheet on Waiver of Court Fees and Costs for Appeal or Writ Proceedings and the Request to Waive Court Fees.”
Rule 3.58.Posting notice
Division 2. Waiver of Fees and Costs · Last amended 2009 · Last verified July 29, 2026
In one sentenceRule 3.58 requires every trial court to post a bilingual notice near the filing window telling litigants they may ask the court to waive fees and costs, in a size at least eight and a half by eleven inches.
Full Text of Rule 3.58
Plain-English Summary
Rule 3.58 makes sure litigants learn the fee-waiver option exists in the first place. It requires every trial court to post a notice, at least letter-sized, somewhere visible near the filing window or counter, written in both English and Spanish, telling people that if they cannot afford court fees, they can ask the court for permission to proceed without paying them.
The rule sets out the substance the notice must convey, including a pointer toward the information sheet and application form covered by the other rules in this division. It is a small, physical safeguard that turns the fee-waiver process from something a litigant has to already know about into something posted in plain sight.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do California courts have to post a fee-waiver notice?
Yes. Rule 3.58 requires each trial court to post a notice near the filing window or counter, at least 8½ by 11 inches, in both English and Spanish.
What does the posted fee-waiver notice tell litigants?
That if they cannot afford court fees and costs, they can ask the court for permission to proceed without paying them, and where to get the information sheet and application form.
Amendment History
Rule 3.58 amended and renumbered effective July 1, 2009; adopted as rule 3.63 effective January 1, 2007.
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: fee waiver notice posted courthouse Californiasign about court fees waiver Spanish EnglishCRC rule 3.58