(a) Witness Fees. Proof of the attendance of witnesses shall be by certificate of the attorney of record in the form prescribed in CA Form 104. The certificate must be served upon the opposing party or counsel and filed within 5 days after the entry of any final order or judgment, otherwise witness fees shall not be taxed or recovered as costs. Within 5 days after the certificate is served any party may move to amend or strike the same.
Rule 54-I.Witness Fees; Costs of Depositions, Transcripts, and Bonds
Group VII: Judgment · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified July 14, 2026
In one sentenceRule 54-I requires a timely certificate to recover witness fees as costs and gives the trial court discretion to tax the costs of depositions, transcripts, and bond premiums.
Full Text of Rule 54-I
(b) Costs of Depositions, Transcripts, and Bonds. Costs of depositions, reporters' transcripts on appeal, and premiums on bonds may be taxed at the discretion of the trial court.
Plain-English Summary
Rule 54-I(a) makes proving a witness's attendance a matter of paperwork and timing: the attorney of record certifies attendance in the form prescribed by CA Form 104, serves that certificate on the opposing party or counsel, and files it within 5 days after the entry of a final order or judgment. Miss that window, and the witness fees can't be taxed or recovered as costs at all. Any party then has 5 days after the certificate is served to move to amend or strike it, giving both sides a chance to correct the record before the fee award is locked in.
Rule 54-I(b) covers a different set of costs — depositions, reporters' transcripts on appeal, and bond premiums — and leaves taxing them entirely to the trial court's discretion. Unlike the witness-fee certificate, there's no fixed procedure or deadline; the party seeking these costs has to persuade the court they belong in the award.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I prove a witness attended trial so I can recover the witness fee as a cost?
File a certificate signed by the attorney of record, in the form prescribed by CA Form 104, serve it on the opposing party or counsel, and file it within 5 days after entry of the final order or judgment.
What happens if I miss the 5-day deadline for filing the witness-fee certificate?
Rule 54-I(a) states that witness fees will not be taxed or recovered as costs if the certificate isn't served and filed within that 5-day window.
Can the other side dispute my witness-fee certificate?
Yes. Any party may move to amend or strike the certificate within 5 days after it's served.
Are deposition costs automatically awarded to the winning party?
No. Rule 54-I(b) leaves the decision to tax the costs of depositions, transcripts, and bond premiums to the trial court's discretion.
Does Rule 54-I cover the cost of a trial transcript?
It addresses reporters' transcripts on appeal, which the trial court may tax at its discretion, rather than transcripts prepared at the trial level.
Source & verification. Rule text and official Comments are
reproduced verbatim from the District of Columbia Superior Court Rules of Civil
Procedure, adopted by the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Last verified July 14, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: dc witness fee certificate deadlinetaxing deposition costs dc superior courtca form 104 witness feescost of transcripts on appeal dc