Rule 54A.Court Fees

Adopted May 1, 1999 · Last verified July 8, 2026

In one sentenceRule 54A confirms that Maine court fees are set by the Supreme Judicial Court and published separately in a Fee Schedule rather than spelled out in the civil rules themselves.

Full Text of Rule 54A

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The fees of the Maine Courts are established by the Supreme Judicial Court and shall be published in a Fee Schedule.

Advisory Committee’s Notes & Reporter’s Notes

Advisory Notes — July 2003

Rule 54A is amended to provide greater flexibility in the type of order or action that is necessary to adopt or amend a fee schedule.

Advisory Committee’s Notes — May 1, 1999

Former Rules 54A and 54B, establishing fees for the Superior Court and District Court respectively, have been abrogated and replaced with a new Rule 54A. The new rule provides that the fees of those courts are established by administrative order of the Supreme Judicial Court

[Rule 54A was promulgated effective October 15, 1979. There were no Advisory Committee Notes.].

[The most current Court Fees Schedule may be referenced as an Administrative Order on the Judicial Branch web site.] Last reviewed and edited September 23, 2022 Includes Amendments effective October 11, 2022

Plain-English Summary

Rather than listing dollar amounts in the rule itself, Rule 54A points to a separate, court-published Fee Schedule as the source for what Maine's courts charge. The Supreme Judicial Court sets those fees, and the schedule is updated independently of the rules, which is why filing fees, motion fees, and similar charges referenced elsewhere in these rules (such as the fees tied to certain motions under Rule 7 or the collections fee under Rule 55) point back to the Fee Schedule rather than a fixed number written into the rule text.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can someone find the actual dollar amounts Maine courts charge for filing fees?

In the Fee Schedule published by the Supreme Judicial Court, not in the text of the civil rules themselves.

Who sets Maine's court fees?

The Supreme Judicial Court.

Why do other rules reference the Court Fees Schedule instead of stating a dollar figure?

Because fees change independently of the rules; keeping the amounts in a separate, court-published schedule lets fees be updated without amending the civil rules themselves.

Source & verification. The rule text and Advisory Committee’s Notes / Reporter’s Notes are reproduced verbatim from the official Maine Rules of Civil Procedure (Me. R. Civ. P. 54A), prescribed by the Supreme Judicial Court of Maine (4 M.R.S. § 8, the Rules Enabling Act). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 8, 2026. · Official source

Also known as: Maine court fee schedulecourt filing fees