Rule 21.050.Payment of Fees

Current through August 1, 2026 · Last verified September 12, 2026

In one sentenceUTCR 21.050 requires a filer to pay filing fees at the time of electronic filing, and lets a filer instead submit an application to waive or defer the fee, with the document accepted only if the court grants the application or the fee is paid.

Full Text of Rule 21.050

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(1) Payment Due on Filing. A filer must pay the filing fees for filing a document electronically at the time of electronic filing.

(2) Fee Waivers and Deferrals. A filer may apply for a waiver or deferral of court fees and costs, as provided in ORS 21.682 and ORS 21.685, when submitting for electronic filing a document that constitutes an appearance, motion, or pleading for which a fee is required, with an accompanying application for a waiver or deferral of a required fee. The document will not be accepted for filing unless the court grants the fee waiver or deferral, or the required fee is paid.

End

Plain-English Summary

Money moves with the filing. If a document carries a filing fee, the filer pays it when the document is filed electronically. There is no later billing step.

The alternative is a waiver or deferral of court fees and costs under ORS 21.682 and ORS 21.685. A filer submitting a document that constitutes an appearance, motion, or pleading for which a fee is required may send an application for waiver or deferral along with it.

The last sentence is where it bites. The document will not be accepted for filing unless the court grants the waiver or deferral or the required fee is paid. Acceptance is what completes a filing under UTCR 21.060, so a filer working against a deadline should watch the application closely and know what UTCR 21.080 provides when the court rejects a submission.

Frequently Asked Questions

When do I pay the filing fee when eFiling in Oregon?

At the time of electronic filing. The rule makes payment due on filing rather than after the court reviews the submission.

Can I ask for a fee waiver through the eFiling system?

Yes. When you submit a document that constitutes an appearance, motion, or pleading for which a fee is required, you may submit an accompanying application for a waiver or deferral of the fee, as ORS 21.682 and ORS 21.685 provide.

What happens to my filing while a fee waiver application is pending?

It is not accepted yet. The rule says the document will not be accepted for filing unless the court grants the waiver or deferral, or the required fee is paid. Until the court acts or the fee is paid, the submission has not become a filing.

Which documents need a fee application submitted with them?

The rule speaks to a document that constitutes an appearance, motion, or pleading for which a fee is required. If a fee attaches to what you are filing and you want relief from it, the application goes in with the document rather than separately.

What is the difference between a fee waiver and a fee deferral?

This rule does not define either term or set the standard for granting them. It points to ORS 21.682 and ORS 21.685, which supply the grounds. For the purpose of this rule they work the same way: once the court grants a waiver or a deferral, it can accept the document without payment at the time of filing.

Source & verification. The rule text is reproduced verbatim from the official Oregon Uniform Trial Court Rules (UTCR 21.050). Prescribed by the Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court (UTCR 1.020). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified September 12, 2026. · Official source

Also known as: oregon efiling filing feefee waiver oregon circuit court efilingfee deferral ors 21.682pay filing fee at time of electronic filingdocument not accepted until fee paid