The federal filing fees set by the Judicial Conference are uniform across every U.S. bankruptcy court. Fee waivers and installments are available for those who qualify.
The fees below are set by the Judicial Conference and apply uniformly across every federal bankruptcy court.
Chapter 7 ($338): $245 statutory fee + $78 administrative fee + $15 trustee surcharge.
Chapter 13 ($313): $235 statutory fee + $78 administrative fee.
Chapter 11 ($1,738): $1,167 statutory fee + $571 administrative fee. Subchapter V (small business) Chapter 11 has the same filing fee but reduced ongoing costs.
Chapter 12 (family farmer): $278.
Chapter 9 (municipality): $1,738.
Chapter 15 (cross-border): $1,738.
Chapter 7 filers can request a full waiver of the filing fee using Official Form 103B. Eligibility requires household income under 150 percent of the federal poverty line and an inability to pay in installments.
The form asks for income, expenses, dependents, and assets. The court reviews the application and either grants the waiver, denies it, or sets a hearing. Most waivers are granted on the papers without a hearing.
If denied, the court typically gives you the option to pay in installments instead. A denied waiver does not end the case; it just means you have to find a way to pay.
Anyone in any chapter can ask to pay the filing fee in installments using Official Form 103A. The standard schedule is up to four installments over 120 days.
The application is filed with your petition. The court sets the schedule; missing an installment can result in case dismissal, so do not propose a schedule you cannot meet.
Bankruptcy filing involves several smaller mandatory costs:
Yes, in two ways. Chapter 7 filers under 150 percent of poverty can apply for a fee waiver (Form 103B). Anyone in any chapter can apply to pay the fee in installments (Form 103A). Both are filed with your petition; neither delays the case.
Court administrative cost. The trustee in a no-asset Chapter 7 receives $60 of the $338 fee; the rest goes to the U.S. Trustee program and the Judiciary's general budget. The fee is set by the Judicial Conference and updated periodically.
At the time of filing. If you choose installments, you typically have 120 days to pay the full amount in up to four installments. Missing an installment can result in case dismissal.
Yes. The required pre-filing credit counseling course (about $20-50 typically), the post-filing financial management course ($10-50), document copying, and amended schedule fees ($32 to amend a schedule). PACER access for monitoring the case is also pay-per-page if you use the official portal.
Conversions have their own fees. Chapter 7 to 13 and 11 conversions cost $0 if voluntary; involuntary conversions can carry filing-fee differentials.
Active-duty service members can receive Servicemembers Civil Relief Act protections that pause certain proceedings, but there is no general filing-fee reduction. Veterans qualify for the same fee waiver as any other low-income filer.
After understanding the fee structure: