Filing Fees for Bankruptcy: Costs by Chapter, Waivers, and Installments

Bankruptcy filing fees are set by federal law and are the same in every bankruptcy court in the country: $338 for a Chapter 7 case and $313 for a Chapter 13 case. Those are the amounts the clerk collects at the courthouse before any attorney, counseling, or education costs enter the picture. If you cannot pay upfront, a Chapter 7 filer can ask the judge to waive the fee entirely, and filers in any chapter can apply to pay in up to four installments.

What Each Chapter Costs

The base filing fee is set under 28 U.S.C. § 1930, and the Judicial Conference adds an administrative fee on top. Chapter 7 cases also carry a $15 trustee surcharge.¹

Chapter 7 (liquidation): $338 total — a $245 filing fee, $78 administrative fee, and $15 trustee surcharge.²
Chapter 13 (repayment plan): $313 total — a $235 filing fee and $78 administrative fee. There is no trustee surcharge because the Chapter 13 trustee is paid out of your plan payments.
Chapter 12 (family farmer or fisherman): $278 total — a $200 filing fee and $78 administrative fee.
Chapter 11 (business reorganization): $1,738 total — a $1,167 filing fee and $571 administrative fee.
Chapter 15 (foreign proceedings): $1,738, identical to a standard Chapter 11.

Every petition has to arrive with the fee paid or with a court-approved waiver or installment application attached.³ Not paying is grounds for the court to dismiss your case.⁴

If You Can’t Afford the Fee

Two options exist, and they work differently.

Full Waiver (Chapter 7 Only)

A judge can waive the entire Chapter 7 filing fee if your household income is below 150 percent of the federal poverty guidelines and you cannot pay even in installments. You apply using Official Form 103B, which asks for your monthly income, household size, and expenses.⁵ The judge has discretion. Meeting the income threshold does not guarantee approval, because the court also looks at whether you could reasonably pay the fee over time. This waiver does not exist for Chapter 13 or any other chapter. If you are filing something other than Chapter 7, installments are your only route.

Four Installments (Any Chapter)

Individual debtors in any chapter can apply to pay the filing fee in up to four installments using Official Form 103A.⁶ The clerk will accept your petition even if you pay nothing at filing, as long as the signed application comes with it. The judge then sets the number of payments, the amount, and the due dates.⁷

All installments must be paid within 120 days of filing. A judge can extend that to 180 days for good cause. One rule trips people up: until the filing fee is paid in full, neither you nor your Chapter 13 trustee can pay your attorney or anyone else providing services in the case.⁷ Miss a payment and the court can dismiss the case without granting a discharge.

Other Court Fees You May Run Into

The filing fee is only the starting number. Certain actions during a case trigger separate charges under the Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule.² The ones most individual filers encounter:

Converting from Chapter 13 to Chapter 7: $10. From Chapter 12 to Chapter 7: $45.
Reopening a closed case: the same amount as the original filing fee for that chapter ($245 for Chapter 7, $235 for Chapter 13). This comes up when you need to add a creditor you missed or deal with an overlooked asset.
Amending your creditor schedules: $34 per amendment. There is no charge if you are only updating an address or adding a creditor’s attorney for a creditor already listed.
Searching court records: $34 per name or item.
Certified copies: $12 for the certification plus $0.50 per page.
Audio recording of a hearing: $34.
Filing an adversary complaint inside your case: $350.
Filing an appeal: $298 ($293 docketing fee plus a $5 notice fee).

A judge can waive any of these miscellaneous fees for good cause, though it happens rarely and generally only in extreme hardship.

Mandatory Course Fees

Individual filers also have to pay for two required courses. Skipping either one blocks the case from moving forward.

Pre-filing credit counseling. Before filing, you must complete a briefing with an approved nonprofit credit counseling agency within the 180 days before your filing date.⁸ Approved agencies typically charge around $20 per household, and they are required to serve you regardless of ability to pay. If your household income is under 150 percent of the poverty guidelines, you are presumptively entitled to a fee waiver or reduction from the agency.⁹ Narrow exceptions apply for people with disabilities, mental illness, or active military duty in a combat zone. In a true emergency, you can file first with a certification and then complete the briefing within 30 days.

Post-filing debtor education. After filing, you must complete a financial management course before the court will issue your discharge, in both Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 cases.¹⁰ It is a separate course from the pre-filing briefing. Approved providers also charge roughly $20 per household, and the same ability-to-pay protections apply.

Attorney Fees

For most people, the lawyer is the largest cost of filing. A straightforward Chapter 7 typically runs $1,000 to $2,000 in attorney fees, though the range widens in major metro areas and for cases involving businesses, contested claims, or significant assets. Chapter 13 attorney fees are substantially higher, commonly $4,500 to $8,500, because the attorney handles a multi-year repayment plan. Many bankruptcy courts set a “no-look” fee ceiling for Chapter 13, meaning the attorney can charge up to a stated amount without the court reviewing the bill line by line.

Federal rules require every attorney to file a disclosure of the compensation paid or promised, so the court and your creditors can see exactly what you are paying.¹¹ If the court finds the fee unreasonable, it can order a reduction. In Chapter 13, the attorney fee is often folded into the repayment plan, so you do not have to pay it all before filing.

How to Pay

Most bankruptcy courts do not take personal checks or cash from individual filers. The standard methods are a U.S. Postal Service money order or a bank cashier’s check, made payable to the Clerk of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court. Some districts also accept electronic payment through Pay.gov using a bank account, debit card, or PayPal. Check your local court’s website.

If an attorney is filing for you, payment usually goes through the court’s electronic filing system. If you are filing on your own, bring the payment, or your signed Form 103A or 103B, to the clerk’s office at the courthouse. The clerk must accept your petition as long as the fee or a signed application is attached.⁷ If an installment plan is approved, the court will issue an order with exact dates. Missing those dates is one of the fastest ways to get your case dismissed before you reach a discharge.⁴

1
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 US Code 1930 – Bankruptcy Fees
2
United States Courts. Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule
3
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 11 USC App Rule 1006 – Filing Fee
4
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 11 USC 707 – Dismissal of a Case or Conversion
5
United States Courts. Application to Have the Chapter 7 Filing Fee Waived
6
United States Courts. Application for Individuals to Pay the Filing Fee in Installments
7
Cornell Law School. Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure Rule 1006 – Filing Fee
8
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 11 USC 109 – Who May Be a Debtor
9
U.S. Trustee Program. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – Credit Counseling
10
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 11 US Code 1328 – Discharge
11
United States Courts. Disclosure of Compensation of Attorney for Debtor