The Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing fee is $338 in 2026
Filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy costs $338 in court fees. That is a $245 filing fee, a $78 administrative fee and a $15 fee that goes to the trustee. It is the same in every US bankruptcy court. Lawyer fees are separate.
Chapter 7 court fees
| Filing fee | $245 |
|---|---|
| Administrative fee | $78 |
| Trustee surcharge | $15 |
| Motion to reopen a Chapter 7 case | $245 |
| Amending your list of creditors | $34 |
| Converting Chapter 13 to Chapter 7 | $25 ($10 plus the $15 trustee fee) |
| Chapter 7 petition, all in | $338 |
|---|
Individuals can ask the court to pay the filing fee in installments, or in some cases to waive it. The fee does not include a lawyer, the required credit counseling course or the debtor education course. Sources: Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule (effective Dec 1, 2023); US Bankruptcy Court, District of Nebraska, Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule (effective Dec 1, 2023).
What this price covers
The $338 is the court's fee to open a Chapter 7 case. The $15 goes to the case trustee, who reviews your assets.
What changes your price
- Paying over time. Individuals can apply to pay in installments.
- Waiver. Individuals can apply to have the fee waived.
- Changes after filing. Adding creditors later costs $34.
Ways to pay less
- List every creditor the first time. Each amendment to the list costs $34.
- Ask the clerk for the installment application if $338 at once is hard.
How we got these numbers
Every fee on this page comes from the federal courts' own fee schedules or from federal law. The fees are set nationally by the Judicial Conference of the United States and by Congress, so they are the same in every federal court. Where we show a total, we only add up fees the courts list, so you can see the full amount in one place. We do not add our own guesses, and lawyer fees are not included. The schedules we used took effect on December 1, 2023 and were still the current versions when we last checked on September 26, 2026.
Common questions
How much is the Chapter 7 filing fee?
$338.
Can I pay the Chapter 7 fee in installments?
Individuals can ask the court to pay in installments.
Does the $338 include a lawyer?
No. It is only the court fee.