A certified federal court copy costs $12, plus $0.50 a page
Federal district and bankruptcy courts charge $0.50 a page for paper copies and $12 to certify a document. Exemplification costs $24, and a district court apostille costs $50. A clerk's search of court records is $34 per name or item.
Copy, search and certification fees
| Paper copy, per page | $0.50 |
|---|---|
| Certification of a document | $12 |
| Exemplification of a document | $24 |
| Apostille (district court) | $50 |
| Search of court records, per name or item | $34 |
| Copy of an audio recording of a proceeding | $34 |
| Electronic record stored outside the case system, per record | $33 |
| Retrieving one box from a records center | $70 |
| Each additional box | $43 |
| Microfiche or microfilm copy, per sheet | $7 |
| 10 page document, certified | $17 |
|---|---|
| 20 page document, certified | $22 |
These amounts are the same in district courts and bankruptcy courts, except the apostille, which is on the district court schedule. Sources: Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, District Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule (effective Dec 1, 2023); Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule (effective Dec 1, 2023).
What this price covers
A certified copy is a copy the clerk confirms is true. Exemplification adds a judge's signature and is sometimes needed for use in another state. An apostille is for documents used abroad.
What changes your price
- Pages. Paper copies are $0.50 each.
- Certified or not. Certification adds $12 per document.
- Old files. Records stored off site cost $70 to retrieve.
Ways to pay less
- If you only need to read a filing, download it from PACER for $0.10 a page instead.
- Ask for exemplification only if the receiving office requires it. It costs twice as much as certification.
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 a certified copy from federal court?
$12 per document, plus $0.50 a page for paper copies.
How much is a records search?
$34 per name or item searched.
How much is an apostille from a federal court?
$50.