Georgia Court Filing Fees: What a Case Actually Costs in 2026

Ask a courthouse window what your case will cost and you will get the filing fee. That number is real, and it is also maybe half of what you will actually spend, because service fees, e-filing provider fees, and card surcharges stack on top. Here is the full bill, itemized — so the only surprises in your case are the legal ones.

Court Filing Fees: The Base Layer

Superior court civil cases run about $218 in total costs through judgment for a typical case, per the statewide cost schedule updated July 2024 — built from the base components in O.C.G.A. § 15-6-77 plus local add-ons like a law library fee (up to $5) and ADR fee (up to $10). Counties vary, which is why you will often hear it quoted simply as "$200 and change."

Magistrate court is cheaper. Fulton County's schedule, as a worked example:

Every county publishes its own schedule. Treat Fulton's numbers as a calibration point and confirm yours with the clerk before filing.

Why the "Same" Fee Differs by County

Georgia sets the base components of superior court costs by statute (O.C.G.A. § 15-6-77), but counties layer local add-ons on top — a law library fee of up to $5 here, an ADR program fee of up to $10 there. That is how one statewide statute produces totals that differ by county, and why the honest statewide answer for a superior civil case is "about $218, but call your clerk." The dishonest answer is a single confident number with no county attached. Be suspicious of those.

E-Filing Provider Fees: The Toll Booth

If you e-file (optional for self-represented filers, mandatory for attorneys in superior and state courts since 2019), the portal takes its own cut on top of the court's fee:

Note the Green Filing line: it files into the same courts as eFileGA for $3 an envelope instead of $19–$25. For a party filing repeatedly in one case, PeachCourt's $30-for-10-filings structure can also beat per-envelope pricing. Which provider your county uses at all is its own question — see our eFileGA guide on the two-provider reality.

Card Fees: The Quiet 3%

Every portal payment carries a convenience fee — 2.5%–3.5% on eFileGA, 3.5% plus $0.30 on PeachCourt, about 3.5% on Green Filing cards (or a flat $0.25 by e-check, easily the cheapest payment path in the whole system). On a $110 magistrate filing the card fee is pocket change; on a multi-defendant superior case where fees stack toward $400, it's a real line item. It also explains why your receipt never quite matches the fee schedule you budgeted from.

Service Costs: The Half People Forget

Your defendant has to be served, and that costs money too. Sheriff or marshal service typically runs around $50 statewide for a civil suit — Fulton's marshal charges $50 on a small claim and $35 on a dispossessory. A certified private process server costs more but moves faster and documents better: Reliant Process Solutions charges a flat $80 for individual serves and $95 for corporate or government, with Next-day Rush at +$35 and Same-day at +$75. The cost-versus-speed math is worked through in our sheriff vs. private server comparison.

Worked Budgets, End to End

Fulton small claim, 1 defendant, filed at the window: $60 filing + $50 marshal = $110. Swap the marshal for a private server and it is $60 + $80 = $140, with service typically attempted in 2–3 business days instead of the marshal's queue.

Same claim, e-filed via eFileGA: add the $19 magistrate envelope fee and the 2.5%–3.5% card fee — roughly $132–$134 with marshal service.

Fulton dispossessory, 1 tenant, through a writ: $60 + $35 marshal + $75 writ = $170 in court costs, before any rush service or additional tenants at $8 each.

Fulton small claim, 2 defendants: $60 filing + $8 additional defendant + $100 marshal ($50 each) = $168. Every added defendant moves the service line, not just the $8 line — the multiplier people forget.

Fulton garnishment after you win: $60 filing (one defendant, no service fee on the defendant) + $13 for the first marshal service on the garnishee = $73, plus $25 for each additional garnishee you pursue.

Superior court civil case: ~$218 in court costs + $25 eFileGA party fee + card fee, plus service — call it $330 and up once a private server delivers and documents the serve.

Ways to Keep the Bill Down

Three legitimate levers. First, self-represented filers can paper file at the clerk's window and skip provider fees entirely — the trade is your time and parking. Second, if you do e-file a one-off magistrate case, Green Filing's $3 envelope beats eFileGA's $19 by $16. Third, if you will file repeatedly as one party, eFileGA's one-time $25 in State and Superior — or PeachCourt's $30-for-10-filings bundle — amortizes better than per-envelope pricing. What you should not economize on is service documentation: a $50 marshal serve that produces a thin affidavit can cost you a contested default hearing that dwarfs every fee on this page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did my total not match the fee schedule?

Usually the card convenience fee (2.5%–3.5% on eFileGA, 3.5% + $0.30 on PeachCourt), a per-defendant service multiplier, or a county add-on like the law library or ADR fee. Itemize before you pay — shortfalls get filings rejected.

Are provider fees per envelope, per party, or per filer?

All three exist, which is why comparisons get slippery. eFileGA charges per envelope in magistrate and probate ($19) but one-time per party in State and Superior ($25); PeachCourt charges $30 per filer per party, covering 10 filings on cases opened 2019 or later; Green Filing is per envelope ($3). Match the structure to how often you expect to file.

Can I get filing fees waived?

Georgia courts can permit indigent filers to proceed without prepaying costs; the clerk's office can tell you what their court requires. We can't advise on whether you qualify.

Is this legal advice?

No. This article is general cost information about Georgia court filing, not legal advice, and it does not create an attorney-client relationship. We are a filing and process serving company, not attorneys. Fees are set by counties and providers and change over time — the Fulton figures here are a worked example, so confirm current amounts with your county clerk, and consult a licensed Georgia attorney about your specific matter.