Kentucky Small Claims Court Filing Fee

What You Will Pay to File

Kentucky's small claims filing costs include $68 in mandatory statewide filing charges, plus service fees and optional local charges. With one defendant served by certified mail, the total starts at $103 before county facility or law-library fees.

Here is the breakdown:

• Base civil filing fee: $38 (set by Supreme Court Rule CR 3.03)
• Court technology fee: $20
• Access to justice fee: $10
• Court facilities fee: $10 (only in counties where the fiscal court has adopted it by ordinance)
• County law library fee: $2–$10 (varies by county; not every county charges this)
• Attorney tax fee: $2.50 (only applies when the case is filed by a licensed attorney)

These are the fees collected by the Circuit Court Clerk when you file your Form AOC-175. Payment methods vary by county — most accept cash, check, or money order payable to the Circuit Court Clerk. Some counties accept credit cards; ask the clerk's office before your visit.

Service of Process Costs

On top of the filing fee, you will pay to get the defendant officially notified. The two common methods carry different price tags:

Certified mail — the clerk sends your summons and complaint by USPS Certified Mail with return receipt requested and instructions to deliver to the addressee only under CR 4.01(1)(a). The service fee is $35 per defendant under Administrative Order 2026-18, effective July 1, 2026.

Sheriff personal service — $60 per defendant. The sheriff physically delivers the summons to the defendant at their address. This is the backup if certified mail fails (returned unclaimed, refused, or undeliverable).

If you are suing more than one defendant, you will pay the service fee separately for each person or business.

Total Out-of-Pocket Example

For a typical single-defendant case in a county with the facilities fee, served by certified mail:

• Filing fees: $78
• Certified mail service: $35
• Total: $113 before any law-library fee

If certified mail fails and you need sheriff service instead, add the $60 sheriff service fee per defendant. If you are in a county without the facilities fee or a law-library charge, the base cost is $68 plus service.

These costs are recoverable. If you win your case, the judge adds your filing fees and service charges to the judgment.

Applying for a Fee Waiver

If you cannot afford the filing fees, Kentucky allows you to request a waiver under KRS 453.190. The process uses Form AOC-026, officially titled "Motion for Waiver of Costs and Fees and to Proceed In Forma Pauperis."

The form asks for a detailed financial disclosure — gross monthly income, government assistance (SNAP, TANF, SSI), monthly expenses, assets, and debts. You sign it under oath before a notary or deputy clerk, and a District Court Judge reviews it.

If approved, your filing fees and clerk service costs are waived. If denied, CR 5.05(4) gives you 30 days to pay any required fees and costs or appeal the denial. If you do neither within that period, your complaint is treated as not timely filed — and depending on the statute of limitations, you may lose the right to sue at all.

If the court grants a fee waiver, KRS 453.190(1) allows you to proceed without paying costs and provides needful services and process from officers without fees, including sheriff service.

Are Small Claims Court Costs Worth It?

For one service attempt, combined filing and service costs run from $103 to $148 before any attorney tax, depending on local fees and service method. Hiring an attorney to draft a complaint and represent you on the general District Court civil docket typically runs $250 to $750 or more, often exceeding the value of a small claim.

The fees are also modest relative to the claims themselves. On a $2,000 contractor dispute, spending at least $103 for certified-mail service, before local add-ons, to seek a court judgment is straightforward math. And since winning parties are generally awarded their court costs on top of the judgment amount, the filing fee effectively comes back to you if the judge rules in your favor.

For a full walkthrough of the filing process, fee calculation, and service tracking, see our Kentucky Small Claims Filing Guide.

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