Maine Small Claims Fee Waiver — Form CV-067 and How to Apply

The $70 Filing Fee — and How to Waive It

Filing a small claims case in Maine costs $70, which includes a $15 mediation component for CADRES. If you cannot afford the fee, Maine law allows you to apply for a waiver under M.R. Civ. P. Rule 91.

The fee waiver process uses two forms:

• Form CV-067 (Application to Proceed Without Payment of Fees) — the waiver request itself
• Form CV-191 (Financial Affidavit) — a detailed statement of your income, expenses, assets and debts

Both forms are available for free on courts.maine.gov.

Who Is Eligible

A District Court judge or clerk reviews your financial affidavit under M.R. Civ. P. Rule 91. The affidavit covers:

• Monthly income from all sources
• Monthly expenses (rent, utilities, food, transportation, medical)
• Assets (bank accounts, vehicles, property)
• Outstanding debts
• Household size

If you receive public assistance, include it in the financial information you provide; it does not guarantee approval.

How to Apply

Submit Form CV-067 and Form CV-191 together, either with your Statement of Claim (Form SC-001) or at the same time. You can hand-deliver them to the clerk's office or mail them to the District Court where you are filing.

Filing deadlines are preserved while the waiver is pending. If the application is denied, the court gives you a specified window to submit the required fee and maintain the filing date.

What Happens After You Apply

The judge or clerk reviews the financial affidavit. Two outcomes:

Approved: The court waives the $70 filing fee. Your case proceeds without payment. Check the waiver order to see whether it also covers separate service charges, such as the $15 clerk-arranged service fee (Form SC-006).

Denied: You receive notice of the denial and a specified window to pay the $70 fee. If you pay within that window, your original filing date is preserved. If you do not pay, the case is not filed.

Interaction with Service Costs

Confirm with the court which of these separate charges, if any, your fee-waiver order covers:

• Sheriff or process server fees (check with the serving office or provider for the current amount)
• The $15 per-party charge for clerk-arranged service (Form SC-006)
• Post-judgment enforcement fees (disclosure hearing: $30)

If these additional costs are also a hardship, note that in your financial affidavit and ask the court whether they can be included in the waiver.

Tips for the Financial Affidavit

Be thorough and honest. An incomplete affidavit is more likely to be denied than one showing genuine financial hardship.

• List all income sources, including irregular income (gig work, seasonal employment)
• Include every recurring monthly expense
• Do not leave fields blank — write "$0" if the answer is zero
• Attach supporting documents if you have them (benefit letters, pay stubs) though they are not always required

The Maine Small Claims Filing Guide walks through the fee waiver process step by step, including how the waiver interacts with different service methods and what to do if the application is denied.

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