Michigan Small Claims Fee Waiver: How to File Form MC 20

Who Qualifies for a Fee Waiver

Michigan court rule MCR 2.002 allows anyone who cannot afford filing fees to request a waiver using Form MC 20 (Fee Waiver Request). You qualify automatically if any of these apply:

• You receive SNAP (food assistance), Medicaid, FIP/TANF, WIC, SSI, or similar means-tested public assistance
• You are represented by a legal aid organization
• Your gross household income is at or below 125% of the federal poverty guidelines

If you receive one of those benefits or are represented by legal aid, document that on the form. This meets a listed eligibility category, but the clerk or judge still must approve the request.

If your income is above the guideline but paying the fee would create a genuine hardship, you can still apply. The form asks for household income, expenses, and dependents. The clerk or judge reviews the numbers and decides.

What the Waiver Covers

An approved MC 20 suspends the court filing fee ($30, $50, or $70 depending on your claim amount) and official service costs. It does not cover costs you incur outside the court system — private process server fees, witness travel costs, or copying charges at a commercial print shop.

How to File

Submit Form MC 20 alongside your claim form (DC 84) when you file your case. You can get MC 20 from the SCAO website, Michigan Legal Help's guided form tools, or the district court clerk's office.

Fill out every section — the clerk will reject incomplete forms. The key fields:

• Household size and gross monthly income — include all sources
• Government benefits — check every program you receive
• Monthly expenses — rent, utilities, medical, childcare, transportation
• Assets — bank balances, vehicles, property (the court is looking for inability to pay, not poverty; someone with $50 in the bank and $1,200 in monthly expenses qualifies differently than someone with $15,000 in savings)

If Your Waiver Is Denied

The clerk issues a written denial. From that date, you have 14 calendar days to either:

1. Pay the full filing fee and proceed with your case, or
2. File Form MC 114 requesting a de novo review by a judge

Filing MC 114 preserves your original filing date — the case is not dismissed while the review is pending. The judge looks at the same financial information and makes a fresh decision. If the judge also denies the waiver, you must pay the fee to continue.

Practical Tips

• File MC 20 at the same time as DC 84 so the court can consider the waiver before you pay the fee.
• Bring proof of benefits enrollment — a current SNAP award letter, Medicaid card, or SSI determination letter. The clerk may approve on the spot.
• If your financial situation changes during the case (you lose a job, for example), you can file MC 20 at that point to waive any future fees in the case.

The Michigan small claims filing guide includes the full fee waiver process alongside the filing walkthrough, so you do not miss any deadlines.

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