Quebec Small Claims Court Fees: 2026 Filing Cost Breakdown
2026 Fee Schedule
Quebec indexes its small claims filing fees on January 1 each year under the Tariff of judicial fees applicable to the recovery of small claims (C-25.01, r. 13). The 2026 rates depend on two things: how much you're claiming and whether you're filing as an individual or a business.
Natural Person (Individual) Fees
| Claim Amount | Filing Fee |
|---|---|
| C$0.01 – C$5,000 | C$121 |
| C$5,001 – C$10,000 | C$223 |
| C$10,001 – C$15,000 | C$241 |
Legal Person (Corporation/Business) Fees
| Claim Amount | Filing Fee |
|---|---|
| C$0.01 – C$5,000 | C$191 |
| C$5,001 – C$10,000 | C$318 |
| C$10,001 – C$15,000 | C$382 |
Businesses can only use the Small Claims Division if they employed 10 or fewer people during the 12 months before filing.
What's Recoverable
Filing fees are recoverable costs — if you win, the judge adds your filing fee to the judgment amount. The defendant pays it as part of the total. This applies to both natural person and legal person rates.
What's not recoverable: private legal consultations, document translations you arranged voluntarily, and expert evaluations you obtained without the court ordering them. These are your own costs regardless of the outcome.
Other Fees to Know
Notice of execution signing: C$52 for individuals, C$63.75 for businesses. This is the fee you pay when you need to formally execute a judgment — it's added to the total recoverable costs in the execution process.
Revocation application: If a default judgment was entered against you (or you against someone else) and there's a valid procedural reason to challenge it, the revocation fee matches the initial filing fee for that claim bracket. So revoking a judgment on a C$3,000 claim costs C$121 for an individual, C$191 for a business. This fee is non-recoverable.
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Fee Waivers
If you qualify for legal aid through the Commission des services juridiques, you're automatically exempt from filing fees. Bring your eligibility certificate when filing and the fee is waived.
Payment Methods
When filing online through the GNJQ portal, fees are paid by credit card. At the court clerk's counter, accepted payment methods vary by courthouse — call ahead if you plan to file in person.
How Fees Compare to Alternatives
A C$121 filing fee on a C$4,500 contractor deposit claim is modest compared to alternatives. A lawyer-drafted demand letter through a service like Neolegal runs C$379 plus tax, and that only covers the pre-filing stage. Since lawyers can't represent you at the actual small claims hearing, you're paying legal fees for limited pre-trial help.
The filing fee is the main hard cost of the process. Bailiff service is a separate expense if the court clerk's registered mail does not reach the defendant.
Planning Your Budget
Our Quebec Small Claims Filing Guide includes the complete 2026 indexed fee table alongside a cost planner that maps out filing fees, potential bailiff costs, and execution fees so you can budget the full process before filing your first form.
Get Your Free Quebec Small Claims Filing Checklist
Download the Quebec Small Claims Filing Checklist — a printable guide with checklists, scripts, and action plans you can start using today.