Michigan Compiled Laws

Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.2529 (2026)

Fees paid to clerk of circuit court; payment in full; payment of fees to county treasurer; deposit and use to fund certain services; waiving or suspending fees; affidavit of indigency or inability to pay; court order to pay all or part of fee to other party; payment of fee not required.

✓ current as of July 2026
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REVISED JUDICATURE ACT OF 1961


Act 236 of 1961


600.2529 Fees paid to clerk of circuit court; payment in full; payment of fees to county treasurer; deposit and use to fund certain services; waiving or suspending fees; affidavit of indigency or inability to pay; court order to pay all or part of fee to other party; payment of fee not required.

Sec. 2529.

    (1) In the circuit court, the following fees must be paid to the clerk of the court:

    (a) Before filing a civil action, including an action for superintending control or another extraordinary writ, the party filing the action shall pay a fee of $150.00. This subdivision does not apply to an action brought exclusively under section 2950, 2950a, or 2950h to 2950m, an action under the extreme risk protection order act, or an action for a writ of habeas corpus. The clerk at the end of each month shall transmit for each fee collected under this subdivision within the month $31.00 to the county treasurer and the balance of the filing fee to the state treasurer for deposit in the civil filing fee fund created in section 171.

    (b) Before filing a claim of appeal or motion for leave to appeal from the district court, probate court, a municipal court, or an administrative tribunal or agency, the appellant or moving party shall pay a fee of $150.00. For each fee collected under this subdivision, the clerk shall transmit $31.00 to the county treasurer and the balance of the fee to the state treasurer for deposit in the civil filing fee fund created in section 171.

    (c) At the time a trial by jury is demanded, the party making the demand shall pay a fee of $85.00. Failure to pay the fee at the time the demand is made constitutes a waiver of the right to a jury trial. The fee paid must be taxed in favor of the party paying it if the party recovers a judgment for costs. For each fee collected under this subdivision, the clerk shall transmit $25.00 to the state treasurer for deposit in the juror compensation reimbursement fund created in section 151d.

    (d) At the time an action in which the custody, support, or parenting time of a minor child is to be determined or modified is filed, the party filing the action shall pay 1 of the following fees:

    (i) In an action in which the custody or parenting time of a minor child is to be determined or modified, $80.00.

    (ii) In an action in which the support of a minor child is to be determined or modified, $40.00. This fee does not apply if a fee is paid under subparagraph (i).

    (e) Except as otherwise provided in this section, on filing a motion, the moving party shall pay a fee of $20.00. In conjunction with an action brought under section 2950 or 2950a, the clerk shall not collect a motion fee for a motion to dismiss the petition, a motion to modify, rescind, or terminate a personal protection order, or a motion to show cause for a violation of a personal protection order. The clerk shall not collect a motion fee for a motion to dismiss a proceeding to enforce a foreign protection order or a motion to show cause for a violation of a foreign protection order under sections 2950h to 2950m. The clerk shall not collect a motion fee for a request for a hearing to contest income withholding under section 7 of the support and parenting time enforcement act, 1982 PA 295, MCL 552.607. For each fee collected under this subdivision, the clerk shall transmit $10.00 to the state treasurer for deposit in the state court fund created by section 151a.

    (f) For services under the direction of the court that are not specifically provided for in this section related to receiving, safekeeping, or expending money, purchasing, taking, or transferring a security, or collecting interest on a security, a party shall pay the allowance and compensation that the court determines to be just as ordered by the court after notice to the parties.

    (g) Upon appeal to the court of appeals or the supreme court, the appellant shall pay $25.00.

    (h) The applicant or requesting party shall pay $15.00 as a service fee for each writ of garnishment, attachment, or execution and each judgment debtor discovery subpoena issued.

    (2) The fees paid as provided in this section are payment in full for all clerk, entry, and judgment fees in an action from the commencement of the action to and including the issuance and return of the execution or other final process, and are taxable as costs.

    (3) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the fees paid under this section must be paid to the county treasurer as required by law.

    (4) At the end of each month, each fee collected under subsection (1)(d)(i) must be paid to the county treasurer and deposited by the county treasurer as provided under section 2530 to be used to fund services that are not title IV-D services. The fee collected under subsection (1)(d)(ii) must be paid to the county treasurer and deposited by the county treasurer as provided under section 2530.

    (5) The court shall order any of the fees prescribed in this section waived or suspended, in whole or in part, upon a showing by affidavit of indigency or inability to pay.

    (6) If the person filing an action described in subsection (1)(d) is a public officer acting in his or her official capacity, if the final judgment or order is submitted with the initial filing as a consent judgment or order, or if other good cause is shown, the court shall order the fee under subsection (1)(d) waived or suspended. If a fee is waived or suspended and the action is contested, the court may require that 1 or more of the parties to the action pay the fee under subsection (1)(d).

    (7) The court may order a party to pay the other party all or part of a fee paid by the other party under subsection (1)(d).

    (8) A party is not required to pay a fee under this section if the party is filing a child protective action or a delinquency action under section 2 of chapter XIIA of the probate code of 1939, 1939 PA 288, MCL 712A.2, or under the young adult voluntary foster care act, 2011 PA 225, MCL 400.641 to 400.671.

    

    

History: Add. 1963, Act 218, Eff. Sept. 6, 1963 ;-- Am. 1964, Act 21, Eff. Aug. 28, 1964 ;-- Am. 1966, Act 20, Eff. Jan. 1, 1967 ;-- Am. 1967, Act 278, Eff. Nov. 2, 1967 ;-- Am. 1970, Act 248, Eff. Jan. 1, 1971 ;-- Am. 1977, Act 279, Eff. Mar. 30, 1978 ;-- Am. 1982, Act 297, Eff. July 1, 1983 ;-- Am. 1982, Act 511, Eff. Jan. 1, 1983 ;-- Am. 1988, Act 310, Eff. Jan. 1, 1989 ;-- Am. 1992, Act 233, Eff. Mar. 31, 1993 ;-- Am. 1992, Act 292, Imd. Eff. Dec. 18, 1992 ;-- Am. 1993, Act 189, Eff. Oct. 8, 1993 ;-- Am. 1994, Act 403, Eff. Apr. 1, 1995 ;-- Am. 1999, Act 268, Eff. July 1, 2000 ;-- Am. 2001, Act 202, Eff. Apr. 1, 2002 ;-- Am. 2002, Act 605, Eff. Jan. 1, 2003 ;-- Am. 2003, Act 138, Eff. Oct. 1, 2003 ;-- Am. 2003, Act 178, Eff. Oct. 1, 2003 ;-- Am. 2004, Act 205, Eff. Oct. 1, 2004 ;-- Am. 2009, Act 239, Imd. Eff. Jan. 8, 2010 ;-- Am. 2014, Act 532, Eff. Apr. 14, 2015 ;-- Am. 2023, Act 35, Eff. Feb. 13, 2024

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 17 cases (5 in the last 5 years), 1973–2026 · leading case: Guerrero v. Smith, 761 N.W.2d 723 (Mich. Ct. App. 2008).
Guerrero v. Smith, 761 N.W.2d 723 (Mich. Ct. App. 2008). “Contrary to defendants’ assertion, case evaluation fees are not specifically covered by MCL 600.2529. Indeed, this Court has specifically observed that case evaluation fees, formerly known as mediation fees, are not taxable as costs.”
Van Elslander v. Thomas Sebold & Assocs., Inc., 823 N.W.2d 843 (Mich. Ct. App. 2012). “Put v FKI Indus, Inc, 222 Mich App 565, 573 ; 564 NW2d 184 (1997); MCL 600.2529(l)(e), (2). MCL 600.2555. MCL 600.”
Gentris v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins., 297 Mich. App. 354 (Mich. Ct. App. 2012). “625(G)(1) and (2), plaintiff argues that many of the requested costs are not recoverable under a variety of statutory provisions, e.g., MCL 600.2405 (costs and items taxable), MCL 600.”
Herrera v. Levine, 439 N.W.2d 378 (Mich. Ct. App. 1989). “Defendant requested the trial court to tax the following as costs: (1) Proceedings before trial (pursuant to MCL 600.”
People v. Marshall, 266 N.W.2d 678 (Mich. Ct. App. 1978). · cites it 4× “715(a); MSA 25.495(a), and a jury trial fee waiver under GCR 1963, 120.”
Potter v. Wayne Cnty., 207 N.W.2d 448 (Mich. Ct. App. 1973). · cites it 2× “" MCLA 600.2529(8); MSA 27A.2529(8). We note that retention of interest in some cases might well exceed or be far less than the court might consider "just".”
Keenan v. Dep't of Corr., 649 N.W.2d 133 (Mich. Ct. App. 2002). · cites it 2× “See MCL 600.2529, 600.2963(1). If the application for direct review and the filing fee are submitted to the circuit court within the sixty-day time limit, the matter is docketed.”
Nossonal Kleinfeldt v. Nicole Stern (Mich. Ct. App. 2025). · cites it 3× “Thus, the trial court’s ruling did not violate MCL 600.2529 or the requirements of MCR 2.”
20231207_C359082_69_359082.Opn.Pdf (Mich. Ct. App. 2023). · cites it 2× “86 in taxable costs, and specified the requested amounts as follows: Filing fee, MCL 600.2529(2): $187.98 Motion fees, MCL 600.”
S. (E.D. Mich. 2024). · cites it 2× “654; see 5 As to Southern’s concern that he would have to repay filing fees, pursuant to Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.2529 (5), a state court can waive fees upon a showing by affidavit of indigency or inability to pay.”
Home-Owners Ins. Co. v. Dominic F Andriacchi (Mich. Ct. App. 2017). “Under MCL 600.2529(1)(e) and (2), motion fees are taxable as costs.”
Mary Ma v. Lawrence J Weber (Mich. Ct. App. 2017). “”73 In Portelli v I R Const Prods Co, Inc, this Court addressed whether certain costs for depositions were taxable under MCL 600.2529 where the matter was decided at the summary disposition phase, rather than at trial: Costs for depositions are expressly taxable pursuant to MCL…”
— Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.2529(1)(e) — 2 cases
Home-Owners Ins. Co. v. Dominic F Andriacchi (Mich. Ct. App. 2017). “Under MCL 600.2529(1)(e) and (2), motion fees are taxable as costs.”
Nossonal Kleinfeldt v. Nicole Stern (Mich. Ct. App. 2025). “Thus, the trial court’s ruling did not violate MCL 600.2529 or the requirements of MCR 2.”
— Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.2529(12) — 1 case
People v. Marshall, 266 N.W.2d 678 (Mich. Ct. App. 1978). “715(a); MSA 25.495(a), and a jury trial fee waiver under GCR 1963, 120.”
— Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.2529(2) — 2 cases
20231207_C359082_69_359082.Opn.Pdf (Mich. Ct. App. 2023). “86 in taxable costs, and specified the requested amounts as follows: Filing fee, MCL 600.2529(2): $187.98 Motion fees, MCL 600.”
Nossonal Kleinfeldt v. Nicole Stern (Mich. Ct. App. 2025). “Thus, the trial court’s ruling did not violate MCL 600.2529 or the requirements of MCR 2.”
— Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.2529(4) — 1 case
People v. Marshall, 266 N.W.2d 678 (Mich. Ct. App. 1978). “715(a); MSA 25.495(a), and a jury trial fee waiver under GCR 1963, 120.”
— Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.2529(8) — 1 case
Potter v. Wayne Cnty., 207 N.W.2d 448 (Mich. Ct. App. 1973). “" MCLA 600.2529(8); MSA 27A.2529(8). We note that retention of interest in some cases might well exceed or be far less than the court might consider "just".”
— Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.2529(l)(e) — 1 case
Van Elslander v. Thomas Sebold & Assocs., Inc., 823 N.W.2d 843 (Mich. Ct. App. 2012). “Put v FKI Indus, Inc, 222 Mich App 565, 573 ; 564 NW2d 184 (1997); MCL 600.2529(l)(e), (2). MCL 600.2555. MCL 600.”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.