Minn. Stat. » Minnesota Rules of Civil Appellate Procedure · Rule 107 (Bond or Deposit for Costs)
Minnesota Statutes

Minn. R. Civ. App. P. 107.03 (2026)

Cases For Which A Cost Bond May Not Be Required

✓ current as of May 2026
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The trial court may not require a bond in the following cases:

(a) a criminal case;

(b) a case arising in juvenile court;

(c) a proceeding pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, chapter 253B or 253D;

(d) when the appellant has been authorized to proceed in forma pauperis pursuant to Rule 109;

(e) when the appellant is the state or a governmental subdivision of the state or an officer, employee, or agency thereof;

(f) when the appellant is a party to a public assistance appeal pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, chapter 256; or

(g) when the appellant is an applicant for unemployment benefits pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, chapter 268.

(Added effective July 1, 2014.)

Advisory Committee Comment - 2014 Amendments

The change in Rule 107.01 removes the requirement of a cost bond for most appeals. The respondent may still ask the district court to require a cost bond, but must make a motion supported by a showing of good cause for the requirement of a bond. This amendment does not change the process for taxation of costs and disbursements, but the appellant is not normally required to incur the expense of obtaining and posting a bond (formerly set at $500). The rule requires that a respondent seeking to require a cost bond proceed by motion in the trial court and demonstrate good cause.

Rule 107.02 sets forth the requirements for a party seeking to obtain an order requiring the appellant to post a cost bond, drawn primarily from the language formerly part of Rule 107.01. Because the district court applies discretion to order a bond in extraordinary circumstances, the committee recommends that the amount of a bond be determined by the trial court, up to $1,000. The amount of bond should be lower in many cases under the new rules, as the measure of potential costs is the respondent's costs, not the appellant's, and all costs are expected to be reduced as fewer copies of paper briefs need to be prepared under amended rules, the appendix is not allowed, and the cost of paper transcripts is not required for the court or for most parties.

Rule 107.03 retains the existing rule provisions that establish seven categories of cases for which a bond may not properly be required, even upon application to the trial court.