§ 8020.County clerks as clerks of court.
Article 80. Fees · Last amended 2003 · Last verified July 21, 2026
Full Text of CPLR 8020
Plain-English Summary
CPLR 8020 applies whenever a county clerk acts as clerk of the supreme or county court in a pending action, and sets fees payable in advance for that role. Subdivision (a) charges $125 to place a cause on the trial or inquest calendar, though where court rules require a request for judicial intervention, the clerk instead collects $95 before a judge is assigned and an added $30 when the cause reaches the calendar, plus $45 for each motion or cross motion, except that no fee applies to a motion seeking poor-person status. Subdivision (b) addresses a cause transferred to a court with a higher calendar fee: the party pays the difference, though no added fee applies on a transfer for consolidation or joint trial, and no separate calendar fee applies to a retrial or a severed issue.
Subdivision (c) sets a $65 fee for filing a jury demand, in the supreme court in the counties within New York City and in the supreme and county courts elsewhere. Subdivision (d) sets a $35 fee for filing a stipulation of settlement or a voluntary discontinuance notice, with only one fee charged no matter how many parties join in the filing. Subdivision (e) applies the same transfer, consolidation, retrial, and severance rules to the jury fee that subdivision (b) applies to the calendar fee.
Subdivision (f) sets certification fees, eight dollars for a certificate in the counties within New York City and four dollars elsewhere, twenty-five and ten dollars respectively for a certificate of exemplification. Subdivision (g) charges five dollars to certify a search of court records for each name searched over a two-year span. Subdivision (h) charges twenty dollars per day of attendance under a subpoena duces tecum, plus twelve cents per mile of travel and the messenger's necessary expenses, or actual transportation cost when both service and attendance occur within New York City.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a county clerk charge to place a case on the trial calendar?
$125 in the supreme and county courts, or, where a request for judicial intervention is required, $95 before a judge is assigned and an added $30 when the cause is placed on the calendar, plus $45 per motion or cross motion.
Is there a fee for demanding a jury trial?
Yes. Subdivision (c) sets a $65 fee for filing a jury demand, charged in the supreme court within the counties comprising New York City and in the supreme and county courts elsewhere.
How much does it cost to file a stipulation of settlement?
$35 under subdivision (d), whether filed in the counties within New York City or elsewhere, and only one such fee applies to each notice, stipulation, or certificate filed.
Do I pay twice if my case is transferred to another court after a calendar fee is already paid?
No, not the full fee again. Subdivision (b) requires only the difference between the two courts' calendar fees, and no added fee applies when the transfer is for consolidation or a joint trial.
What is charged for producing court records under a subpoena duces tecum?
Twenty dollars for each day or part of a day in attendance, plus mileage of twelve cents per mile each way and necessary messenger expenses, or actual transportation cost if service and attendance both occur within New York City.
Is there a fee for a motion seeking poor-person status?
No. Subdivision (a) expressly excuses a motion seeking leave to proceed as a poor person from the per-motion fee.
Amendment History
Add, L 1963, ch 532, § 56, eff Sept 1, 1963; amd, L 1968, ch 14, § 1; L 1969, ch 801, § 1; L 1970, ch 104, § 1; L 1970, ch 440, § 1, eff May 1, 1970; L 1971, ch 404, § 2; L 1971, ch 828, § 1; L 1971, ch 828, eff Sept 1, 1971; L 1971, ch 829, § 1; L 1971, ch 829, § 1, eff Sept 1, 1971; L 1971, ch 829, eff Sept 1, 1977; L 1972, ch 185, § 4, eff May 28, 1972; L 1972, ch 709, § 1; L 1972, ch 734, § 6, eff July 1, 1972; L 1977, ch 33, §§ 2, 3, eff April 1, 1977; L 1980, ch 39, §§ 2, 3; L 1983, ch 15, § 141, eff April 1, 1983; L 1983, ch 784, § 1, eff Aug 29, 1983; L 1987, ch 825, § 15, eff Nov 5, 1987; L 1988, ch 192, § 4, eff July 31, 1988; L 1990, ch 190, § 261; L 1992, ch 55, § 405, eff April 15, 1992; L 1996, ch 309, § 54, eff July 23, 1996; L 2003, ch 62, § 25 (Part J), eff July 14, 2003.