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United States Code

28 U.S.C. § 1930 — Bankruptcy fees

Section 1930 sets the fees for filing a bankruptcy case in federal court. Subsection (a) states a separate filing fee for each chapter and lets an individual commencing a voluntary or joint case pay in installments. Subsection (f) allows a court to waive the chapter 7 filing fee for an individual with income under 150 percent of the official poverty line who cannot pay in installments. Under subsection (e), the clerk may collect only the fees this section prescribes.

The filing fee is the first bill a bankruptcy case sends, and for many people it is the reason the case has not been filed yet. Section 1930 is where that fee comes from — it names a fee for each chapter, says who pays it and to whom, and sets out the two routes Congress wrote for someone who cannot pay up front: installments and, in chapter 7, a waiver. It also carries fees most consumer filers never encounter, including the quarterly fees in chapter 11 cases.

How much does it cost to file for bankruptcy?

Subsection (a) sets a separate filing fee for each chapter, paid to the clerk of the district court — or to the clerk of the bankruptcy court where one has been certified under section 156(b) of this title. Paragraph (a)(1) states the fee for a case commenced under chapter 7 and the fee for a case under chapter 13. Paragraphs (a)(2) through (a)(5) state the fees for chapter 9, for chapter 11 (with a separate figure for a case concerning a railroad, as defined in section 101 of title 11), and for chapter 12. The current amounts appear in the text directly below this overview, and they are the only amounts this section states. The filing fee is not always the whole court cost. Subsection (b) permits the Judicial Conference of the United States to prescribe additional fees of the same kind it prescribes under section 1914(b) of this title, and subsection (c) sets a separate fee tied to an appeal. Section 1930 does not address attorney fees, credit counseling, or any cost outside the court's own fee schedule.

Can I pay the bankruptcy filing fee in installments?

The closing language of subsection (a) provides that an individual commencing a voluntary case or a joint case under title 11 may pay the fee in installments. Two limits are worth noting. First, that sentence is written for an individual filing a voluntary or joint case — it is not a general rule for every party that owes a fee under this section. Second, the section says installments are available but does not itself set the schedule, the number of payments, or the consequence of a missed payment; those procedures come from the bankruptcy rules and the court, not from this text. Installments also matter to the waiver in subsection (f). A court may waive the chapter 7 filing fee only if it determines, among other things, that the individual is unable to pay that fee in installments. In the structure of this section, installments are the first alternative Congress wrote for someone who cannot pay the full fee at filing, and a waiver is considered after that route is ruled out.

Can the bankruptcy filing fee be waived if I can't afford it?

Subsection (f)(1) provides that, under procedures prescribed by the Judicial Conference of the United States, the district court or the bankruptcy court may waive the filing fee in a case under chapter 7 for an individual if the court determines that the individual has income less than 150 percent of the income official poverty line applicable to a family of the size involved, and is unable to pay that fee in installments. Both findings are required, and the determination is the court's to make. The waiver reaches more than the case-opening charge. Paragraph (f)(1) defines "filing fee" to include the fee required by subsection (a) and any other fee prescribed by the Judicial Conference under subsections (b) and (c) that is payable to the clerk upon commencement of a chapter 7 case. Paragraph (f)(2) lets the court waive other fees prescribed under subsections (b) and (c) for those debtors. Paragraph (f)(3) adds that the subsection does not restrict a court from waiving fees for other debtors and creditors in accordance with Judicial Conference policy. The waiver in (f)(1) is written for chapter 7.

What fee do I pay if my case converts to chapter 11?

Subsection (a) closes with a rule for one specific move: converting a case under chapter 7 or chapter 13 to a case under chapter 11 on the debtor's request. In that situation the debtor pays the clerk of the district court, or the clerk of the certified bankruptcy court, a fee equal to the difference between the chapter 11 fee specified in paragraph (3) and the fee specified in paragraph (1). What is owed is the gap between the two figures, not a second full chapter 11 fee. That is the only conversion this section prices. Section 1930 says nothing here about converting a chapter 13 case to chapter 7, or about a conversion that occurs other than on the debtor's request. It also does not fold in the quarterly fees of paragraph (a)(6), which turn on how long a chapter 11 case stays open and how much is disbursed, rather than on how the case began.

What quarterly fees does a chapter 11 case pay?

Paragraph (a)(6) requires a quarterly fee paid to the United States trustee, for deposit in the Treasury, in each case under chapter 11 other than a case under subchapter V. Subparagraph (A) sets a schedule of flat amounts that step up as the disbursements for the quarter rise, and the fee is owed for each quarter — including any fraction of one — until the case is converted or dismissed, whichever occurs first. It is payable on the last day of the calendar month following the quarter it covers. Subparagraph (B) states a different rule during the 10-year period beginning January 1, 2021 for open and reopened chapter 11 cases, again excluding subchapter V. There the fee is computed as a stated percentage of disbursements, with a floor for smaller quarters and a ceiling for larger ones, and it runs until the case is closed, converted, or dismissed. Paragraph (a)(7) directs the Judicial Conference to require equal fees in districts that are not part of a United States trustee region as defined in section 581 of this title. These quarterly fees belong to chapter 11 cases; they are not part of the chapter 7 or chapter 13 fees in paragraph (a)(1).

Is there a fee to appeal, and can the clerk charge anything else?

Subsection (c) provides that upon the filing of any separate or joint notice of appeal or application for appeal — or upon receipt of an order allowing, or notice of the allowance of, an appeal or a writ of certiorari — a fee is paid to the clerk of the court by the appellant or petitioner. The amount is stated in the text below. Subsection (d) addresses a different moment: when a case or proceeding is dismissed in a bankruptcy court for want of jurisdiction, that court may order the payment of just costs. The section leaves what is "just" to the court. Subsection (e) is the short provision a reader facing an unexpected charge should look at first. It provides that the clerk of the court may collect only the fees prescribed under this section. Read together with subsection (b), which lets the Judicial Conference prescribe additional fees of the same kind it prescribes under section 1914(b), the schedule a clerk applies traces back to this section and to the Judicial Conference.

This summary is our plain-English explanation, written to help you find the right part of the text below. The section itself is the authority — where the two differ, the text controls.

Text of 28 U.S.C. § 1930

Reproduced in full from the official source, verified as of July 2026. View it at the source.

**Official OLRC currency statement:** Text contains those laws in effect on July 21, 2026

(a) The parties commencing a case under title 11 shall pay to the clerk of the district court or the clerk of the bankruptcy court, if one has been certified pursuant to section 156(b) of this title, the following filing fees:

(1) For a case commenced under-

(A) chapter 7 of title 11, $245, and

(B) chapter 13 of title 11, $235.

(2) For a case commenced under chapter 9 of title 11, equal to the fee specified in paragraph (3) for filing a case under chapter 11 of title 11. The amount by which the fee payable under this paragraph exceeds $300 shall be deposited in the fund established under section 1931 of this title.

(3) For a case commenced under chapter 11 of title 11 that does not concern a railroad, as defined in section 101 of title 11, $1,167.

(4) For a case commenced under chapter 11 of title 11 concerning a railroad, as so defined, $1,000.

(5) For a case commenced under chapter 12 of title 11, $200.

(6)(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), in addition to the filing fee paid to the clerk, a quarterly fee shall be paid to the United States trustee, for deposit in the Treasury, in each case under chapter 11 of title 11, other than under subchapter V, for each quarter (including any fraction thereof) until the case is converted or dismissed, whichever occurs first. The fee shall be $325 for each quarter in which disbursements total less than $15,000; $650 for each quarter in which disbursements total $15,000 or more but less than $75,000; $975 for each quarter in which disbursements total $75,000 or more but less than $150,000; $1,625 for each quarter in which disbursements total $150,000 or more but less than $225,000; $1,950 for each quarter in which disbursements total $225,000 or more but less than $300,000; $4,875 for each quarter in which disbursements total $300,000 or more but less than $1,000,000; $6,500 for each quarter in which disbursements total $1,000,000 or more but less than $2,000,000; $9,750 for each quarter in which disbursements total $2,000,000 or more but less than $3,000,000; $10,400 for each quarter in which disbursements total $3,000,000 or more but less than $5,000,000; $13,000 for each quarter in which disbursements total $5,000,000 or more but less than $15,000,000; $20,000 for each quarter in which disbursements total $15,000,000 or more but less than $30,000,000; $30,000 for each quarter in which disbursements total more than $30,000,000. The fee shall be payable on the last day of the calendar month following the calendar quarter for which the fee is owed.

(B)(i) During the 10-year period beginning on January 1, 2021, in addition to the filing fee paid to the clerk, a quarterly fee shall be paid to the United States trustee, for deposit in the Treasury, in each open and reopened case under chapter 11 of title 11, other than under subchapter V, for each quarter (including any fraction thereof) until the case is closed, converted, or dismissed, whichever occurs first.

(ii) The fee shall be the greater of-

(I) the greater of 0.4 percent of disbursements or $250 for each quarter in which disbursements total less than $1,000,000; or

(II) 0.9 percent of disbursements but not more than $250,000 for each quarter in which disbursements total at least $1,000,000.

(iii) The fee shall be payable on the last day of the calendar month following the calendar quarter for which the fee is owed.

(7) In districts that are not part of a United States trustee region as defined in section 581 of this title, the Judicial Conference of the United States shall require the debtor in a case under chapter 11 of title 11 to pay fees equal to those imposed by paragraph (6) of this subsection. Such fees shall be deposited as offsetting receipts to the fund established under section 1931 of this title and shall remain available until expended.

An individual commencing a voluntary case or a joint case under title 11 may pay such fee in installments. For converting, on request of the debtor, a case under chapter 7, or 13 of title 11, to a case under chapter 11 of title 11, the debtor shall pay to the clerk of the district court or the clerk of the bankruptcy court, if one has been certified pursuant to section 156(b) of this title, a fee of the amount equal to the difference between the fee specified in paragraph (3) and the fee specified in paragraph (1).

(b) The Judicial Conference of the United States may prescribe additional fees in cases under title 11 of the same kind as the Judicial Conference prescribes under section 1914(b) of this title.

(c) Upon the filing of any separate or joint notice of appeal or application for appeal or upon the receipt of any order allowing, or notice of the allowance of, an appeal or a writ of certiorari $5 shall be paid to the clerk of the court, by the appellant or petitioner.

(d) Whenever any case or proceeding is dismissed in any bankruptcy court for want of jurisdiction, such court may order the payment of just costs.

(e) The clerk of the court may collect only the fees prescribed under this section.

(f)(1) Under the procedures prescribed by the Judicial Conference of the United States, the district court or the bankruptcy court may waive the filing fee in a case under chapter 7 of title 11 for an individual if the court determines that such individual has income less than 150 percent of the income official poverty line (as defined by the Office of Management and Budget, and revised annually in accordance with section 673(2) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981) applicable to a family of the size involved and is unable to pay that fee in installments. For purposes of this paragraph, the term "filing fee" means the filing fee required by subsection (a), or any other fee prescribed by the Judicial Conference under subsections (b) and (c) that is payable to the clerk upon the commencement of a case under chapter 7.

(2) The district court or the bankruptcy court may waive for such debtors other fees prescribed under subsections (b) and (c).

(3) This subsection does not restrict the district court or the bankruptcy court from waiving, in accordance with Judicial Conference policy, fees prescribed under this section for other debtors and creditors.

Guides that rely on 28 U.S.C. § 1930

Plain-language explanations on this site that cite this section.

By Antonio G. Jimenez, Esq. · Florida Bar No. 21022

Last reviewed July 26, 2026 · Sources verified July 26, 2026 · How we verify

Every figure on this page is drawn from a primary legal source and checked against our canonical legal database before publication. Bankruptcy.law is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.

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