North Dakota Filing Fees and Fee Waivers

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Filing a family case in North Dakota normally carries a fee. Divorce filing fee: ~$80. Fees are set locally and change, so treat any figure as a starting point and confirm the current amount with your clerk.

Not being able to pay does not close the courthouse door. Every state has a way to ask a judge to waive or defer the fee, usually by filing a short sworn statement about your income and expenses. The official North Dakota documents for that request are below.

Official North Dakota fee resources

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North Dakota family law forms (official index) (North Dakota judicial branch): The official statewide collection of North Dakota family law forms. When a direct document link stops working, this index is where the current version lives. https://www.ndcourts.gov/legal-self-help/forms

North Dakota court self-help resources (North Dakota courts self-help): Official self-help information for people handling their own North Dakota family case, including instructions and plain-language guides. https://www.ndcourts.gov/legal-self-help

ND court locations by county (North Dakota judicial branch): Find the courthouse or clerk that serves your area, with locations and contact details. https://www.ndcourts.gov/court-locations

North Dakota official filing information (North Dakota judicial branch): The court's own page explaining how documents are filed in North Dakota and what a parent without a lawyer is allowed to do. https://www.ndcourts.gov/

Verified official North Dakota fee waiver documents

These official documents are how you ask a North Dakota court to waive or defer a filing fee.

Petition for Waiver of Filing Fees: Instructions and Forms (Fee Waiver), official document: https://www.ndcourts.gov/Media/Default/Legal%20Resources/Legal%20Self%20Help/Other%20Forms/Fee%20Waiver/All%20Petition%20for%20Fee%20Waiver%20Instructions%20%20Forms.pdf

Official link data for North Dakota was last verified June 2026. Report anything outdated through our contact page and we will re-check the official source.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to file a family case in North Dakota?

Divorce filing fee: ~$80. If you cannot afford the fee, ask the clerk about a fee waiver or indigency application; every state has a process for requesting one.

Will asking for a fee waiver hurt my case?

No. The fee waiver request goes to the question of what you can afford, not to the merits of your case. Courts handle these routinely.

What if my waiver is denied?

Ask the clerk about paying in installments or deferring the fee. Practice varies by court, so ask before you assume the case cannot be filed.