Home › Adoption filing costs
How much does it cost to file an adoption petition?
The court filing fee for an adoption runs from $0 to $400 in the states whose official schedules we verified — and it is the smallest cost in the process. The expensive layers (home studies, background checks, agency or attorney fees) are mostly set outside the court's fee schedule, which is why this page separates what the court charges from what it doesn't.
Verified adoption petition filing fees
| State | Adoption filing fee | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $0 in Family Court | Family Court hears adoption cases and charges no filing fees (adoptions may also be filed in Surrogate's or Supreme Court, which do charge) |
| California | $20 per child | Health & Safety Code §103730; the fee is waived for agency adoptions when the agency statement is filed with the petition |
| Washington | $310 (King County) | King County Superior Court & Clerk's Fee Schedule, RCW 36.18.020 |
| Texas | $350 | The statewide consolidated district-court structure, as itemized on district clerks' family fee lists |
| Florida | General circuit-court rate — Santa Rosa County's published schedule totals $400 | Adoption is not on Florida's reduced family-fee list, so it files at the circuit rate under Fla. Stat. §28.241 (up to $395) plus statutory add-ons |
The costs beyond the filing fee
Stepparent adoption investigation (California). The statewide schedule prices “costs for stepparent adoption, including investigation” at $300 (Fam. Code §9002), with the court able to set the amount up to $700. Home studies. A home study is performed by an agency or a licensed social worker, and its price is set by the provider, not by any court schedule — there is no official statewide figure for any state, so we do not publish one. Ask the provider for its fee schedule in writing before you start. Background checks. Fingerprint-based checks carry their own processing fees (the pattern explained in the Texas name change guide). The new birth certificate is issued by the state vital-records office, not the court, at that office's own fee.
How the filing works
- Prepare the petition for adoption for the court that hears adoptions in your state (family, probate, or superior court, depending on the state).
- File with the clerk and pay the filing fee above $0–$400
- Complete the home study and background checks your state requires — priced by the provider, not the court.
- Attend the finalization hearing; in many states this is brief and ceremonial.
- Order certified copies of the adoption decree — you will need them for the new birth certificate, school, and passport records (see copy and certification fees).
Filing for a child already in your care?
Many adoptions grow out of a guardianship — a grandparent or relative first becomes guardian, then adopts. The guardianship filing is a separate fee, and its guide explains the two-step cost. Where an estate or trust is involved (for example, a child who has inherited), the probate cost guide covers that layer.
Can't afford the fee?
See the fee waiver guide. Note that a waiver covers court fees only — it does not reach home-study or agency charges.
Sources: California Statewide Civil Fee Schedule (Judicial Council, effective January 1, 2026), rows 103 and 116 · King County Superior Court and Clerk's Fee Schedule (effective June 11, 2026) · Fort Bend County District Clerk — family fee listing · Fla. Stat. §28.241 and the Santa Rosa County Clerk's published fee schedule · New York Courts — Family Court Case Basics. Researched October 2026 — confirm current figures with the court clerk.
State figures: see each state guide for its named official source.