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How much does it cost to file an appeal?
The filing fee for an appeal runs from $75 for a small-claims appeal in California to $775 for a California Court of Appeal case, with the federal courts of appeal at $600. Filing is the cheap part of an appeal — the record and transcript are where the real money goes.
Verified appeal filing fees
| Court | Fee to open the appeal |
|---|---|
| U.S. Courts of Appeal (all circuits) | $600 docketing fee, plus the $5 statutory fee under 28 U.S.C. §1917 — each side filing its own notice of appeal pays separately; a joint notice pays once |
| California Court of Appeal | $775, plus a $100 deposit for preparation of the clerk's transcript, paid when the notice of appeal is filed (Gov. Code §68926.1) |
| Florida District Court of Appeal | $300 per case docketed (Fla. Stat. §35.22); a cross-appeal or joinder is $295 |
| Florida Supreme Court | $300 per case docketed (Fla. Stat. §25.241); cross-appeal $295 |
| California — appeal in a limited civil case | $225 where the amount demanded is $10,000 or less; $370 up to $35,000 (Gov. Code §70621) |
| California — appeal in a small claims case | $75 (Code Civ. Proc. §116.760) |
| U.S. District Court — appeal from a magistrate judge's misdemeanor judgment | $41 |
What the filing fee does not cover
The record. The appellate court decides on the trial court's record. Copies are charged per page (see the court record copy fee guide) and a reporter's transcript is priced by the reporter at rates the court supervises — no statewide schedule publishes a single figure, so we do not quote one. The bond. To pause enforcement of a money judgment while you appeal (a supersedeas bond), you post security set by the court, typically through a bonding company at a premium — again, priced case by case, not by a fee schedule. Your time limits. Appeal deadlines are short and jurisdictional; a missed deadline ends the appeal regardless of fees paid.
Appealing within the trial court system
Not every appeal goes to an appellate court. Small-claims judgments are appealed to a judge of the superior court (California's $75 fee above); bankruptcy appeals follow the federal schedules; and many agency decisions are appealed first to the trial court under the civil filing fee structure of the state where they were issued. Check which court hears your appeal before pricing it — the fee follows the destination court, not the court you are leaving.
Can't afford the fee?
Appellate courts operate fee-waiver (in forma pauperis) procedures; the fee waiver guide explains the trial-court version and what carries over on appeal.
Sources: U.S. Courts — Court of Appeals Miscellaneous Fee Schedule and District Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule (effective December 1, 2023) · California Statewide Civil Fee Schedule (Judicial Council, effective January 1, 2026), rows 169–181 · Fla. Stat. §§35.22, 25.241. Researched October 2026 — confirm current figures with the appellate court clerk.
State figures: see each state guide for its named official source.