2026 state court fee data · North Carolina

North Carolina Legal Processes

Filing fees, waiting periods, and procedural requirements for 12 common civil processes routed through North Carolina Courts. Plain-language reference, refreshed against state court fee schedules.

See all processes → Methodology

Fee rank is not wait rank

According to PlainCivil's compiled state court fee schedules, North Carolina ranks #10 of 10 surveyed states by average maximum filing fee (highest avg max = #1). Civil Lawsuit is largest of 3 at $300 among 12 civil filings in North Carolina; that is not the longest wait: Divorce records 365 days on a $225 ceiling.

12
processes tracked
$300
highest fee · Civil Lawsuit
365 days
longest wait · Divorce
2
free-to-file

Fee rank and wait-time rank are tracked separately: this page sorts by average maximum filing fee, not by waiting period. See how we rank states.

North Carolina vs tracked states by average maximum filing fee

Where this state's average max filing fee sits among the 10 states on PlainCivil's civil-process schedule

$185 10th of 10 the lowest of 10 states

Tracked states, banded by average maximum civil filing fee

Each bar is a $0.001K-wide band; taller bars hold more states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source PlainCivil compiled state court fee schedules · 2026

North Carolina civil-process accessibility score

One verdict number from PlainCivil's own compiled filing-fee and waiting-period schedule across the 12 process types tracked for North Carolina, benchmarked against every other state PlainCivil covers.

F 37/100
  • Average filing fee A+ $142 Averaged across 12 documented process types
  • Average waiting period F 38.7 days Mandatory waiting period, averaged across 12 process types
  • Longest single wait F 365 days The slowest mandatory waiting period among this state’s documented processes

Lower fees and shorter waits score higher. A dimension with no documented data for this state drops out and its weight redistributes across the rest - it never silently lowers the score. Full method: civil-process accessibility score.

A practical reading of the schedule · CLERK

What changes the cost of filing in North Carolina

Start with the filing fee

This page covers 12 civil process types tracked for North Carolina, all routed through the North Carolina Courts. Across those processes, the average maximum filing fee is $185, and 2 can be filed at no cost. The highest listed fee is for civil lawsuit, which can reach $300 in complex cases.

Then allow for timing and local charges

Divorce has the longest mandatory waiting period on this page at 365 days, so the court cannot issue a final order before that window expires. Actual resolution commonly takes longer because of court backlogs, response deadlines, and service requirements. County courthouses may also add charges for service of process, motions, certified copies, or a jury demand.

How North Carolina compares

Peer states tracked on the same civil-process schedule

North Carolina tracks 12 civil-process types with an average maximum filing fee of $185. Use the peer comparison to gauge whether North Carolina courts run pricier or cheaper than neighboring jurisdictions, and whether procedural complexity (number of process types tracked) is broadly typical.

Selected

NC

North Carolina

$185 avg. max filing fee
Processes tracked
12

MI

Michigan

$210 avg. max filing fee
Processes tracked
12

GA

Georgia

$221 avg. max filing fee
Processes tracked
12

All Legal Processes in North Carolina

12 types 2 free

Fee profile

Maximum filing fees across North Carolina processes

Highlighted bar is the highest recorded maximum on this state schedule (Civil Lawsuit, $300). Average maximum across tracked processes: $185.

Process Filing Fee Details
Civil Lawsuit
Superior Court (over $25,000) or District Court.
 $150–$300 Civil Lawsuit schedule details
Court Mediation
Farm Credit and CCFT programs free. Court-ordered mediation common.
 $0–$250 Court Mediation schedule details
Divorce
Filing fee ~$225 in most counties. Additional fees for service. Fee waivers (IFP) available.
 $225 Divorce schedule details
Domestic Violence Protection
Free. Domestic Violence Protection Order through District Court.
 Free Domestic Violence Protection schedule details
Eviction
$96 court costs + ~$30 sheriff fee.
 $96–$150 Eviction schedule details
Guardianship
Clerk of Superior Court. Physician report required for incompetency.
 $150–$250 Guardianship schedule details
Name Change
District Court. No publication required.
 $100–$150 Name Change schedule details
Probate
Clerk of Superior Court handles probate.
 $120–$300 Probate schedule details
Property Dispute
Superior Court for property disputes over $25,000.
 $150–$300 Property Dispute schedule details
Restraining Order
Domestic Violence Protection Orders free.
 Free Restraining Order schedule details
Small Claims
$96 court costs plus sheriff service fee (~$30). Additional fees may apply.
 $96–$150 Small Claims schedule details
Tenant Rights
Security deposit in Small Claims (Magistrate).
 $96–$150 Tenant Rights schedule details

Take this with you

Where to go next from North Carolina's civil filing fees.

Filing fees and requirements change; verify current figures with your local court before filing.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified. National civil trial-rate context also lives there.

According to published North Carolina court schedules compiled in the PlainCivil state-process database. See our methodology for source categories and vintage.

Fee and timeline figures on PlainCivil are rendered from the portal's state-process database compiled from published court schedules, no fee is invented for a ranking. State hub aggregates process rows for North Carolina from the portal database. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-09-01. PlainCivil does not rate, rank-recommend, or advise on legal strategy, it reports what published schedules and court materials contain.