County clerk fees

AN ACT Relating to county clerk fees; and amending RCW 36.18.016.1
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:2
Sec. 1. RCW 36.18.016 and 2022 c 29 s 12 are each amended to 3
read as follows: 4
(1) Revenue collected under this section is not subject to 5
division under RCW 36.18.025 or 27.24.070. 6
(2)(a) For the filing of a petition for modification of a decree 7
of dissolution or paternity, within the same case as the original 8
action, and any party filing a counterclaim, cross-claim, or third-9
party claim in any such action, a fee of $36 must be paid.10
(b) The party filing the first or initial petition for 11
dissolution, legal separation, or declaration concerning the validity 12
of marriage shall pay, at the time and in addition to the filing fee 13
required under RCW 36.18.020, a fee of $54. The clerk of the superior 14
court shall transmit monthly $48 of the $54 fee collected under this 15
subsection to the state treasury for deposit in the domestic violence 16
prevention account. The remaining six dollars shall be retained by 17
the county for the purpose of supporting community-based domestic 18
violence services within the county, except for five percent of the 19
six dollars, which may be retained by the court for administrative 20
purposes. On or before December 15th of each year, the county shall 21
H-2926.1
HOUSE BILL 2543
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Representatives Pollet, Zahn, and Salahuddin
Read first time 01/16/26. Referred to Committee on Appropriations.
p. 1 HB 2543
report to the department of social and health services revenues 1
associated with this section and community-based domestic violence 2
services expenditures. The department of social and health services 3
shall develop a reporting form to be utilized by counties for uniform 4
reporting purposes. 5
(3)(a) The party making a demand for a jury of six in a civil 6
action shall pay, at the time, a fee of $125; if the demand is for a 7
jury of 12, a fee of $250. If, after the party demands a jury of six 8
and pays the required fee, any other party to the action requests a 9
jury of 12, an additional $125 fee will be required of the party 10
demanding the increased number of jurors. 11
(b) Upon conviction in criminal cases a jury demand charge of 12
$125 for a jury of six, or $250 for a jury of 12 may be imposed as 13
costs under RCW 10.46.190. 14
(4) The following fees will be charged for copies made by the 15
superior court clerk's office:16
(a) For preparing a certified copy of ((an instrument )) a court 17
document on file or of record in the clerk's office, a fee of $5 will 18
be charged for the first page ((or portion of the first page, a fee 19
of five dollars, and)) plus a fee of $1 for each additional page ((or 20
portion of a page, a fee of one dollar must be charged)).21
(b) For authenticating or exemplifying ((an instrument,)) a court 22
document on file or of record, in addition to the fee to prepare the 23
certified copy in subsection (2)(a) of this section, a fee of ((two 24
dollars)) $2 for each additional seal affixed must be charged.25
(c) For ((preparing)) providing a copy ((of an instrument on file 26
or of record in the clerk's office )) without a seal, a fee of 50 27
cents per page must be charged. ((When copying a document without a 28
seal or file that is in an electronic format, a fee of 25 cents per 29
page must be charged.))30
(d) For providing a photograph of an exhibit, a fee of $5 per 31
photo must be charged.32
(e) For providing a copy of a digital or electronic exhibit, a 33
fee of $25 per exhibit must be charged.34
(f) For copies ((made on a compact disc, an additional )) 35
delivered on an electronic storage medium, a fee of (($20 for each 36
compact disc)) $5 must be charged. 37
(g) The clerk may charge for the cost of posting and mailing the 38
copies, plus a $2 handling fee.39
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(5) For executing a certificate, with or without a seal, a fee of 1
two dollars must be charged. 2
(6) For a garnishee defendant named in an affidavit for 3
garnishment and for a writ of attachment, a fee of $20 must be 4
charged. 5
(7) For filing a supplemental proceeding, a fee of $20 must be 6
charged. 7
(8) For approving a bond, including justification on the bond, in 8
other than civil actions and probate proceedings, a fee of two 9
dollars must be charged. 10
(9) For the issuance of a certificate of qualification and a 11
certified copy of letters of administration, letters testamentary, or 12
letters of guardianship, there must be a fee of five dollars.13
(10) For the preparation of a passport application, the clerk may 14
collect an execution fee as authorized by the federal government.15
(11) For clerk's services such as performing historical searches, 16
compiling statistical reports, and conducting exceptional record 17
searches, the clerk may collect a fee not to exceed $30 per hour.18
(12) For processing ex parte orders, the clerk may collect a fee 19
of $30. 20
(13) For ((duplicated recordings of court's proceedings there 21
must be a fee of $10 for each audiotape and $25 for each video or 22
other electronic storage medium.23
(14) For registration of land titles, Torrens Act, under RCW 24
65.12.780, a fee of $20 must be charged.25
(15))) preparing a copy of the audio or video recording from a 26
court proceeding, a fee of $25 per court date must be charged.27
(14) For the issuance of extension of judgment under RCW 6.17.020 28
and chapter 9.94A RCW, a fee of $200 must be charged. When the 29
extension of judgment is at the request of the clerk, the $200 charge 30
may be imposed as court costs under RCW 10.46.190.31
(((16))) (15) A facilitator surcharge of up to $20 must be 32
charged as authorized under RCW 26.12.240. 33
(((17))) (16) For filing an adjudication claim under RCW 34
90.03.180, a fee of $25 must be charged. 35
(((18))) (17) For filing a claim of frivolous lien under RCW 36
60.04.081 or 60.90.130 or filing an action to release a lien under 37
RCW 60.90.090 and 60.90.140, a fee of $35 must be charged.38
p. 3 HB 2543
(((19))) (18) For preparation of a change of venue, a fee of $20 1
must be charged by the originating court in addition to the per page 2
charges in subsection (4) of this section. 3
(((20))) (19) A service fee of five dollars for the first page 4
and one dollar for each additional page must be charged for receiving 5
faxed documents, pursuant to Washington state rules of court, general 6
rule 17. 7
(((21))) (20) For preparation of clerk's papers ((under RAP 8
9.7)), a fee of 50 cents per page must be charged. 9
(((22))) (21) For copies and reports produced at the local level 10
as permitted by RCW 2.68.020 and supreme court policy, a variable fee 11
must be charged. 12
(((23))) (22) Investment service charge and earnings under RCW 13
36.48.090 must be charged. 14
(((24))) (23) Costs for nonstatutory services rendered by clerk 15
by authority of local ordinance or policy must be charged.16
(((25))) (24) For filing a request for civil arbitration, a 17
filing fee may be assessed against the party filing a statement of 18
arbitrability not to exceed $250 as established by authority of local 19
ordinance. $220 of this charge shall be used to offset the cost of 20
the civil arbitration program. $30 of each fee collected under this 21
subsection must be used for indigent defense services.22
(((26))) (25) For filing a request for trial de novo of a civil 23
arbitration award, a fee not to exceed $400 as established by 24
authority of local ordinance must be charged. 25
(((27))) (26) A public agency may not charge a fee to a law 26
enforcement agency, for preparation, copying, or mailing of certified 27
copies of the judgment and sentence, information, affidavit of 28
probable cause, and/or the notice of requirement to register, of a 29
sex offender convicted in a Washington court, when such records are 30
necessary for risk assessment, preparation of a case for failure to 31
register, or maintenance of a sex offender's registration file.32
(((28))) (27) For the filing of a will or codicil under the 33
provisions of chapter 11.12 RCW, a fee of $20 must be charged.34
(((29))) (28) A surcharge of up to $20 may be charged in 35
dissolution and legal separation actions as authorized by RCW 36
26.12.260. 37
(29) The revenue to counties from the fees established in this 38
section shall be deemed to be complete reimbursement from the state 39
for the state's share of benefits paid to the superior court judges 40
p. 4 HB 2543
of the state prior to July 24, 2005, and no claim shall lie against 1
the state for such benefits. 2
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