Court Fee Calculator

Court fees in India — an overview

Court fees are a statutory levy payable to the State at the time of filing a plaint, petition, or application. They serve a dual purpose: raising revenue and regulating access to courts. The Court Fees Act, 1870 (Act No. VII of 1870) is the central legislation, but most states have enacted their own amendments or replacement Acts.

The fee is payable by way of court fee stamps affixed to the plaint or petition before filing. An under-stamped document is not maintainable until the deficiency is made good — courts typically return the document for re-stamping or direct the party to pay the balance before the matter can proceed.

Ad valorem fees (Schedule I)

Schedule I of the Court Fees Act, 1870 prescribes ad valorem fees for suits where the subject-matter has a determinable money value — suits for money, suits for possession of movable property, suits relating to mortgages, and suits for specific performance where the contract value is fixed.

The slab structure under the central Act (as operative in Delhi) reduces the rate as the claim value increases — higher-value suits bear a proportionately lower percentage. This prevents prohibitive fees for large commercial disputes while still generating revenue.

Fixed fees (Schedule II)

Schedule II prescribes fixed fees for proceedings where value is not determinable — writ petitions, matrimonial petitions, election petitions, applications under the Arbitration Act, and so on. These fees are flat amounts regardless of the relief sought.

Consumer courts under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 have their own fee schedule prescribed by the Central Government, tiered by the value of the goods or services in dispute and by the level of the forum (District / State / National Commission).

Valuation of suits

For money suits, the claim amount is the value for court fee purposes. For suits for possession of immovable property, the value is typically the annual rent (for tenancy matters) or the market value, depending on the nature of the claim. For declaratory suits, the plaintiff must put a value — courts may reject under-valuations. The Suits Valuation Act, 1887 governs valuation for jurisdiction and court fee purposes in many matters.

Frequently asked questions