PACER fees calculator, with the $3 cap and $30 waiver.

The short answer

PACER, the federal courts' electronic records service, charges $0.10 per page. A single document, docket sheet or case-specific report never costs more than $3.00, which is the fee for thirty pages. Search results, non-case-specific reports and transcripts have no cap, and an audio file is $2.40. If you accrue $30.00 or less in a quarter, the fees are waived; once you pass $30.00, the whole amount is billed.

How the calculator works

It multiplies your average pages per document by $0.10, limits that to $3.00, and multiplies by the number of documents. It then adds uncapped search or report pages at $0.10, transcript pages at $0.10 and audio files at $2.40. If the total is $30.00 or less, the billed amount is zero and the tool shows how much room you have left; if it is above $30.00, the full total is billed. Because the cap applies per document, entering an average is an estimate when your documents vary widely in length: one 60-page document costs $3.00, not $6.00.

Worked example

You open six documents of 12 pages ($1.20 each, $7.20), three documents of 45 pages (capped at $3.00 each, $9.00), run searches that generate 25 pages ($2.50) and play one audio file ($2.40). The quarter's accrued charges are $21.10, under $30.00, so you are billed nothing. Add 100 more pages of search results ($10.00) and the quarter reaches $31.10: PACER bills the full $31.10, not the $1.10 above the threshold.

When PACER is free

• Quarterly waiver. No fee is owed until an account holder accrues charges of more than $30.00 in a quarterly billing cycle.
• Your own case. A party who receives a Notice of Electronic Filing or Notice of Docket Activity gets one free copy from the court.
• Court opinions are always free, as is viewing case information at any federal courthouse.
• Exemptions. A court can exempt individuals or groups such as indigent parties, pro bono attorneys, academic researchers and non-profit organizations, on request to the court.

Ways to spend less

• Search by case number rather than party name. A common party name can return a large number of pages, and a search costs money even when nothing matches.
• Use the docket report filters (date range, and turning off "Parties and Counsel" and "Terminated Parties") so you do not pay again for entries you already have.
• If you know the court and case number, log in and query that court directly instead of using the nationwide PACER Case Locator.

Limits of this tool

• The tool covers PACER user charges only. Fees for the PACER Service Center to search records for you ($30.00 per name or item searched) and paper copies ($0.50 per page) are separate.
• Your court's own docket pages or a separate court e-filing system are not included.
• The fee schedule is set by the Judicial Conference and can change. Check the PACER pricing page before relying on a figure.

FAQ

How much does PACER cost per page?

PACER charges $0.10 per page. A single document, docket sheet or case-specific report is capped at $3.00, the fee for thirty pages.

Is there a cap on PACER search fees?

No. PACER search results, reports that are not case-specific and transcripts have no maximum fee, and a search is charged by the pages it generates even when it finds no matches.

When are PACER fees waived?

No fee is owed until your charges in a quarterly billing cycle exceed $30.00. If you accrue more than $30.00, the full amount is billed.

How much is a PACER audio file?

An audio file of a court hearing, provided as an mp3 for some hearings, costs $2.40 per file.

Are court opinions free on PACER?

Yes. Court opinions are always free, and so is viewing case information at a federal courthouse terminal.

Can I get PACER fees exempted?

A court may exempt individuals or groups such as indigent parties, pro bono attorneys, academic researchers and non-profit organizations, upon request to the court. Courts decide each request.

Does a party in a case pay for the notice of filing?

No. A party who receives a Notice of Electronic Filing or Notice of Docket Activity from the court gets one free copy of the filed document.

Sources

Retrieved 2026-11-02. Each link was opened and checked against the claim next to it.

• PACER, "PACER Pricing: How fees work": the $0.10 page fee, $3 per-document cap, uncapped searches, transcripts and reports, $2.40 audio, $30 quarterly billing threshold, free access and filtering tips (read 2026-11-02)
• U.S. Courts, Electronic Public Access Fee Schedule (effective January 1, 2020): the official schedule: $0.10 per page not to exceed thirty pages, no fee until charges exceed $30.00 in a quarter, discretionary exemptions, PACER Service Center search fee (read 2026-11-02)