When landlords ask what an eviction costs, they usually mean the court fees. Those are the smallest part of the bill, but they are the part you have to pay up front, and they are surprisingly hard to find in one place. This guide explains each fee, shows where it is set (statewide or county by county), and gives verified examples. Every amount here links back to the court or statute it came from on our county pages.
Fees change, often on January 1. Always check the court's current schedule before you file. This page is general information, not legal advice.
The four court costs in almost every eviction
- Filing fee. Paid to the clerk when you file the complaint or petition. Sometimes it depends on how much rent you are suing for.
- Service fee. Paid to the sheriff, constable or marshal (or a private process server) to deliver the summons, usually per tenant.
- Writ fee. Paid after you win, to have the officer actually remove the tenant and restore possession. Many courts charge a small issuance fee plus a larger service or execution fee.
- Extras. Additional defendants, alias summons if the first service fails, mileage, copies, and appeal transcripts.
On top of that are the costs that do not show up on a fee schedule: attorney fees if you hire counsel, lost rent during the case, locksmith and storage costs, and turnover repairs.
Where the fees are set statewide
Texas filing fee: $54. Every Texas justice court charges the same $54 filing fee for an eviction ($21 state plus $33 local consolidated civil fees), once per case no matter how many defendants. Service and writ fees are set by each county's commissioners court, so they vary. See Texas.
North Carolina: $96 plus $30. Small claims court costs for summary ejectment are $96 in every county, and the sheriff charges $30 for each item of civil process served (one fee when items are served together on one person). After judgment, the clerk's execution fee for a writ of possession is $25 plus another $30 for the sheriff. See North Carolina.
Florida: $185 plus $40. County clerks list a $185 filing fee for eviction of a tenant, and Florida Statutes §30.231 fixes the sheriff's fee for serving a summons at $40. Writ-of-possession charges are set by each sheriff; Hillsborough County's is $90. See Florida.
Pennsylvania magisterial district courts. For 2026, MDJ costs for landlord-tenant actions are $102.50 for claims of $2,000 or less, $125.50 from $2,001 to $4,000, and $171 from $4,001 to $12,000. Constable service is extra. Philadelphia uses its own Municipal Court schedule. See Pennsylvania.
Arizona base fee: $41, plus local add-ons. Arizona sets a $41 statutory base fee for an eviction complaint in justice court, and counties add their own fees: Pima County's total is $71 and Maricopa County's is $69. See Arizona.
Where fees are set county by county
Georgia, Ohio, Tennessee, Missouri and Indiana leave most eviction fees to the local court. That is why the same case can cost twice as much one county over.
Georgia. Gwinnett County Magistrate Court charges $60 to file a dispossessory plus $25 per defendant for sheriff service, and $25 to serve the writ. Fulton County lists $75 for a dispossessory filing, $35 for marshal service and $8 per additional defendant. See Fulton and Gwinnett.
Ohio. Franklin County Municipal Court (Columbus) charges $149 for a possession-only eviction, which includes service for up to three defendants, or $186 if you add a money claim. Cleveland's Housing Court charges $110 plus $7 for each additional adult. Hamilton County Municipal Court (Cincinnati) charges $130 to file, with service extra, and $50 for the writ of execution with a bailiff-supervised set-out. See Ohio.
Tennessee. In Davidson County (Nashville), a detainer warrant costs $145.75: a $50 clerk fee, $52 sheriff service and $43.75 litigation tax, plus $52 for each additional defendant. See Davidson County.
Missouri. St. Louis County charges $53.50 to file a Chapter 535 rent-and-possession case and $46 per defendant for the sheriff. Jackson County's 16th Circuit charges $62.50 to file and $46 per defendant for deputy service. See Missouri.
Texas county examples: service and writ fees
Because the Texas filing fee is fixed, the difference between counties is service and the writ:
- Harris County: $85 per defendant to serve the citation; $155 to execute the writ of possession.
- Dallas County: $80 per defendant for personal service within the county; $405 for the writ ($5 plus $400 service).
- Bexar County: $117 per defendant to serve the eviction petition; $287 for the writ ($282 service plus $5).
- Travis County: $90 per party for service; $205 for the writ.
- Tarrant County: $90 per defendant; $185 for the writ ($5 plus $180).
So a one-tenant Texas eviction that goes all the way to a writ costs roughly $294 in Harris County ($54 + $85 + $155) and $539 in Dallas County ($54 + $80 + $405) in court and officer fees alone.
What a "cheap" eviction really costs
Court fees are rarely the expensive part. Consider a $1,500-a-month rental. If the tenant stops paying on the 1st and the case ends with a writ six weeks later, you have lost about $2,250 in rent before you start turnover. Add $300 to $600 in court costs, attorney fees if you used one, and a few weeks of vacancy and make-ready work, and a single eviction can easily wipe out a year of cash flow on a modest property.
That is why experienced investors treat prevention as the real cost-saver: consistent screening, a state-compliant lease, prompt notices, and a reserve fund. If you are underwriting a purchase, model one turnover and one month of lost rent each year in the Deal Analyzer and see if the deal still works.
Can you recover the costs from the tenant?
Usually the court adds filing and service costs to the judgment, and some leases and statutes allow attorney fees. Recovering that money is another matter: many evicted tenants have little to collect from. Treat any recovery as a bonus, not part of your plan.
Fee waivers and indigency
Tenants and landlords who cannot afford court costs can ask the court to waive them. Texas, for example, allows a Statement of Inability to Afford Payment of Court Costs. Ask the clerk for the form.
Keep your numbers current
We re-check every county on this site against the court's own schedule and show the date we last verified it. If you spot a change, email us and we will update the page. Courts we have not verified yet are clearly marked "Not verified." For a local professional who can handle the filing for you, see the landlord services directory.