How Do You Waive Court Fees in Washington?

The Washington rule in one table

| Authority | General Rule 34 (GR 34), Waiver of Court and Clerk's Fees and Charges in Civil Matters on the Basis of Indigency | | Form | A mandatory pattern form created by the Administrative Office of the Courts, attesting to financial status. No form name or number was verified in the sources read | | Who decides | A judicial officer, ex parte. All applications are presented to a judicial officer for consideration in a timely manner. No fee is charged for making an application | | Eligibility, path 1 | Currently receiving assistance under a needs-based, means-tested assistance program | | Eligibility, path 2 | Household income at or below 125 percent of the federal poverty guideline | | Eligibility, path 3 | Household income above 125 percent with recurring basic living expenses that leave the applicant without the financial ability to pay the fees | | Legal-services track | An individual represented by a qualified legal services provider may apply through a declaration of counsel stating the individual was screened and found eligible | | Effect | Once determined indigent, the trial court must waive all fees. The Washington Supreme Court in Jafar v. Webb states the plain meaning of GR 34 establishes that result | | Filing | In person, by mail, or electronically where local rule allows. Mail filers provide a self-addressed stamped envelope for return of a conformed copy of the order |

What makes Washington different

Washington's test is a three-prong ladder with automatic qualification at the first two rungs: means-tested assistance, or income at or below 125 percent, each deems the applicant indigent without further inquiry into expenses. The third rung reaches above the line where recurring basic living expenses erase the ability to pay. The second difference is the effect: not a partial waiver, not a deferral, but all fees waived once indigence is determined, as the Supreme Court read the rule in Jafar v. Webb.

The third difference is the ex parte presentation. The application may be made in writing or orally, is presented to a judicial officer without an adversary hearing at the application stage, and carries no application fee. A claim seen in one secondary filing that the rule was amended to 200 percent found no corroboration in the primary order or the Jafar opinion read for this guide, and it is not carried here.

The process, step by step

1. Complete the Administrative Office of the Courts mandatory pattern form attesting to financial status, or, for a qualified legal services provider client, the declaration of counsel stating screening and eligibility.
2. Submit in person, by mail, or electronically where local court rule allows. Mail filers include a self-addressed stamped envelope for the conformed copy of the order.
3. The application is presented to a judicial officer ex parte, in writing or orally, in a timely manner under local ex parte procedures. There is no locally imposed fee for applying.
4. Once determined indigent, all fees are waived. No denial procedure or deadline was verified in the GR 34 text read for this guide, and none is stated here.

Related guides

The same process in the other states in this family: California, Texas, Florida, New York, Washington, Oregon, Colorado. Compare all seven at Court Fee Waivers by State.

Source

The rule text, the three eligibility prongs, the ex parte presentation, and the filing routes on this page come from Washington Supreme Court Order No. 25700-A-1452 amending General Rule 34, effective January 1, 2023, and the must-waive-all-fees reading comes from Jafar v. Webb, 177 Wn.2d 520, on the Washington Courts site. Facts verified 2026-10-27.

This page explains how the process works and what the official rules say. It is general information, not legal advice. For a dispute about your specific situation, talk to a lawyer or your government agency.