All Roll Calls
Yes: 247 • No: 30
TennesseeHB 0487114th General Assembly (2025-2026)HouseWALLET
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8; Title 18; Title 55 and Title 67, relative to court clerks.
Sponsored By: Sponsor information unavailable
Signed by Governor
Clerks, Court
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
10 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 6 costs, 3 mixed.
Filing fees reserve money for court technology
Beginning January 1, 2026, clerks set aside $7 from each standard filing fee for technology expenses. This is part of the filing fee, not an extra $7 charge. Clerks can use the money only for technology and necessary related expenses. Unspent money stays available for those purposes instead of returning to the general fund at year-end.
Clerk service charges add court costs
Beginning January 1, 2026, clerk commissions include 5% on specified receipts and payments, or 10% in counties over 700,000 people under the law’s census rule. Listed commissions also include 6.75% on litigation taxes, 3% on court-ordered property sales, and 5% of investment earnings. Service charges include $10 per subpoena, $25 per post-judgment occurrence, $75 to reopen a case, and $300 for an appeal record. Certain court-ordered registry deposits carry a $50 administrative cost, subject to two statutory exclusions; delinquent-property-tax sales pay it once against total proceeds. Clerks may also recover actual required certified or registered mailing costs, and delinquent-property-tax filing costs apply per parcel.
Court delays cost litigants ten dollars
Beginning January 1, 2026, each requested continuance costs $10, collected when the court case ends. When several litigants request a delay, the judge may assign the charge to one or more parties. The clerk deposits $5 of each charge into the county general fund exclusively for court-facility security improvements. The county court security committee recommends how to use that money each year.
Rising filing fees for civil and estates
Beginning January 1, 2026, Tennessee sets civil and estate court fees by case type and year. General civil filings, probate estates, conservatorships, and guardianships cost $275 in 2026, $300 in 2027, and $325 in 2028. Divorces with minor children cost $250, $275, and $300; those without minor children cost $175, $200, and $225. Other listed civil filing fees range from $42 to $250, and other estate filing fees range from $50 to $200. Listed estate service costs stay at $7–$75 through 2028; the State Court Clerks Association must report on possible fee increases by December 31, 2028.
Set costs for criminal and traffic cases
Beginning January 1, 2026, criminal courts of record charge $300 per case per defendant. Criminal general sessions costs include $62 per conviction per defendant without traffic citations and $42 for traffic-citation cases. Failures to appear and specified process cost $40, and expunction charges cannot exceed $100. Violations of Tennessee Code section 55-8-199 carry an extra $5 administrative fee that the clerk keeps. State reimbursement remains limited to fees and costs in effect before January 1, 2006.
Set fees for juvenile and sessions filings
Beginning January 1, 2026, listed juvenile and civil general sessions filing fees stay the same through 2028. Juvenile fees include $100 for specified support and parentage actions, $75 for child-support enforcement or changes, and $62 for delinquency, unruly, felony, or misdemeanor proceedings. Specified juvenile traffic, diversion, and custody matters cost $42; listed licensing and order-related matters cost $25. Civil general sessions fees include $50 for listed civil actions, $42 for short-term mental health commitments, and $100 for protection orders. General sessions courts also charge court-of-record taxes and costs when using civil authority shared with a court of record.
New court tax pays for clerk education
Beginning January 1, 2026, county civil and criminal cases carry an added $2 litigation tax. Cases filed in juvenile or municipal courts are excluded. The money goes into the state Court Clerk Continuing Education Fund, where investment interest and unused balances stay. The court clerks’ conference may spend it on clerk education, courses, and conferences only with annual legislative funding approval.
Electronic filing fees have caps and exemptions
Beginning January 1, 2026, local rules may authorize electronic filing fees that cover setup and maintenance costs. Electronic filing must meet state supreme court technology standards, and the fees must appear in the local rule. Charges can reach $5 per filing, capped at $50 per court proceeding, or $300 for an optional unlimited one-year subscription. People declared indigent and their legal representatives pay neither fee. The state, its departments, and contractors do not have to file electronically.
New payment protections for civil litigants
Beginning January 1, 2026, civil-case fees are due when clerk services are requested; criminal cases are excluded. Clerks must notify parties and their lawyers about unpaid fees and allow 10 business days to correct the problem. After that, clerks may seek court action, including striking or dismissing filings. Lawyers may provide a cost bond instead of upfront payment; clerks that refuse the bond forfeit the proceeding’s fees. People unable to pay retain the pauper’s oath option, while courts may require extra costs or bonds in extraordinary cases, including cases with 10 or more parties.
Clerks gain power to invest court funds
Beginning January 1, 2026, clerks may invest qualifying idle court funds unless an order or rule specifically directs their investment. Investments must use federally insured or properly secured financial institutions, or the state treasurer’s local government investment pool. Earnings generally become part of the clerk’s costs rather than going to the people entitled to the underlying funds. When a court order or local rule directs investment, earnings instead go to the people entitled under the order or agreement.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsors
There is no primary sponsor on record.
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
Senate vote • 4/21/2025
FLOOR VOTE: Third Consideration 4/21/2025
Yes: 31 • No: 2
House vote • 4/16/2025
FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR PREVIOUS QUESTION AS AMENDED PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/16/2025
Yes: 69 • No: 20
House vote • 4/16/2025
HOUSE CALENDAR & RULES COMMITTEE
Yes: 0 • No: 0
House vote • 4/16/2025
FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR AS AMENDED PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/16/2025
Yes: 82 • No: 8
House vote • 4/15/2025
HOUSE FINANCE, WAYS, AND MEANS COMMITTEE
Yes: 26 • No: 0
House vote • 4/14/2025
HOUSE FINANCE, WAYS, AND MEANS SUBCOMMITTEE
Yes: 12 • No: 0
House vote • 4/9/2025
HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE
Yes: 21 • No: 0
House vote • 4/2/2025
HOUSE CIVIL JUSTICE SUBCOMMITTEE
Yes: 6 • No: 0
Actions Timeline
Effective date(s) 01/01/2026
5/27/2025Pub. Ch. 486
5/27/2025Signed by Governor.
5/21/2025Transmitted to Governor for his action.
5/9/2025HouseSigned by Senate Speaker
5/8/2025SenateSigned by H. Speaker
4/30/2025HouseEnrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.
4/24/2025HousePassed Senate, Ayes 31, Nays 2
4/21/2025SenateAmendment withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - SA0356)
4/21/2025SenateSenate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.
4/21/2025SenateReceived from House, Passed on First Consideration
4/17/2025SenateEngrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.
4/16/2025HousePassed H., as am., Ayes 82, Nays 8, PNV 1
4/16/2025HouseH. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0381)
4/16/2025HouseSponsor(s) Added.
4/16/2025HouseH. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/16/2025
4/15/2025HousePlaced on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/15/2025
4/15/2025HouseRec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee
4/15/2025HousePlaced on cal. Finance, Ways, and Means Committee for 4/15/2025
4/14/2025HouseRec. for pass by s/c ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee
4/14/2025HousePlaced on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2025
4/9/2025HouseAssigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee
4/9/2025HouseRec. for pass. if am., ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee
4/9/2025HousePlaced on cal. Judiciary Committee for 4/9/2025
4/2/2025HouseRec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Judiciary Committee
4/2/2025House
Bill Text
HA0381 (Substitute)
4/16/2025
Enrolled / Public Chapter
Fiscal Note
Introduced
SA0356
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