PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

A judge or court clerk can make these expenses part of the court costs: charges by the clerk and marshal; costs for printed or electronic transcripts needed in the case; printing and witness expenses; fees to make official or necessary copies; docket fees under section 1923; and pay for court‑appointed experts and interpreters, including special interpretation services under section 1828. A bill listing these costs must be filed in the case and, if allowed, added to the judgment or decree.

Title 28, §1920

Judiciary and Judicial Procedure, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

A judge or clerk of any court of the United States may tax as costs the following:

(1)Fees of the clerk and marshal;

(2)Fees for printed or electronically recorded transcripts necessarily obtained for use in the case;

(3)Fees and disbursements for printing and witnesses;

(4)Fees for exemplification and the costs of making copies of any materials where the copies are necessarily obtained for use in the case;

(5)Docket fees under section 1923 of this title;

(6)Compensation of court appointed experts, compensation of interpreters, and salaries, fees, expenses, and costs of special interpretation services under section 1828 of this title.

A bill of costs shall be filed in the case and, upon allowance, included in the judgment or decree.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §§ 9a(a) and 830 (R.S. § 983; Mar. 3, 1911, ch. 231, § 5a, as added Jan. 20, 1944, ch. 3, § 1, 58 Stat. 5). For distribution of other provisions of section 9a of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., see table at end of reviser’s notes. Word “may” was substituted for “shall” before “tax as costs,” in view of Rule 54(d) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, providing for allowance of costs to the prevailing party as of course “unless the court otherwise directs”. Changes were made in phraseology.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2008—Par. (2). Pub. L. 110–406, § 6(1), substituted “for printed or electronically recorded transcripts” for “of the court reporter for all or any part of the stenographic transcript”. Par. (4). Pub. L. 110–406, § 6(2), substituted “the costs of making copies of any materials where the copies are” for “copies of papers”. 1978—Par. (6). Pub. L. 95–539 added par. (6).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1978 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 95–539 effective Oct. 28, 1978, see section 10(a) of Pub. L. 95–539, set out as a note under section 602 of this title.

§1920 Taxation of Costs