In most civil cases, at least one party on each side must pay a nonrefundable $150 advance jury fee deposit under California Code of Civil Procedure section 631. The fee is separate from daily jury deposits that may be assessed later during trial.  The advance jury fee is generally due no later than the date scheduled for the initial case management conference. If no case management conference is set, or if the court has issued a different order, confirm the deadline in CCP section 631, local rules, and the court's case-specific notices.

The process of filing the appropriate document can vary from court to court.  It is important to note that requesting a jury trial in a pleading will not necessarily assess the payment of jury fees.

Process for assessing jury fees

The process for assessing jury fees is not standardized across the various California Superior Courts.  The method and document type will vary from court to court, this article will help you understand how to assess the jury fees in your filing, for the court you are filing into.  The process of paying jury fees will always be done via a subsequent filing, regardless of which scenario the court falls under below.  When your filing is accepted by the court, One Legal will disburse the jury fees on your behalf and will issue you an invoice.

Scenario 1: Document is selectable from the list of documents and the appropriate fees will be generated by selecting the correct document type:

This scenario applies to the following Superior Courts:
Alameda, Calaveras, Colusa, El Dorado, Fresno, Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Lake, Los Angeles, Madera, Marin, Mono, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Riverside, Sacramento, San Benito, San Diego, San Francisco, Siskiyou, Tehama, Tulare, Ventura, Yolo, and Yuba.

The document type will vary from court to court.  See table below to see which document type applies to the county that you are filing into:

Scenario 2: “Jury” related document type exists, but you have to add an associated fee:

This scenario applies to the following Superior Courts:
Butte, Santa Barbara, Stanislaus, and Sutter

In some courts, you will have to add, or associate, a fee with the document that you are filing.  For the counties listed below, select the appropriate document type, then select the appropriate associated fee.

The document type and/or the associated fee can vary from court to court.  Refer to table below to see the correct combination for the court you are filing into:

Example for Sutter County - Once you have selected the document type, select Yes next to Edit fees associated with this document? and place a check mark next to the appropriate associated fee:

Scenario 3: Document is selectable from the list of documents and the appropriate fees will be generated by selecting the correct document type, no additional fee selection is required to disburse jury fees:

This scenario applies to the following Superior Courts:
Contra Costa, Glenn, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, and Sonoma

Similar to scenario one, but the court policy presents additional options that do not need to be selected in order to assess jury fees.

The table below will show you the correct document type to select for the county you are filing into:

Scenario 4: Jury fee document type is not available in the drop down:

This scenario applies to the following Superior Courts:
Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, and Santa Clara

There are a few courts that do not have a specific Jury Fees document type.  These courts typically expect jury fees to accompany another substantive filing (e.g., Case Management Statement).

When attempting to assess the jury fees when filing into any of these courts, edit fees for another document that you are filing on the case and add the appropriate jury fees to that document.  If you must file jury fees as a standalone filing, choose a procedurally neutral document type (e.g., Notice) and edit the fees for that document type to include the appropriate jury fees.

The table below will show you the appropriate associated fee to select for the county you are filing into:

Example for Mariposa County Superior Court:

Scenario 5: Courts that require documents to be physically filed:

This scenario applies to the following Superior Courts:
Alpine, Amador, Del Norte, Humboldt, Lassen, Modoc, Plumas, San Joaquin, Shasta, Sierra, Solano, Trinity, and Tuolumne: 

There are several courts that require documents to be physically filed and in some cases, the Notice of Deposit of Jury Fees (CCP Section 631(b)) is exempted from eFiling*.  For these courts, you would place an order through the standard workflow* for that court and select the Jury Fees Posted document type and include that in your filing.  When you get to the estimate page for your order, you will be presented with an estimate of the cost to physically file the documents for this order and the $150 jury fees amount will not be included in that estimate.  When your order is processed, the clerk will assess that fee and One Legal will disburse that fee on your behalf and invoice you for the charge.

Note: When placing this order, add the following to the special instructions : “Disburse $150 jury fee”

*Solano County Superior Court has exempted the Notice of Deposit of Jury Fees (CCP Section 631(b)) from eFiling and requires it to be physically filed.  When filing in Solano County, select Documents Exempt from eFiling in the Case Category drop down as you start your subsequent filing, then follow the directions above.

Scenario 6: Orange County

This scenario only applies to Orange County:

When filing in Orange County Superior Court, to assess jury fees, select the Notice of Posting Jury Fees document type.  When you come to the review screen, you will not see an estimated charge of $150 for jury fees.  Once the clerk reviews and accepts your filing, they will assess the $150 fee.  One Legal will disburse that fee on your behalf and invoice you for the charge.

What document do I file once I have selected the appropriate document type?

There is no statewide standard or requirement for what document should be included when posting jury fees.  Many courts do not docket the uploaded jury fee document as a substantive filing; it is typically used only to process payment.

For maximum statewide compatibility, it is recommended that you attach:

A simple 1-page pleading paper notice containing:

• Caption
• Case number
• Party name
• Statement that:
  • jury fees are being posted pursuant to CCP §631
• Date/signature block