Effective July 1, 2024, all civil filing fees will increase by $4 as required by Senate Bill 322.
Filing Fees
| Document/Action | Fee |
|---|---|
| Abandoned Motor Vehicle | $45.50 |
| Abandoned Motor Vehicle Order | $2.50 |
| Abandoned Vessel | $56.50 |
| Appeal Cost * | See Below |
| Certified Copies (stamp and seal) | $2.50 |
| Civil Action Suits Entry of Service per defendant (Small Claim) |
$56.50 $50.00 |
| Copies (each page) | $0.10 |
| Department of Public Safety Letter | $5.00 |
| Dispossessory - Evictions Sheriff's Entry of Service per defendant (Dispossessory) |
$56.50 $25.00 |
| Garnishments Sheriff's Entry of Service |
$56.50 $50.00 |
| Interrogatories | $10.00 |
| Interrogatories (outside of Cobb County Magistrate Court) Sheriff's Entry of Service per defendant |
$56.50 $50.00 |
| Mechanic Lien (owner and mechanics) | $56.50 |
| Personal Property Foreclosure Sheriff's Entry of Service (Personal Property Foreclosure) |
$56.50 $50.00 |
| Service by Publication (Marietta Daily Journal) | $80.00 |
* Appeal Cost: Must be paid at the time of filing to both Magistrate Court and to either State or Superior Court.
- Magistrate Court Cost: defendant upon cost of original civil filing.
- If appealed to State Court: the fee is $198.00.
- If appealed to Superior Court: the fee is $216.00.
- Acceptable forms of payment are: Credit Cards, Cash, Business Check, Money Order or Certified Check, payable to Magistrate Court.
Warrant and Bad Check
| Bad Check Application | $20.00 | Cash only |
| Warrant Application | $20.00 | Cash only |
| Dismissal Felony | $135.00 | |
| Dismissal Misdemeanor | $108.00 |
Accepted Forms of Payment
- Civil: Credit Cards, Cash, Business Check, Money Order or Certified Check
- Warrant and Bad check application: Cash only
- Dismissal and Bad check payoff: Cash, Credit Card, Money Order or Certified Check
- Ordinance: Credit Card, Cash, Money Order or Certified Check
A $4.00 fee will be added per case for using credit cards.
Photo ID matching the name on the card is required and cardholder must be present.
Forms
Court Forms
Garnishments
General Forms
- Collecting Your Judgment - If you receive a judgment and you are not voluntarily paid, this form provides several methods of collection.
- Interrogatories Form - Written questions sent to the losing party to try to find out what cash and other assets the loser has to satisfy the judgment.
- Interrogatories Instructions - 5 steps to the interrogatories
- Open Records Request Form - To request records under the Georgia Open Records Act (O.C.G.A. 50-18-70), please fill out the above form.
- Civil Dismissal Form - This form is to be submitted to dismiss any civil matter.
Bad Checks
- Bad Check Application - Used by merchants and individuals to obtain a criminal bad check citation/warrant.
- Bad Check Notice (Civil) - Letter written to the maker of a bad check demanding payment plus costs prior to filing a civil suit.
- Bad Check Notice (Criminal) - Used to notify the writer of the check that the check will be turned over to the Magistrate Court as a citation and allows them to make the check good, prior to filing criminal charges.
Small Claims
- Introduction to Small Claims - What you need to know about small claims.
- Sheriff's Service Sheet - This form must be completed in order for the Sheriff to serve a civil small claims suit on the defendant.
- Request for Sheriff's ReService Sheet - This form must be completed in order for the Sheriff to ReServe a civil small claims suit on the defendant.
- Statement of Claim - Used by the plaintiff in a civil small claims suit to explain why they are suing the defendant(s), as well as disclose to the defendant the amount of money for which they are suing.
Dispossessory and Property
- Abandoned Motor Vehicle - Includes instruction sheet, subject to lien notice, affidavit for foreclosure of lien against abandoned motor vehicle, request for hearing, notice of hearing, order to foreclose abandoned motor vehicle, DMVS telephone number.
- Election of Option - Form to be used by Sheriff’s Office to obtain the personal property foreclosure.
- Mechanic's Lien - Includes instruction sheet, mechanic's lien form with notice (O.C.G.A 40-3-54), order, DMVS telephone number.
- Personal Property Foreclosure - Includes instruction sheet, affidavit for foreclosure of personal property, application and writ of possession - order, notice of hearing, personal property foreclosure summons, order.
- Proceeding Against Tenant Holding Over (Eviction Form) - This form is used to evict someone out of the premises.
- Property Demand Letter - Letter written to any unauthorized holder of property, demanding the return of the property within five days, allowing them to return the property, prior to filing criminal charges.
- Writ of Possession (Personal Property Foreclosure) - Order granting Defendant to surrender said personal property to Plaintiff in retention or disposition, (or) advertise and sell same as in the case of levy and sale.
- Application for Writ of Possession (Eviction form)
Media Requests
For electronic and photographic media access to Magistrate Court proceedings, please complete the Rule 11 form.
Instructions for submitting:
For all hearings occurring Monday through Friday (8 a.m. – 5 p.m.), email to Tahnicia.phillips@cobbcounty.org and Leanne.dolin@cobbcounty.org. Call and confirm receipt with the Judge Murphy’s office at 770-528-8915.
For all hearings occurring Monday through Friday AFTER 5:00 p.m. or during weekends and holidays, email to EWIcallin@cobbcounty.org. Call and confirm receipt with the Warrant office at 770-528-1567.