Parties to civil cases filed in Idaho state courts will soon be charged a $5 fee to file documents online through an electronic “envelope.” This change will now take effect Dec. 15, two weeks later than previously announced.
The fee is charged by the vendor that provides the e-filing software used by Idaho courts. The Idaho Supreme Court to date has covered this fee for filers, but amid a reassessment of court technology spending determined it no longer has the resources to do so. Passing this minor cost to filers is the best step to preserve other technology funding for existing court services.
Today’s courts rely on a robust suite of technology including digital case files, videoconferencing, online fine and fee payments, and underlying networking and security systems. The Supreme Court over the past two years has publicly discussed the challenges around funding this technology, including the e-filing fee. As noted in recent annual reports, revenues in the legislatively established court technology fund are declining while the costs of supporting access to justice in a modern court system are on the rise.
The new e-filing fee does not apply in criminal cases or to filers who are exempt from paying court filing fees under existing laws or regulations. It will be a recoverable cost of litigation through existing court rules.
The fee is not a requirement to file in an Idaho court. Any party who is required to file electronically by Rule 4 of the Idaho Rules for Electronic Filing and Service may choose to do so using a kiosk at their local courthouse, paying any applicable fees by cash or check at the office of the clerk of the district court. For civil filings done in this manner, the filer will not be charged the envelope fee.
More information about the envelope fee can be found in this fact sheet.
