If you cannot afford the filing fee, you may ask the judge for permission to proceed without prepaying the filing fee. This is called petitioning the Court to proceed in forma pauperis. If you are approved and you are incarcerated, you will still have to pay the filing fee. The fee will be deducted in monthly installments from your Inmate Account.  

You must first submit a Request to Proceed Without Prepayment of Fees and/or Costs. This application is available for download on the Court Filings: Blank Forms and Samples page.  If you are incarcerated, you must submit a copy of your Inmate Account Statement. The statement must be certified by the appropriate employee of the jail or prison where you are incarcerated. 

After you submit the completed materials, the judge will review the information you provide to determine if you can pay the filing fee. If the judge determines you can pay the filing fee or part of the filing fee, the judge will order you to do so. If the judge determines you cannot pay the filing fee all at once, you will be allowed to proceed with your lawsuit without prepaying the filing fee.