AB 1524: Courts: fees.

Official summary

Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.

Existing law, the Uniform Civil Fees and Standard Fee Schedule Act of 2005, establishes a set fee schedule for courts to implement for, among other things, filings, service, and changes of venue.

Existing law authorizes the court to charge a reasonable fee that does not exceed the costs of providing the service or product, if the Judicial Council approves the fee, as specified.

The bill would instead prohibit the court from charging a fee that exceeds the cost to the court of providing the service or product. The bill would require any fee not explicitly authorized by statute or rule to be approved by the Judicial Council. The bill would also require the Judicial Council, by December 1, 2027, to report to the Legislature, as specified, regarding each fee charged by a superior court in the 2026–27 fiscal year for which the revenue collected by and distributed to the court as a result of the fee exceeds the court’s cost of providing the service or product. The bill would also require the Judicial Council, by December 1, 2028, and December 1, 2029, to report certain data to the Legislature, as specified, regarding the 2027–28 and 2028–29 fiscal years, respectively.

Existing law authorizes trial court records to be created, maintained, and preserved in any form of communication or representation, including paper, optical, electronic, magnetic, micrographic, or photographic media or other technology. Existing law requires those court records be made reasonably accessible to the public for viewing and duplication, with a reasonable provision controlling for the costs of duplication, as specified.

This bill would require court records maintained in electronic form to be viewable at the court and be available for duplication at a cost, as specified. The bill would allow a member of the public to request to view or duplicate accessible records, on the premises of the court and with the requester’s equipment in a manner that does not make physical contact with the record, without being charged any fees or costs to reproduce the record, unless reproduction would result in, among other things, damage to the record or unauthorized access to the court’s computer systems or networks, as specified. The bill would authorize the court to impose reasonable limits on the use of the requester’s equipment that are necessary to protect the safety of the records or prevent the copying of the records from being an unreasonable burden, as specified.

Sponsors

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

1. October 3, 2025Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 306, Statutes of 2025.
2. October 3, 2025Approved by the Governor.
3. September 24, 2025Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
4. September 12, 2025Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 3422.).
5. September 12, 2025In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
6. September 11, 2025Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 2932.).
7. September 9, 2025Ordered to special consent calendar.
8. September 2, 2025Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
9. August 29, 2025Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.
10. August 29, 2025From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 29).
11. July 14, 2025In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.
12. July 2, 2025From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (July 1). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.