Rules of Court · Part 3 · New Jersey
R. 3:13-5 New Jersey Rules of Court, R. 3:13-5: Discovery Fees, rendered as code with every cross-reference linked
Discovery Fees
(a) Standard Fees. The prosecutor may charge a fee for a copy or copies of discovery. The fee assessed for discovery embodied in the form of printed matter shall be $ 0.05 per letter size page or smaller, and $ 0.07 per legal size page or larger. From time to time, as necessary, these rates may be revised pursuant to a schedule promulgated by the Administrative Director of the Courts. If the prosecutor can demonstrate that the actual costs for copying discovery exceed the foregoing rates, the prosecutor shall be permitted to charge a reasonable amount equal to the actual costs of copying. The actual copying costs shall be the costs of materials and supplies used to copy the discovery, but shall not include the costs of labor or other overhead expenses associated with making the copies, except as provided for in paragraph (b) of this rule. Electronic records and non-printed materials shall be provided free of charge, but the prosecutor may charge for the actual costs of any needed supplies such as computer discs.
(b) Special Service Charge for Printed Copies. Whenever the nature, format, manner of collation, or volume of discovery embodied in the form of printed matter to be copied is such that the discovery cannot be reproduced by ordinary document copying equipment in ordinary business size, or is such that it would involve an extraordinary expenditure of time and effort to copy, the prosecutor may charge, in addition to the actual copying costs, a special service charge that shall be reasonable and shall be based on the actual direct costs of providing the copy or copies. Pursuant to R. 3:10-1, defense counsel shall have the opportunity to review and object to the charge prior to it being incurred.
(c) Special Service Charge for Electronic Records. If defense counsel requests an electronic record: (1) in a medium or format not routinely used by the prosecutor; (2) not routinely developed or maintained by the prosecutor; or (3) requiring a substantial amount of manipulation or programming of information technology, the prosecutor may charge, in addition to the actual cost of duplication, a special charge that shall be reasonable and shall be based on (1) the cost of any extensive use of information technology, or (2) the labor cost of personnel providing the service that is actually incurred by the prosecutor or attributable to the prosecutor for the programming, clerical, and supervisory assistance required, or (3) both. Pursuant to R. 3:10-1, defense counsel shall have the opportunity to review and object to the charge prior to it being incurred.
Note: Adopted December 4, 2012 to be effective January 1, 2013.
Verbatim rule text, unmarked. Nothing here is a summary.
rule 3:13-5 "Discovery Fees" {
(a) Standard Fees. The prosecutor may charge a fee for a copy or copies of discovery. The fee assessed for discovery embodied in the form of printed matter shall be $ 0.05 per letter size page or smaller, and $ 0.07 per legal size page or larger. From time to time, as necessary, these rates may be revised pursuant to a schedule promulgated by the Administrative Director of the Courts. If the prosecutor can demonstrate that the actual costs for copying discovery exceed the foregoing rates, the prosecutor shall be permitted to charge a reasonable amount equal to the actual costs of copying. The actual copying costs shall be the costs of materials and supplies used to copy the discovery, but shall not include the costs of labor or other overhead expenses associated with making the copies, except as provided for in paragraph (b) of this rule. Electronic records and non-printed materials shall be provided free of charge, but the prosecutor may charge for the actual costs of any needed supplies such as computer discs.
(b) Special Service Charge for Printed Copies. Whenever the nature, format, manner of collation, or volume of discovery embodied in the form of printed matter to be copied is such that the discovery cannot be reproduced by ordinary document copying equipment in ordinary business size, or is such that it would involve an extraordinary expenditure of time and effort to copy, the prosecutor may charge, in addition to the actual copying costs, a special service charge that shall be reasonable and shall be based on the actual direct costs of providing the copy or copies. Pursuant to R. 3:10-1, defense counsel shall have the opportunity to review and object to the charge prior to it being incurred.
(c) Special Service Charge for Electronic Records. If defense counsel requests an electronic record: (1) in a medium or format not routinely used by the prosecutor; (2) not routinely developed or maintained by the prosecutor; or (3) requiring a substantial amount of manipulation or programming of information technology, the prosecutor may charge, in addition to the actual cost of duplication, a special charge that shall be reasonable and shall be based on (1) the cost of any extensive use of information technology, or (2) the labor cost of personnel providing the service that is actually incurred by the prosecutor or attributable to the prosecutor for the programming, clerical, and supervisory assistance required, or (3) both. Pursuant to R. 3:10-1, defense counsel shall have the opportunity to review and object to the charge prior to it being incurred.
Note: Adopted December 4, 2012 to be effective January 1, 2013.
}
referenced_by: none
source: njcourts.gov // verbatim; changed 2025-09-26; corpus harvested 2026-09-02← R. 3:13-4 · chapter 3:13 · all rules
The Rules of Court are a government edict and carry no copyright; the text above is the Judiciary’s own publication, unchanged. Structure, links and highlighting are ours and carry no legal weight. Read the rule on njcourts.gov before you rely on it; amendments take effect each September 1.