How Much Does Pro Hac Vice Cost in New York?

Two numbers control the answer, and they are not the same kind of number. The court charges a published fee that you can look up. Local counsel charges for the work, which depends on the scope. Here is what each one is, and what people miss.

Updated August 2026 · For out-of-state attorneys with a New York matter

The Short Answer

In the Southern District of New York and the Eastern District of New York, the pro hac vice motion fee is $200.00 per attorney, due when the motion is filed. In New York State Supreme Court there is no separate pro hac vice fee, but the motion carries the ordinary filing fees the county clerk collects under CPLR 8020(a): $95 for a Request for Judicial Intervention, if one has not already been filed, and $45 on the filing of each motion or cross motion. On top of the court's fee you pay whatever your admitting court charges for a Certificate of Good Standing, which varies by state.

Local counsel fees are separate, and they are the part that varies. A single pro hac vice motion in a matter that then goes quiet is a different engagement from serving as attorney of record through discovery, motion practice, and trial. The work drives the number.

The most expensive mistake is not a fee. It is a defective motion that has to be refiled. A Certificate of Good Standing from the wrong issuing body, or one that has gone stale, costs a second filing fee and several weeks of calendar.

Court Costs at a Glance

Court	Pro hac vice fee	Notes
U.S. District Court, S.D.N.Y.	$200.00 per attorney	Due at the time the motion is filed, per the district's published fee schedule. Filing is on ECF.
U.S. District Court, E.D.N.Y.	$200.00 per attorney	A separate motion and a separate fee for each attorney. Filing is on ECF.
New York State Supreme Court	No separate fee	CPLR 8020(a) governs the underlying filings: $95 for the Request for Judicial Intervention and $45 for each motion or cross motion.
Certificate of Good Standing	Set by the issuing court	Charged by the court that admitted you, not by New York. Michigan, for example, charges $5.00 through the Clerk of the Supreme Court.

These figures are the published court charges as of August 2026. Fee schedules change, and each district posts its own. Confirm the current amount before you file.

What the Federal Fee Actually Buys

The $200.00 is a motion filing fee, not an admission fee, and three consequences follow from that.

It is charged per attorney. Two lawyers from the same firm appearing in the same case file two motions and pay twice. There is no firm rate and no discount for a second application in the same matter.

It is charged per court. Admission in the Southern District does not carry into the Eastern District. An attorney with related cases in both districts applies twice and pays twice. Regular admission to the Eastern District is available on reciprocity for attorneys already admitted in the Southern District, so an attorney with recurring New York federal work may be better served by a full admission than by repeated pro hac vice motions.

It is not refundable. If the motion is denied, or the case settles before the judge signs, the fee stays with the court. A motion denied for a curable defect has to be refiled, and the refiling carries its own fee.

The Certificate of Good Standing Is a Real Cost Item

The certificate is cheap and it is where the money gets wasted, because the requirements are specific and a defective certificate means refiling.

It has to come from the right issuing body. The Southern District accepts a certificate issued by the state bar only for Arizona, Georgia, Kentucky, Nevada, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Vermont. For every other state the certificate has to come from the clerk of that state's highest court. A certificate from a voluntary bar association in a state not on that list is the wrong document, and the motion gets bounced.

It has to be current. In federal court the certificate must have been issued within 30 days of the filing of the motion. Order it close to the filing date, not when you first take the engagement. State court judges do not have a published window, but they expect the same currency in practice.

The full analysis, including the state-by-state issuing bodies, is in our Certificate of Good Standing guide.

Fee Waivers and Exceptions

There are two narrow exceptions in the Eastern District, both for government lawyers.

Department of Justice attorneys. An attorney employed by the United States Department of Justice may appear in the Eastern District without pro hac vice admission at all.
Other federal agency attorneys. An attorney employed by another federal agency still applies, but the motion fee is waived and the Certificate of Good Standing may be issued within one year of the filing rather than within 30 days.

There is no hardship waiver and no fee reduction for private practitioners. Local Civil Rule 1.3 of the Joint Local Rules of the Southern and Eastern Districts, as amended effective January 2, 2026, governs admission in both districts, and each district publishes its own admissions instructions on top of it.

The Costs People Forget

A second attorney. Firms routinely budget one fee and then discover that the partner and the associate both need to appear.
A second court. Related state and federal proceedings, or cases in both federal districts, each carry their own admission requirement.
Refiling. A stale certificate, a certificate from the wrong body, or an incomplete disciplinary disclosure produces a denial or a deficiency notice and a second filing fee.
Order to show cause. Moving by order to show cause to beat a deadline is not more expensive in filing fees, but it is more attorney time, because the papers have to justify the shortened return date.
The RJI. In state court the $95 Request for Judicial Intervention is charged once per case. If no RJI has been filed and the pro hac vice motion is what triggers it, that cost lands on your matter.

What Local Counsel Costs

Pro hac vice admission does not stand on its own. Under the rule governing admission in the New York state courts, the out-of-state attorney has to be associated with a member of the New York bar, and that attorney is the attorney of record. So the local counsel question is not an add-on to the fee, it is the engagement.

Local counsel work ranges from a single pro hac vice motion to serving as attorney of record through the life of the case, so there is no flat price list. What the engagement costs depends on the court, the posture of the matter, and how much of the appearance work the New York attorney is carrying. Send us the court, the case, and what you need, and we will quote the scope in writing before any work begins.

The Law Office of Frederic R. Abramson has practiced in the New York state and federal courts for 28 years and serves as local counsel of record for out-of-state attorneys in New York County, Kings, Bronx, Queens, Richmond, Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, and Orange, and in the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.

Frequently Asked Questions.

Is the pro hac vice fee charged per attorney or per case?

Per attorney. Both SDNY and EDNY require a separate motion and a separate $200.00 fee for each out-of-state attorney seeking admission in the case. Two attorneys from the same firm on the same matter means two motions and two fees. The fee is also per court, so an attorney appearing in both SDNY and EDNY pays in each district.

Is the pro hac vice filing fee refundable if the motion is denied?

No. The federal pro hac vice motion fee is a filing fee, and it is not refunded if the motion is denied or if the case resolves before the court rules. A motion that is denied for a curable defect, such as a stale Certificate of Good Standing, generally has to be refiled, and the refiling carries its own fee.

Are there any pro hac vice fee waivers in New York federal court?

Yes, in narrow circumstances. Attorneys employed by the United States Department of Justice may appear in the Eastern District of New York without pro hac vice admission. Attorneys employed by other federal agencies must still apply, but the motion fee is waived and the Certificate of Good Standing may be issued within one year of filing rather than within 30 days. Check the current admissions instructions for the district before relying on either exception.

What does local counsel cost for a pro hac vice motion in New York?

It depends on the scope. A single pro hac vice motion is a different engagement from serving as attorney of record through discovery and trial, and the fee follows the work. The Law Office of Frederic R. Abramson quotes the engagement once the court, the case, and the expected scope are known.

Want a Number for Your Matter?

Tell us the court, the case, and how many attorneys need to be admitted, and we will give you the court costs and a scope quote for local counsel. Most inquiries are answered within 15 minutes.

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This article is general information, not legal advice. Court fees change without notice and vary by district. Confirm the current fee schedule with the court before you file. Attorney advertising.

Tell Us What You Are Facing

Send us the court, the case, and the number of attorneys who need to be admitted. We will tell you what the court will charge and what the local counsel engagement looks like.

Phone: 212-233-0666 | Text: 917-686-3827 | Email: fabramson@abramsonlegal.com

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. The Law Office of Frederic R. Abramson, 160 Broadway, Suite 500, New York, NY 10038. 212-233-0666.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does pro hac vice cost in New York?

The court cost depends on the court. In the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York the pro hac vice motion fee is $200.00 per attorney, payable when the motion is filed. New York State Supreme Court charges no separate pro hac vice fee, but the motion itself carries the CPLR 8020(a) fees the county clerk collects: $95 for a Request for Judicial Intervention and $45 on the filing of each motion or cross motion. A Certificate of Good Standing costs whatever the issuing court charges, which varies by state. Local counsel fees are separate and depend on the scope of the engagement.