Rule 8 - [Effective 1/1/2025] Filing Fees; Filing of Documents; Clerk's Distribution of Documents(a) Payment of Filing Fee. A complaint for original special action and answer or other appropriate response must be accompanied by the statutorily required filing fee or an application for a fee waiver or deferral unless the filing party is exempt.(b) Provisions Regarding Filing Documents.(1)Generally. Except for documents submitted directly to a judge and electronically filed documents, a document is deemed filed on the date the clerk receives and accepts it for filing.(2)Documents Submitted Directly to a Judge. If a document is submitted directly to a judge and is later transmitted to the clerk for filing, the document is deemed filed on the date the judge receives it.(3)Electronically Filed Documents. If a document is either permitted or required to be filed electronically, the effective date of filing is as provided in Arizona Code of Judicial Administration § 1-901.(4)Late Filing Because of an Interruption in Service. Arizona Code of Judicial Administration § 1-901 governs the procedures if a person fails to meet a deadline for filing a document because of a failure in the document's electronic transmission or receipt.(5)Incarcerated Parties. If a party is incarcerated and another party contends that the incarcerated party did not timely file a document, the court must treat the document as filed on the date it was delivered to prison authorities to deposit in the mail.(c) Distribution. The court's clerk must distribute all minute entries, notices, or other court-generated documents to all parties either by U.S. mail or electronic mail. Electronic mail distribution is complete when the clerk transmits the document to the email address that the party or attorney has provided to the clerk. Amended September 2, 2010, effective 1/1/2011; amended Sept. 2, 2014, effective 1/1/2015; amended on an expedited basis effective 8/27/2015 and permanently on December 16, 2015; amended effective 8/29/2018; amended August 22, 2024, effective 1/1/2025.2025 Comment
Filing fees in the superior court are established by A.R.S. §§ 12-311 and 12-312. Filing fees in the appellate courts are established by A.R.S. §§ 12-119.01 and 12-120.31. The fees in either superior court or an appellate court may be deferred or waived where filers are eligible by reason of the receipt of certain benefits or insufficiency of income or other factors provided in the Arizona Code of Judicial Administration § 5-206. See also RPSA 15, 2025 cmt. (discussing a criminal defendant's obligation to pay a filing fee).