Who is eligible for the Chapter 7 filing fee waiver?

A debtor whose household income is at or below 150% of the federal poverty line and who cannot afford even installments. 28 U.S.C. § 1930(f)(1). The court has discretion — eligibility based on income is necessary but not sufficient.

What if I make above 150% of the poverty line?

You will likely be denied the waiver. File Form 103A (installments) instead. Up to 4 installments under FRBP 1006(b)(2), all due within 120 days of filing.

Can the waiver be denied even if I qualify by income?

Yes. The court has discretion. The most common denial reasons are (a) the debtor paid an attorney in connection with the case before filing the application, or (b) the statement of need is too generic. A specific, fact-rich statement of need significantly improves the odds.

What if my case is denied — can I still file?

Yes. The court will direct you to file Form 103A (installments) instead. The petition itself is still on file; the fee question is resolved separately.

Is Chapter 13 eligible?

No. There is no waiver in Chapter 13. Chapter 13 debtors can use Form 103A for installments only. The Chapter 13 fee ($313) is also generally rolled into the plan in many districts.

Bankruptcy hubForm 103B — fee waiver

At 150% poverty? Don’t pay $338.

Under 28 U.S.C. § 1930(f)(1) the court can waive the Chapter 7 filing fee for a debtor whose household income is at or below 150% of the federal poverty line and who cannot afford even installments. This wizard auto-checks eligibility against the 2025 HHS Poverty Guidelines and builds a Form 103B application with a specific statement of need.

1Debtor info
2Household
3Income & expenses
4Statement of need
5Review

Debtor name (as on the petition) *

Street address

City, State, ZIP

Federal district

Form 103B is for Chapter 7 only. Chapter 13 has no waiver — only installments.

Waiver vs. installments

If your household income is below 150% of poverty, the waiver is the cleanest path — no fee at all. If denied, the court will direct you to Form 103A (installments) instead. If you have any liquid savings, installments are usually the more reliable path because waiver decisions are discretionary.

Pro tip

The most persuasive Form 103B applications are specific: exact months unemployed, exact medical bills owed, exact rent due this Friday. Generic “I am poor and need a waiver” statements get denied. Treat the statement of need like a sworn declaration to a stranger.