US · rules
D.D.C. LCvR 54.1
Taxation of Costs
(a) BILL OF COSTS.
Costs shall be taxed as provided in Fed. R. Civ. P. 54(d). A prevailing party may serve
and file a bill of costs, which shall be on a court-approved form (available on the Court’s
website and from the Clerk’s Office) and shall include all costs the party seeks to have
taxed. This bill of costs shall specifically itemize with supporting documentation the
particular costs sought under the specific categories set forth in paragraph (d) of this
Rule. A bill of costs must be filed within 21 days after entry of judgment terminating the
case as to the party seeking costs, unless the time is extended by the Court. Any cost
omitted from the bill of costs shall not be allowed, except for post-judgment costs.
(b) OPPOSITION TO THE BILL OF COSTS.
A party from whom costs are sought may file an opposition to the bill of costs within 14
days after service of the bill. The opposition shall identify each item objected to, and the
grounds for the objection. If no objection is filed, the Clerk shall tax those costs specified
in the bill which are permitted by paragraph (d) of this Rule.
(c) TAXATION OF COSTS BY THE CLERK.
The Clerk shall tax costs after the judgment has become final or at such earlier time as
the parties may agree or the Court may order. A judgment is final when the time for
appeal has expired and no appeal has been taken, or when the court of appeals issues its
mandate.
(d) COSTS TAXABLE BY THE CLERK.
When requested to do so in the bill of costs, the Clerk shall tax the following costs:
(1) Clerk's fees;
(2) Costs of service of summons and complaint;
(3) Marshal's fees and expenses specified in 28 U.S.C. § 1921;
(4) Docket fees and costs specified in 28 U.S.C. § 1923
(5) Cost of a bond or other security furnished by reason of a statute, court order or
rule;
(6) Costs, at the reporter's standard rate, of the original and one copy of any
deposition noticed by the prevailing party, and of one copy of any deposition
noticed by any other party, if the deposition was used on the record, at a hearing
or trial;
(7) Costs, at the reporter's standard rate, of the original and one copy of the reporter's
transcript of a hearing or trial if the transcript: (i) is alleged by the prevailing party
to have been necessary for the determination of an appeal within the meaning of
Fed. R. App. P. 39(e), or (ii) was required by the court to be transcribed;
(8) Costs of copying those exhibits which are introduced into evidence, are used for
impeachment, or are filed with the Clerk;
(9) Other costs of copying up to $300.00;
(10) Witness fees pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1821(b), and travel and subsistence costs
pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1821(c), paid to each witness who testified at a hearing or
trial;
(11) Costs of service of a subpoena on a witness who testified at a deposition, hearing
or trial;
(12) Fees of court-appointed experts, fees of interpreters used at a trial or hearing, and
fees and expenses of special interpretation services under 28 U.S.C. § 1828; and
(13) Any costs of the kind enumerated in this Rule which were incurred in the District
of Columbia Courts prior to removal which are recoverable under the rules of the
District of Columbia Court of Appeals and the Superior Court of the District of
Columbia;
(14) Costs as shown on the mandate of the court of appeals.
(e) MOTION TO RETAX.
A review of the decision of the Clerk in the taxation of costs may be taken to the Court
on motion to retax by any party in accordance with Fed. R. Civ. P. 54(d). The Court, on
a motion to retax, for good cause shown may tax additional costs or may deny costs
allowed by the Clerk pursuant to Section (d). A motion to retax shall specify the ruling
of the Clerk excepted to and no other costs will be considered, except that the opposing
party may, within 14 days of service of the motion to retax, file an opposition and/or a
cross-motion to retax.
(f) COSTS AND ATTORNEYS FEES.
In a case in which the Court has, at the time of the entry of final judgment, entered an
order pursuant to LCvR 54.2(a), and in which a party wishes to present its claim for costs
at the same time as its claim for attorneys' fees under LCvR 54.2, the requirements of this
Rule shall not apply.
Provenance
- Source
- www.dcd.uscourts.gov
- Retrieved
- 2026-09-18
- Edition
- fed-district-2026-09-18
- Content hash
999df6910826162868f0fd156e7339df5fdbd4592836dbc855ab69876ef55a5e
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