Rule 24: Waiver of Filing Fee

Payment of the filing fee required by Rule 3(f) (Payment of Fees) or Rule 21(a) (Petition: Service, Content, and Filing) will be waived, based on financial hardship, in any case where the appellant (or petitioner) submits a declaration of financial hardship and that declaration is accepted for filing. The Court may request additional information, as it deems appropriate. The declaration of financial hardship will be subject to the penalty for perjury pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1746. The declaration shall either be on Form 4 in the Appendix of Forms or contain the detail called for in that form. If the declaration is found to lack a signature or to be otherwise noncompliant, it will be returned; not later than the time fixed by the notice of returned documents, either the filing fee shall be paid or a new declaration that addresses the deficiencies in the noncompliant declaration shall be submitted.