2022 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 52 - Civil Actions
Chapter 901 - Damages, Costs and Fees
Section 52-261a. - Fees and expenses of officers and persons serving process or performing other duties for the Judicial Department or Division of Criminal Justice.
(a) Any process served by any officer or person for the Judicial Department or Division of Criminal Justice shall be served in accordance with the following schedule of fees:
(1) Except as provided in subdivision (3) of this subsection, each officer or person who serves process shall receive a fee of not more than fifty dollars for the service of such process on a person and an additional fee of fifty dollars for the service of such process on each additional person, except that such officer or person shall receive an additional fee of twenty dollars for each subsequent service of such process at the same address.
(2) Except as provided in subdivision (3) of this subsection, in addition to the fee set forth in subdivision (1) of this subsection, each officer or person who serves process shall receive, for each mile of travel, the same amount per mile as provided for state employees pursuant to section 5-141c, to be computed from the place where such officer or person received the process to the place of service, and thence in the case of civil process to the place of return, provided, if more than one process is served on one person at one time by any such officer or person, the total cost of travel for such service shall be the same as for the service of one process only, except that in the case in which an officer or person is requested or required to effectuate in-hand personal service, such officer shall also receive the fee set by the Department of Administrative Services for state employees for each mile of travel for each round trip traveled while attempting to effectuate in-hand personal service, to be computed from the place where the process was received to the place of attempted service, and if multiple trips to effectuate service are made, back to the place where process was received and then to the place of the subsequent attempt at service, and thence in the case of civil process to the place of return, provided the officer or person shall state in the return of service that in-hand personal service was requested or required and that multiple trips were necessary to effectuate in-hand personal service. The officer or person requesting the receipt of such round trip travel shall make out a bill reciting the dates, times and results of each trip the officer or person traveled while attempting to effectuate in-hand personal service. The officer or person requesting the receipt of such attempted round trip travel shall receive such travel fees for attempted service only when in-hand personal service of process is effectuated. Such travel fees paid may be limited to three round trips, provided nothing in this section shall limit payment of a greater amount to an officer or person serving process.
(3) Each officer or person who serves process to enforce the obligation of an attorney pursuant to subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of section 51-81d shall receive the fee set by the Department of Administrative Services for state employees for each mile of travel, to be computed from the place where such officer or person received the process to the place of service, and thence to the place of return. If more than one process is served on one person at one time by any such officer or person, the total cost of travel for the service shall be the same as for the service of one process only.
(4) Each officer or person who serves process shall also receive the moneys actually paid for town clerk's fees on the service of process.
(5) Each officer or person who serves process shall also receive the moneys actually paid for fees for the disclosure or search of records of the Department of Motor Vehicles in connection with the service of process.
(6) Any officer or person required to summon jurors by personal service of a warrant to attend court shall receive for the first ten miles of travel while so engaged, such mileage to be computed from the place where such officer or person receives the process to the place of service, twenty-five cents for each mile, and for each additional mile, ten cents.
(7) For summoning any juror to attend court otherwise than by personal service of the warrant, such officer or person shall receive only the sum of fifty cents and actual disbursements necessarily expended by such officer or person in making service thereof as directed.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, for summoning grand jurors, such officer or person shall receive only such officer's or person's actual expenses and such reasonable sum for services as are taxed by the court.
(c) The following fees shall be allowed and paid: (1) For taking bail or bail bond, one dollar; (2) for copies of writs and complaints, exclusive of endorsements, one dollar per page; (3) for endorsements, fifty cents per page or fraction thereof; (4) for service of a warrant for the seizure of intoxicating liquors, or for posting and leaving notices after the seizure, or for the destruction or delivery of any such liquors under order of court, one dollar; (5) for the removal and custody of such liquors so seized, reasonable expenses and one dollar; (6) for levying an execution, when the money is actually collected and paid over, or the debt secured by the officer to the acceptance of the creditor, fifteen per cent on the amount of the execution; (7) on the levy of an execution on real property and on application for sale of personal property attached, to each appraiser, for each half day of actual service, two dollars, to surveyors when necessarily employed, four dollars per day and to each chain bearer necessarily employed, two dollars per day, which sums, with those paid to the town clerk, shall be, by the officer levying the execution, endorsed thereon, together with such officer's own fees; (8) for causing an execution levied on real property to be recorded, fees for travel and fifty dollars; (9) for services on an application for the sale of personal property attached, or in selling mortgaged property foreclosed under a decree of court, the same fees as for similar services on executions; (10) for committing any person to a community correctional center, in civil actions, the fee set by the Department of Administrative Services for state employees for each mile of travel, from the place of the court to the community correctional center, in lieu of all other expenses; (11) for summoning and attending a jury for reassessing damages or benefits on a highway, three dollars a day; and (12) for any recording for which the recording fee is not otherwise prescribed by law, fifty dollars, costs and the fee set by the Department of Administrative Services for state employees for each mile of travel.
(d) The court shall tax as costs a reasonable amount for the care of property held by any officer under attachment or execution. The officer serving any attachment or execution may claim compensation for time and expenses of any person, in keeping, securing or removing property taken thereon, provided such officer shall make out a bill. The bill shall specify the labor done and by whom, the time spent, the travel, the money paid, if any, and to whom and for what. The compensation for the services shall be fixed on the basis of two dollars per hour and the amount of expenses and shall be taxed by the court with the costs.
(e) The following fees shall be allowed and paid, except to state employees in the classified service: (1) For each arrest in criminal cases, one dollar and fifty cents; (2) for any necessary assistants in making criminal arrests, a reasonable sum, the necessity of such assistance to be proved by the oath of the officer; (3) for travel with a prisoner to court or to a community correctional center, forty cents a mile, provided (A) if more than one prisoner is transported at the same time, the total cost of travel shall be forty cents per mile for each prisoner transported up to a maximum of two dollars per mile, regardless of the number of prisoners transported, and (B) if a prisoner is transported for commitment on more than one mittimus, the total cost of travel shall be the same as for the transportation of one prisoner committed on one mittimus only; (4) for holding a prisoner in custody upon criminal process for each twelve hours or fraction thereof, to be taxed as expenses in the case, one dollar; (5) for holding a prisoner in custody by order of court, one dollar a day; (6) for keepers, for every twelve hours, in lieu of all other expenses, except in special cases to be approved by the court, five dollars; (7) for executing a mittimus of commitment to the Connecticut Correctional Institution, Somers, for each prisoner, one dollar and fifty cents; (8) for transporting any prisoner from a community correctional center to the Connecticut Correctional Institution, Somers, or for transporting any person under commitment from a community correctional center to the John R. Manson Youth Institution, Cheshire, twenty-five cents a mile, to be taxed as expenses, provided, if more than one prisoner or person is transported, the total cost of travel shall be twenty-five cents per mile for each prisoner or person transported up to a maximum of one dollar per mile, regardless of the number of prisoners or persons transported; (9) for taking samples to a state chemist by order of court, two dollars, and for each mile of travel in going and returning, ten cents; and (10) for producing any prisoner, held by criminal process, in court or before a judge under habeas corpus proceedings, twenty-five cents a mile travel and two dollars and fifty cents a day for attendance, to be taxed and allowed by the court or judge.
(P.A. 81-80, S. 2; P.A. 82-160, S. 133; P.A. 86-186, S. 17; P.A. 88-279, S. 2, 3; P.A. 93-329, S. 13, 14; P.A. 99-26, S. 23, 39; P.A. 02-28, S. 1; P.A. 18-31, S. 41; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 20-1, S. 2; P.A. 22-26, S. 54.)
History: P.A. 82-160 rephrased the section, inserted Subdiv. indicators and deleted “or the Connecticut School for Boys” after “Long Lane School”; P.A. 86-186 changed the name of the Connecticut Correctional Institution, Cheshire to the John R. Manson Youth Institution, Cheshire; P.A. 88-279 limited applicability to process served by judicial department or division of criminal justice where previously applicability was stated to be for any process served for the state; P.A. 93-329 increased fee for serving a summons in support enforcement cases to $20, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 99-26 replaced “Long Lane School” with “the Connecticut Juvenile Training School”, effective upon the filing with the Governor and the General Assembly of written certification by the Commissioner of Children and Families that the new Connecticut Juvenile Training School is operational (Revisor's note: Said written certification was filed with the Senate and House Clerks on September 20, 2001, and with the Governor on September 21, 2001); P.A. 02-28 divided section into Subsecs. (a) to (e), adding subdivision designators and making technical changes throughout, deleted provisions re $0.20 for each mile of travel and added provisions re fee of not more than $30 and additional fee of $10 in Subsec. (a)(1), added provisions re mileage amount as provided for state employees in Subsec. (a)(2), added provisions re $0.20 for each mile of travel for service of process to enforce obligation of an attorney in Subsec. (a)(3) and deleted provisions re fee of $0.20 for serving summons or attachment by reading or copy and fee of $20 for serving summons in support enforcement cases in Subsec. (c); P.A. 18-31 amended Subsec. (e) by deleting Subdiv. (10) re the Connecticut Juvenile Training School and redesignating existing Subdiv. (11) as Subdiv. (10), effective July 1, 2018; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 20-1 amended Subsec. (a) by adding new Subdiv. (5) re moneys actually paid for fees for disclosure or search of records of the Department of Motor Vehicles and redesignating existing Subdivs. (5) and (6) as Subdivs. (6) and (7), effective October 2, 2020; P.A. 22-26 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by increasing fee for process served from $30 to $50, increasing fee for service of such process on each additional person from $10 to $50 and adding additional fee of $20 for subsequent process served at the same address, amended Subsec. (a)(2) by adding provisions re calculating mileage fees incurred when effectuation of in-hand personal service is requested or required, amended Subsec. (a)(3) to replace $0.20 for each mile of travel with the fee set by the Department of Administrative Services for state employees for each mile of travel and add that if more than one process is served upon a person at one time, the total cost of travel for service is the same as for service of one process only, amended Subsec. (c)(2) by replacing $0.60 per page with $1 per page, amended Subsec. (c)(3) by replacing $0.40 per page with $0.50 per page, amended Subsec. (c)(6) by replacing 3 per cent with 15 per cent, amended Subsec. (c)(8) by replacing $0.50 with $50, amended Subsec. (c)(11) by replacing $0.20 a mile for travel with fee set by the Department of Administrative Services for state employees for each mile of travel and added Subsec. (c)(12) re $50 fee, costs and fee set by the Department of Administrative Services for state employees for each mile of travel when recording fee not otherwise prescribed by law.
