# United States Statutes at Large/Volume 4/18th Congress/1st Session/Chapter 191

Chap. CXCI.—An Act to regulate the fees of the registers of wills in the several counties within the District of Columbia.
Specific fees to the registers of wills for Washington and Alexandria.Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That, from and after the passing of this act, there shall be allowed, and paid, (in lieu of the fees now allowed,) to each of the registers of wills, for the counties of Washington ​and Alexandria, in the District of Columbia, the following fees; that is to say:
Probates.For every probate of will, (where there is no controversy,) one dollar;
Letters testamentary.For granting letters of testamentary, seventy-five cents;
Annexing wills.Annexing will, for one hundred words, twelve and one half cents;
Registering.Registering the same, for one hundred words, twelve [and] a half cents;
Letters of administration.For granting letters of administration, seventy-five cents;
Every bond taken of executors, administrators, or guardians, and recording the same, one dollar and fifty cents:
Filing, &c.For filing and entering renunciation of executors, or widows, twenty-five cents;
Exemplification, &c.For exemplification of letters testamentary, or letters of administration, under seal, one dollar;
Warrants under seal.For issuing warrant, under seal, to appraisers, and warrant to swear them, fifty cents;
Notice of administrators.For notice of administrators to creditors, and orders thereon, fifty cents;
Entering caveats.For entering caveat, twenty-five cents;
Citations under seal.For issuing citation, under seal, fifty cents;
Oaths.For administering every oath, or affirmation, six and one fourth cents;
Lists of articles appraised.For filing list of articles appraised, twenty-five cents;
Lists of articles sold at value.For filing list of articles sold at vendue, twenty-five cents;
Recording the same.For recording the same, (if ordered by the court,) for every hundred words, twelve and one half cents;
Accounts of an executor, &c.For stating, passing, and filing the account of an executor, administrator, or guardian, not exceeding seventy-five items, three dollars; every additional item, two cents;
Examining vouchers, &c.For examining the vouches [vouchers,] passing, and filing the account of an executor, administrator, or guardian, (not stated by the register,) and not exceeding seventy-five items, two dollars; every additional item, two cents;
Copies of same under seal.For copy of same, under seal, if demanded, not exceeding one hundred items, one dollar; every additional item, two cents; seal and certificate, thirty-seven cents and one half;
Subpœnas.For subpœna, thirty-seven cents and one half. All witnesses to be put into one subpœna, unless separate ones are required by the party. For every name after the first, six cents and one fourth;
Duces tecum.For duces tecum, under seal, fifty cents;
Search.For every search, where no other service is performed for which fees are allowed, eighteen cents and three-fourths:
Balance of distribution of deceased persons’ estate.For making out, and filing, the balance of distribution of deceased persons’ estate, for each heir, one dollar;
Taxing costs.For taxing all costs, in any one case, twenty-five cents;
Writs of execution.For a writ of execution, on a definitive sentence, under seal, seventy-five cents;
Recording, &c. indentures of apprentices, &c.For recording, and filing, each indenture of apprentice, including the court’s taking recognisance for same, or its approval when done by the justices of the peace, seventy-five cents;
Depositions of witnesses.For drawing depositions of witnesses, for every hundred words, twelve cents and one half;
Filing all other papers.For filing all other papers (except as above required,) four cents each;
Appearance of party under process.For entering appearance of party under process, twelve cents and one half;
Return of process.For entering return of process, twelve and one half cents;
Continuance or reference chargeable, &c.For every continuance or reference, chargeable to the applicants, twelve and one half cents.
For commission to examine witnesses, or to auditors, under seal, one dollar.
Commission to examine witnesses, &c. Orphans’ estate.For commission to value orphans’ estate, in the hands of guardians, under seal, one dollar;
Entering orders of court.For entering every order of court, twelve cents and one half; if more than one hundred words, then, at the rate of twelve cents and one half per hundred;
Recording and copying papers.For recording or copying any paper, for one hundred words, twelve cents and one half; seal and certificate, thirty-seven cents and one half;
Filing petitions or reports.For filing petition or report, and entering the same on record, (if necessary,) fifty cents; if more than one hundred words, at the rate of twelve cents and one half per hundred;
Entering judgments, &c.For entering judgment, or rule of court, twenty-five cents; copy of the same, if demanded, for every hundred words twelve cents and one half; seal and certificate, thirty-seven cents and one half;
Entering motions in court.For entering every motion in court, twelve and one half cents;
Entering appointment of guardian, &c.For entering appointment of guardian, with certificate and seal of said appointment, one dollar; every additional word included in the same certificate, twelve and one half cents;
Issuing attachments, &c.For issuing attachment and entering motion therefor, seventy-five cents;
Taking a recognisance.For taking a recognisance, twenty-five cents;
Warrant to summon jury.For warrant to marshal to summon jury, under seal, seventy-five cents;
Entering panel of jury.For entering panel of jury, and swearing them, fifty cents;
Taking, filing, &c., bonds.For taking, filing, and recording, every bond, not above provided for, one dollar;
Passing accounts, &c.For passing an account against the estate of a deceased person, twelve and a half cents; to be paid by the applicant, and not to be refunded.
Fair tables of fees to be made out by the officers whose fees are by this act specified.Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That the respective officers, whose fees are by this act specified, are hereby required to make fair tables of their fees, agreeable to this act, and to set up the same in their respective offices, within six months after the passing of this act, in some conspicuous part of their office, for the inspection of all persons who may have business in said offices; on pain of forfeiting, for each day the same shall be missing through said officer’s neglect, the sum of ten dollars, to be recovered as debts of the same amount are recoverable, one half to the county, and the other half to the informer.
Register to pay fifty dollars to any person from whom he shall take greater fees than expressed in this act.Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That, if a register of wills, or any person for him, shall take greater fees than herein before expressed, such officer shall forfeit and pay the party injured fifty dollars, to be recovered as debts of the same amount are recoverable. Provided always, That the judges of the orphans’ court may allow to the registers [register] of wills, reasonable fees for any service he may have rendered, not specified in this act.
Levy courts to allow the registers for all records, &c., furnished their respective offices.Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That the register [registers] of wills of the counties of Washington and Alexandria, in the District of Columbia, shall be allowed by the levy courts of their respective counties, for all record books and dockets necessarily furnished for their respective offices, which allowance shall be levied and collected as other county charges are.
Approved, May 26, 1824.