Consumer court fee and jurisdiction: district, state or national

Under the 2021 Jurisdiction Rules, a consumer complaint goes to the District Commission if the price paid is up to ₹50 lakh, the State Commission if it is above ₹50 lakh and up to ₹2 crore, and the National Commission if it is above ₹2 crore. The test is the price paid for the goods or service, not the compensation you claim. No fee is payable up to ₹5 lakh, and you may file in the district where you live or work.

Pecuniary jurisdiction: how to pick the level

The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 first fixed the limits at ₹1 crore for the District Commission and ₹10 crore for the State Commission. The Act lets the Central Government change them, and the 2021 Rules, notified on 30 December 2021, reset them to ₹50 lakh and ₹2 crore. Those are the limits to use as on 7 November 2026. Before filing a high-value case, look at e-Jagriti or the Ministry’s site to confirm that no later change has been notified.

The deciding figure is the “value of the goods or services paid as consideration”. Examples:

• Arjun paid ₹45,000 for a laptop and claims ₹3 lakh with compensation: District Commission.
• Meenal paid ₹72 lakh for a flat and claims ₹1.1 crore with interest: State Commission, because the price paid is above ₹50 lakh.
• A family paid ₹2.4 crore for a villa: National Commission.

Under the earlier 1986 Act, the value of goods plus compensation claimed decided the forum, and many people still assume the same. That is no longer the position. Asking for more compensation does not move you up a level.

Two cases need extra care. In a part-payment case such as a flat where you have paid 90% of the price, use the amount actually paid. For insurance claims, practice on what counts as the consideration (the premium or the sum insured) has not been uniform across Commissions. If your case is near a boundary, take advice before filing. On e-Jagriti you enter both the amount paid and the amount claimed, and the portal picks the forum and fee from these entries.

Territorial jurisdiction: which district

Section 34(2) of the Act lets you file in the District Commission within whose limits:

1. the opposite party (or each, if there are several) lives, carries on business, has a branch office or personally works for gain;
2. any one of several opposite parties does so, with the Commission’s permission;
3. the cause of action arises, wholly or in part; or
4. you, the complainant, reside or personally work for gain.

Clause (d) is the important one. You no longer have to travel to the company’s city. Section 47(4) gives the same choice for a complaint filed before the State Commission, and the National Commission, being in Delhi, hears first-instance complaints there.

Example: Yamini lives in Lucknow and works in Kanpur. She bought a phone from a seller in Surat through a marketplace headquartered in Bengaluru, delivered in Lucknow. She can file in Lucknow or Kanpur under clause (d), in Lucknow also under clause (c) as the goods were delivered there, or in Surat or Bengaluru under clause (a). Most people file at home. With video hearings on e-Jagriti, location matters less than it did, but home is still easier if a physical hearing is ordered.

The fee table

Section 35 requires the prescribed fee, which rule 7 of the Consumer Protection (Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions) Rules, 2020 sets. The table was substituted by notification G.S.R. 606(E) of 17 August 2023:

On e-Jagriti the fee is paid online during filing. For paper filing, the rules allow a crossed demand draft or postal order in favour of the President of the District Commission or the Registrar of the State or National Commission. Always compare the amount the portal shows with this table, and check for any later notification.

Other small costs: notarising the affidavit, stamp paper where your state asks, postage for physical sets and an advocate’s fee if you choose one. A lawyer is not compulsory.

Filing in the wrong place: what happens

If the complaint is filed in a Commission that lacks pecuniary or territorial jurisdiction, it can be returned or dismissed on that ground, which costs you time and can push you near the two-year limit. Check three things before you press submit: the amount paid, the clause of s.34(2) you rely on, and the dates. Also confirm the correct legal names of the opposite parties, as notice goes to those addresses.

Example: Dev works in Hyderabad and lives with his parents in Warangal. He paid ₹1.8 lakh to an online learning company in Delhi for a course that never started. The price paid is below ₹50 lakh, so the District Commission has jurisdiction, and he can file in Hyderabad or Warangal. The fee is nil.

Several consumers, one complaint

Where many consumers have the same grievance against the same seller, section 35(1)(c) allows a complaint on behalf of or for the benefit of all, with the Commission’s permission. Do not lump claims together without taking advice. For the pecuniary limit in such a case, the question of what total counts as the consideration is a point of law, so confirm it with a lawyer.

Frequently asked questions

Is the fee really nil up to ₹5 lakh?

Yes. Under the rule 7 table as substituted in 2023, no fee is payable where the price paid is up to ₹5 lakh.

I paid ₹30 lakh but claim ₹1 crore. Which Commission?

The District Commission, because the price paid, not the claim, decides the level.

Can I file in my home city against a company in another state?

Yes. Section 34(2)(d) allows filing where you reside or personally work for gain.

What is the time limit?

Two years from the cause of action (s.69). A Commission may condone delay for sufficient cause, with reasons recorded.

Are these limits fixed for ever?

No. The Central Government can revise them by rules. Check the current notification before filing a high-value case.

Quick quiz

Full course: Filing a Consumer Complaint, ₹199.

Sources

• Consumer Protection Act, 2019: ss.34, 35, 47(4) and 69
• Consumer Protection (Jurisdiction of the District Commission, the State Commission and the National Commission) Rules, 2021 (30 December 2021)
• Consumer Protection (Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions) Rules, 2020, rule 7, table substituted by G.S.R. 606(E) dated 17 August 2023

This page is for education and general information, not legal advice for a specific case. Law as on 7 November 2026. Check e-Jagriti or the Ministry notification for any later change in limits or fees.