Tools · Administrative Fees
AAA administrative fees, worked out and explained.
Enter the amount in dispute, how many separately represented parties there are, and how many arbitrators will sit. This applies the published AAA Commercial administrative fee schedule and shows every step — which band the claim falls in, what the panel size and party count add, and which set of procedures governs.
Reflects the AAA Commercial administrative fee schedule effective September 1, 2025. Verified against the published schedule on 18 August 2026. AAA — Commercial Rules, Forms & Fees
These are administrative fees, not the cost of an arbitration. Arbitrator compensation is not included in these figures. The AAA administrative fee schedule covers the Association's own filing and case-administration charges only. Each arbitrator's rate is disclosed on that arbitrator's résumé before appointment, and there is no published rate table — so these figures are not, and cannot be turned into, the total cost of an arbitration.
Work out the fees for a claim.
Enter the amount in dispute to see which fees apply, which procedural track the claim falls into, and how each figure is arrived at.
01 — The published schedule
Standard fee schedule.
The complete standard schedule, transcribed as published. Bands are read as “X to less than Y”, so a claim at exactly a band's upper figure belongs to the next band up.
| Amount of claim | Initial Filing Fee | Final Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Less than $75,000 | $1,450 | $1,150 |
| $75,000 to less than $150,000 | $2,375 | $1,825 |
| $150,000 to less than $300,000 | $3,675 | $3,325 |
| $300,000 to less than $500,000 | $4,825 | $4,175 |
| $500,000 to less than $1,000,000 | $6,650 | $7,525 |
| $1,000,000 to less than $10,000,000 | $8,925 | $9,675 |
| $10,000,000 and above | $13,500 plus .01% of the amount above $10,000,000 | $19,250 |
| Undetermined monetary claim | $8,925 | $9,675 |
| Nonmonetary claim | $4,825 | $4,175 |
| Deficient filing | $750 | Not applicable |
The fee schedule in effect when the Demand for Arbitration is filed governs the case throughout, so a later amendment does not re-price a pending matter.
02 — What moves the figure
Panel size, party count, and the other charges.
- Three or more arbitrators
- A minimum of $4,825 for the Initial Filing Fee and $4,175 for the Final Fee. It is a floor, not a multiplier — a claim whose band already exceeds these figures pays its own band fee. Panel size does multiply the arbitrators' own compensation, which is outside this schedule.
- Additional Party Fee
- 10% of each fee for every separately represented party beyond the first 2, capped at 50% of the base fees. Above 10 separately represented parties the cap no longer applies.
- Emergency Measures of Protection
- $3,500. Charged to the party requesting emergency relief before the arbitrator is appointed.
- Abeyance fee
- $750. Per year, to hold a case in abeyance at the parties' request.
03 — Which procedures govern
The amount in dispute also selects the track.
The same figure that sets the fee band decides how the case is run. Each threshold turns on the largest disclosed claim or counterclaim, so a counterclaim can move a case into a different track after filing.
- Documents-only resolution
- Where no claim exceeds $25,000, the dispute may be resolved on the documents alone, without an in-person hearing.
- Expedited Procedures
- Where no disclosed claim or counterclaim exceeds $100,000 and — absent the parties' agreement otherwise — there are no more than 2 parties.
- Large, Complex Commercial Procedures
- At $1,000,000 and above.
04 — Withdrawal and settlement
What comes back if the case ends early.
| Withdrawal | Initial Filing Fee refunded |
|---|---|
| Withdrawn within 5 calendar days of filing | 100% |
| Withdrawn 6 to 30 calendar days after filing | 50% |
| Withdrawn 31 to 60 calendar days after filing | 25% |
| Once any arbitrator has been appointed | 0% |
$750 of the Initial Filing Fee is not refundable in any window, so even the earliest withdrawal returns the fee less that amount. Separately, Final Fees are refunded at 50% where the case settles before the first hearing.
05 — Take it with you
The free AAA arbitration toolkit.
Model clause and stipulation language, plus a checklist for choosing an arbitrator — the drafting decisions that determine which of the tracks above a future dispute lands in. Sent to your inbox with the weekly brief.
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06 — Frequently asked questions
Common questions about AAA administrative fees.
Do the AAA administrative fees include the arbitrator's compensation?+
No. The administrative fee schedule covers the Association's own filing and case-administration charges. The arbitrator is compensated separately, at a rate disclosed on that arbitrator's résumé before appointment. There is no published rate table for arbitrator compensation, so the total cost of an arbitration cannot be read off this page.
When are the Initial Filing Fee and the Final Fee paid?+
The Initial Filing Fee is due when the Demand for Arbitration is filed. The Final Fee is charged later in the case rather than at filing, so the two are not a single invoice even though they are often quoted together.
Which fee schedule applies if the AAA amends it while a case is pending?+
The fee schedule in effect when the Demand for Arbitration is filed governs the case throughout. A later amendment does not re-price a matter that has already been filed.
How does the number of parties change the administrative fee?+
The published fees assume two separately represented parties. A case with more carries an Additional Party Fee — a stated percentage of each fee for every party beyond the first two, subject to a cap that itself lifts once the party count passes ten. Parties represented by the same counsel are not counted separately. The rates are set out in the schedule on this page.
Does a three-member panel triple the AAA administrative fee?+
No. Where three or more arbitrators are to be appointed, the schedule sets a minimum under each fee rather than multiplying it, so a claim whose band already exceeds that minimum pays its own band fee. Panel size does multiply arbitrator compensation, which is not part of this schedule.
Which claims qualify for the AAA Expedited Procedures?+
The Expedited Procedures apply where no disclosed claim or counterclaim exceeds the published threshold and, absent the parties' agreement otherwise, where there are no more than two parties. Lower-value claims within that band may be resolved on documents alone, without an in-person hearing. The thresholds are set out on this page.
Is the filing fee refundable if the claim is withdrawn?+
In part, on a declining scale measured in calendar days from the filing, with a minimum portion that is never refunded and no refund at all once any arbitrator has been appointed. Final Fees are separately refunded in part where the case settles before the first hearing. The scale is set out on this page.
Where these figures come from.
Reflects the AAA Commercial administrative fee schedule effective September 1, 2025. Verified against the published schedule on 18 August 2026. The schedule is published by the American Arbitration Association at AAA — Commercial Rules, Forms & Fees. Fees are periodically amended; confirm the schedule in effect before filing.
This calculator applies the published AAA administrative fee schedule as written. It is a reference aid, not a quotation, and the AAA determines the fees actually charged in any case. THIS IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED OR TREATED AS LEGAL ADVICE. IT IS CERTAINLY NOT LEGAL ADVERTISING.
Related: What AAA arbitration costs · How long AAA arbitration takes · Model clause language
Curated by Daniel B. Garrie, arbitrator. About →