Rule 4008.1 - Transcript Costs Payable By A Requesting Party Other Than The Commonwealth Or A Subdivision Thereof(A)Costs Payable(1)Electronic Format. The costs payable by the initial ordering party for a transcript delivered via electronic format shall be: (a) For an ordinary transcript, $2.50 per page;(b) For an expedited transcript, $3.50 per page, if the court reporter is able to accommodate within seventy-two (72) hours of an official request, not including weekends or official court holidays;(c) For a daily transcript, $4.50 per page, if the court reporter is able to accommodate within eighteen (18) hours of an official request, not including weekends or official court holidays; and(d) For same-day delivery, $6.50 per page, if the court reporter is able to accommodate the request within 6 hours of the close of the court session.(2)Paper Format. The costs payable by the initial ordering party for a transcript delivered via paper format shall be: (a) For an ordinary transcript, $2.75 per page;(b) For an expedited transcript, $3.75 per page, if the court reporter is able to accommodate within seventy-two (72) hours of an official request, not including weekends or official court holidays;(c) For a daily transcript, $4.75 per page, if the court reporter is able to accommodate within eighteen (18) hours of an official request, not including weekends or official court holidays;(d) For same-day delivery, $6.75 per page, if the court reporter is able to accommodate the request within 6 hours of the close of the court session. Comment: When a condensed paper transcript, meaning that more than one page of transcript is included on a single sheet of paper, is ordered by a party, the cost will be per sheet of paper, regardless of the number of pages of transcript on the sheet.
(B)Economic Hardship(1) Transcript costs for ordinary transcripts in matters under appeal or where the transcript is necessary to advance the litigation shall be waived for a litigant who has been permitted by the court to proceed in forma pauperis or whose income is less than 125 percent of the poverty guidelines as defined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) poverty guidelines for the current year.(2) Transcript cost for ordinary transcripts in matters under appeal or where the transcript is necessary to advance the litigation shall be reduced by one-half for a litigant whose income is less than 200 percent of the poverty line as defined by the HHS poverty guidelines for the current year.(4) Any request to waive all or a portion of costs for ordinary transcripts based on economic hardship must be attached to the request for transcript and in the form of a fully completed In Forma Pauperis Petition pursuant to Pennsylvania Rule of Civil Procedure 240. Counsel for a represented party must provide the President Judge with a letter of certification verifying, as provided in Pa.RJ.A. 4008(B), that the client meets financial eligibility and that the matter is under appeal or that the transcript being requested is necessary to advance the current litigation.
(C)Assignment and allocation of transcript costs(1)Assignment of costs. The requesting party, or party required by general rule to file a transcript, shall be responsible for the costs of the transcript. Costs shall not be assessed against any party for transcripts prepared at the initiation of the court.(2)Allocation of costs. When more than one party requests the transcript, or are required by general rule to file the transcript, the cost shall be divided equally among the parties.(D)Copies of TranscriptsA request for a copy of any transcript previously ordered, transcribed and filed of record shall be provided according to the following schedule:
(1) No more than $0.75 per page bound, paper format; and(2) No more than $0.50 per page electronic copy. Any requests for copies shall be addressed to and produced by the Blair County Prothonotary Office, Clerk of Courts or Blair County Orphans Court as applicable at 423 Allegheny Street, STE 144, Hollidaysburg, PA 16648.
(E)Additional CostsThe presiding judge may impose a reasonable surcharge for transcripts in cases of mass tort, medical malpractice, or any other complex litigation, where there is a need for a court reporter to expand their dictionary. Such determination is at the discretion of the presiding judge.