Small claims court is the fast, low-cost, lawyer-optional way to resolve disputes over money. Tell us your state and how much you're owed, and we'll show you whether your dispute fits within your state's small claims limit, which court handles it, and what filing typically costs — with a link to the official self-help resources for your state.
Small claims court handles money disputes up to a dollar limit set by each state — unpaid debts, a withheld security deposit, a botched repair, or damage someone won't pay for. The rules are simplified, filing fees are low, and in most states you present your own case without a lawyer. It is built for ordinary people to use directly.
Once you file, the court schedules a hearing and the other side is formally served. You bring your evidence — contracts, photos, messages, receipts — and explain what happened to a judge. Winning a judgment is a separate step from collecting it, so it helps to know whether the other side has the means to pay before you invest the time.
The most you can sue for in small-claims court, and which court hears it, in every state. Each figure is the statutory jurisdictional limit, cited to the state's own statute; where we haven't sourced one yet, the row says so.
| State | Claim limit | Court | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $6,000 | Small Claims Court (small claims docket of the District Court) | Ala. Code § 12-12-31 (Small Claims Actions) |
| Alaska | Not yet sourced | — | — |
| Arizona | $3,500 | Justice Court, small claims division | A.R.S. §22-503 |
| Arkansas | Not yet sourced | — | — |
| California | $12,500 | Small Claims Court (a division of the Superior Court) | Cal. Code Civ. Proc. §116.221 (natural-person limit) |
| Colorado | $7,500 | Small Claims Court | Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-6-403 |
| Connecticut | $5,000 | Small Claims Court (Connecticut Superior Court, small claims session) | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 51-15 (Rules of procedure in certain civil actions. Small claims.) |
| Delaware | $25,000 | Justice of the Peace Court | 10 Del. C. § 9301 (Civil jurisdiction; amount in controversy) |
| District of Columbia | $10,000 | Small Claims and Conciliation Branch of the Superior Court | D.C. Code § 11-1321 |
| Florida | $8,000 | County Court (Small Claims) | Fla. Sm. Cl. R. 7.010(b) ($8,000 limit) |
| Georgia | $15,000 | Magistrate Court | Ga. Code § 15-10-2(a)(5) |
| Hawaii | $5,000 | Small Claims Division of the District Court | Haw. Rev. Stat. § 633-27 |
| Idaho | $5,000 | Small Claims Department of the Magistrate's Division | Idaho Code § 1-2301 |
| Illinois | $10,000 | Small Claims Court | Ill. Sup. Ct. R. 281 |
| Indiana | $10,000 | Small Claims Court | Ind. Code § 33-29-2-4 |
| Iowa | $6,500 | Small Claims Court | Iowa Code § 631.1(1)(b) |
| Kansas | $10,000 | Small Claims Court (Kansas District Court) | Kan. Stat. Ann. § 61-2703(a) |
| Kentucky | $2,500 | Small Claims Division (Small Claims Court) of the District Court | Ky. Rev. Stat. § 24A.230 (Jurisdiction -- Authority) |
| Louisiana | $5,000 | Small Claims Division (of city/parish courts) | La. Rev. Stat. § 13:5202 |
| Maine | $10,000 | Small Claims Court (Maine District Court) | Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 7482 |
| Maryland | $5,000 | Small Claim Action (District Court of Maryland) | Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 4-405 |
| Massachusetts | $7,000 | Small Claims Court | Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 218, § 21 |
| Michigan | $7,000 | Small Claims Division (of the District Court) | Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.8401 |
| Minnesota | $20,000 | Conciliation Court | Minn. Stat. § 491A.01, subd. 3a |
| Mississippi | $3,500 | Justice Court | Miss. Code Ann. § 9-11-9 |
| Missouri | $5,000 | Small Claims Court | Mo. Rev. Stat. § 482.305 (Jurisdiction of small claims court) |
| Montana | $7,000 | Small Claims Court (within Justice's Court) | Mont. Code Ann. § 25-35-502 (Jurisdiction) |
| Nebraska | $7,500 | Small Claims Court | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-2802 |
| Nevada | $10,000 | Justice Court, small claims | NRS Chapter 73 (§73.010) |
| New Hampshire | $10,000 | Small Claims Court (District Division, NH Circuit Court) | N.H. RSA § 503:1 |
| New Jersey | $5,000 | Small Claims Section of the Special Civil Part (Small Claims Court) | N.J. Court Rule 6:1-2(a)(2) |
| New Mexico | $10,000 | Magistrate Court (Metropolitan Court in Bernalillo County) | NMSA 1978, §35-3-3 (magistrate civil jurisdiction) |
| New York | $10,000 | Small Claims Part of the New York City Civil Court | N.Y.C. Civ. Ct. Act §1801 |
| North Carolina | $10,000 | Small Claims Court (magistrate) | N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7A-210 |
| North Dakota | $15,000 | Small Claims Court | N.D.C.C. § 27-08.1-01 |
| Ohio | $6,000 | Small Claims Division | Ohio Rev. Code § 1925.02 |
| Oklahoma | $10,000 | Small Claims Court | Okla. Stat. tit. 12, § 1751(A)(1) |
| Oregon | $10,000 | Small Claims Department | ORS 46.405 (Small claims department; jurisdiction) |
| Pennsylvania | $12,000 | Magisterial District Court | 42 Pa.C.S. § 1515(a)(3) |
| Rhode Island | $5,000 | Small Claims Court (small claims session of the District Court) | R.I. Gen. Laws § 10-16-1 |
| South Carolina | $7,500 | Magistrate Court | S.C. Code Ann. § 22-3-10 |
| South Dakota | $12,000 | Small Claims Court | S.D. Codified Laws § 15-39-45.1 (Jurisdictional amount of claim) |
| Tennessee | $25,000 | Court of General Sessions | Tenn. Code Ann. § 16-15-501 (General jurisdiction) |
| Texas | $20,000 | Justice Court (small claims) | Tex. Gov't Code §27.031 |
| Utah | $20,000 | Small Claims Court | Utah Code § 78A-8-102 |
| Vermont | $10,000 | Small Claims Court | Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 12, § 5531 |
| Virginia | $5,000 | Small Claims Court | Va. Code § 16.1-122.2 |
| Washington | $10,000 | Small Claims Department (of District Court) | RCW 12.40.010 |
| West Virginia | $20,000 | Magistrate Court | W. Va. Code § 50-2-1 |
| Wisconsin | Not yet sourced | — | — |
| Wyoming | $6,000 | Small Claims (Circuit Court) | Wyo. Stat. § 1-21-201 |
General statutory information, not legal advice. Some states set higher limits for specific claim types, and filing fees vary by court. Open the cited statute and confirm the current limit for your state.
Disclaimer: NotALawyer.com provides general legal information, not legal advice, and is not a law firm. Using a tool does not create an attorney–client relationship. Laws change and vary by situation — verify anything important with the official source or a licensed attorney in your state.