Small Claims Court Filing Guide
Answer a few questions to build a small-claims preparation checklist. Limits, eligibility, fees, venue, service, and deadlines vary by state and sometimes by county.
← All legal tools · Total your potential claim amount
State where you may file Choose state Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming
County / city
What is the dispute about? Choose category Unpaid debt or invoice Security deposit or rental dispute Property damage Goods or services Other civil money dispute
Amount you want to claim ($)
Who would you file against? Choose party type Individual Business Landlord or property manager Government agency or public entity
Evidence you have
Create my checklist
Common mistakes to avoid
Using the wrong defendant's legal name.
Filing in a court or county that lacks jurisdiction.
Assuming filing fees or interest automatically become recoverable.
Forgetting to arrange proper service.
Missing a statute-of-limitations deadline or hearing.
Use the Small Claims Court Amount Checker to total the amounts you plan to claim, then confirm the rules with the official court.
Disclaimer: General information only, not legal advice. Court procedures change; verify requirements with the court that will hear the case.