Small claims court limits by state set the most money you can ask for, or be asked to pay, in each state’s simplest civil court. This page puts the dollar limit and the filing fee for all 50 states in one place. The cap varies because each legislature writes its own law, and some states change their limits and fees on fixed dates.
Some states also set separate caps for businesses, consumer credit or particular kinds of disputes. Every row in this guide to small claims court limits by state comes from that state’s own verified guide on this site, and each of those guides links to the statute behind the figure.
Click any state below for its full small claims court limits by state guide, with the statute citation, the sources and the figures behind each row.
Quick Facts — Small claims court limits by state (2026)
- Lowest limit in the country. Kentucky caps small claims at $2,500. Mississippi’s justice court comes next at $3,500.
- Highest limits. Delaware’s Justice of the Peace Court and Tennessee’s General Sessions Court both hear claims up to $25,000. Utah’s $20,000 limit is scheduled to reach $25,000 on January 1, 2030.
- The most common figure. Eleven states set a flat $10,000 limit: Alaska, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Oregon. Ten more, including Arizona, Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia, use $5,000.
- Who you are can change the cap. California allows $12,500 for individuals but $6,250 for businesses. Minnesota’s conciliation court hears claims up to $20,000, but only $4,000 for consumer credit claims.
- Debt buyers are shut out in many states. In 13 states, including Arizona, Colorado, Michigan, Ohio and Washington, debt buyers and other assignees cannot file in small claims. In Alabama, Alaska and Indiana, an assigned claim must be presented by a lawyer.
- Recent and upcoming changes. Idaho raised its limit from $5,000 to $15,000 on July 1, 2026, and Maine went from $6,000 to $10,000 on January 1, 2026. Wisconsin’s filing fee rises on November 1, 2026. These shifts are one more reason small claims court limits by state are worth checking against a current source.
- Free help starts at the clerk’s office. In every state the court clerk can tell you the current fee and which forms to use. Rhode Island’s fee is changing through January 1, 2027, so the clerk is the place to confirm it.
Small claims court limits by state — All 50 States Compared
The small claims court limits by state table below shows the two figures that frame the question in every state. Here is what each column means:
Small Claims Limit = the most you can sue for in the state’s small claims court, and who the state keeps out of that court.
Filing Fee = what the court charges to open the case, where the state sets one figure.
| State | Small Claims Limit | Filing Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $6,000; an assigned claim must be presented by a lawyer | $35 to $198 |
| Alaska | $10,000; an assigned claim must be presented by a lawyer | $50 or $100 |
| Arizona | $5,000; debt buyers and other assignees cannot file in small claims… | $30 base filing fee |
| Arkansas | $5,000; debt buyers and other assignees cannot file in small claims… | varies by court (typically $30 to $65) |
| California | $12,500 for individuals; $6,250 for businesses; only two claims over… | $30, $50 or $75 ($100 for frequent filers) |
| Colorado | $7,500; debt buyers and other assignees cannot file in small claims… | $31 or $55 |
| Connecticut | $5,000 ($15,000 for home improvement disputes); no appeal unless the… | $95 |
| Delaware | $25,000 (Justice of the Peace Court); a claim over the limit can be… | $35 to $45 for debt claims |
| Florida | $8,000 | varies by county |
| Georgia | $15,000 in magistrate court ($25,000 for cases filed on or after… | a $22 deposit cap plus other charges |
| Hawaii | $5,000 (no cap on security deposit cases); no appeal from a small… | $35 |
| Idaho | $15,000 (raised from $5,000 on July 1, 2026); lawyers are barred at… | $69 |
| Illinois | $10,000; a corporation suing as plaintiff must use a lawyer | varies by county |
| Indiana | $10,000; an assigned claim must be presented by a lawyer | $35 plus $10 service per defendant |
| Iowa | $6,500 | $115 (raised July 1, 2026) |
| Kansas | $10,000; debt buyers and other assignees cannot file in small claims… | $35 or $55 plus surcharges |
| Kentucky | $2,500 — the lowest in the country; debt buyers and other assignees… | $38 plus other required fees |
| Louisiana | $5,000 | $35 per defendant in city court; up to $130 plus $20 per added defendant before a justice… |
| Maine | $10,000 (raised from $6,000 on January 1, 2026); the defendant does… | $70 |
| Maryland | $5,000 | $44 |
| Massachusetts | $7,000 (no cap on motor vehicle property damage); only the defendant… | $40 to $150 |
| Michigan | $7,000; debt buyers and other assignees cannot file in small claims… | $30, $50 or $70 |
| Minnesota | $20,000 ($4,000 for consumer credit claims) in conciliation court | $65 plus county law library fee |
| Mississippi | $3,500 (justice court) | $25 |
| Missouri | $5,000; debt buyers and other assignees cannot file in small claims… | varies by circuit |
| Montana | $7,000; lawyers are barred unless every party has one | $30 |
| Nebraska | $7,500; debt buyers and other assignees cannot file in small claims… | $58 |
| Nevada | $10,000; the defendant does not file an answer but must come to the… | varies by court |
| New Hampshire | $10,000 | see the court's fee schedule |
| New Jersey | $5,000; the defendant does not file an answer but must come to the… | $35 plus $10 mail service per defendant |
| New Mexico | $10,000 (magistrate court) | $77 in courts checked |
| New York | $10,000 in New York City Civil Court; $5,000 in City Courts and… | $10 to $20 |
| North Carolina | $10,000 | $96 |
| North Dakota | $15,000; debt buyers and other assignees cannot file in small claims… | $20 |
| Ohio | $6,000; debt buyers and other assignees cannot file in small claims… | varies by court |
| Oklahoma | $10,000; debt buyers and other assignees cannot file in small claims… | $45 up to $5,000; higher above |
| Oregon | $10,000 (claims of $750 or less generally must use small claims); the… | $57 or $102 |
| Pennsylvania | $12,000 (magisterial district judges; Philadelphia Municipal Court) | $68.50 to $171 base, plus county charges |
| Rhode Island | $5,000; a losing defendant has only two business days to appeal | changing through January 1, 2027 — ask the clerk for the current fee |
| South Carolina | $7,500 (magistrates court) | $80 (several fees rise January 1, 2027) |
| South Dakota | $12,000; no appeal unless the defendant removes the case first | $24.84 to $42.84 |
| Tennessee | $25,000 (General Sessions Court); the full rules of evidence apply | varies by county |
| Texas | $20,000 (justice court) | $54 plus service |
| Utah | $20,000 ($25,000 from January 1, 2030); debt buyers and other… | $60, $100 or $185 |
| Vermont | $10,000 ($5,000 for consumer credit or medical debt) | $65 or $90 |
| Virginia | $5,000; lawyers are generally not allowed | $36 plus $12 service (total varies by court) |
| Washington | $10,000 for individuals; $5,000 for others; debt buyers and other… | $35 or $50 |
| West Virginia | $20,000 (magistrate court); magistrate court requires a written… | $50 to $70 |
| Wisconsin | $10,000 ($5,000 for tort claims); $15,000 for cases filed on or after… | $94.50 ($98 in Milwaukee County); $124 ($131.50) from November 1, 2026 |
| Wyoming | $6,000; you must demand payment and be refused before filing; the… | $10 plus service |
Each small claims court limits by state cell comes from the verified data behind that state’s own guide on this site, which prints the figure with the statute and the date it was read. Where a cell says “see guide,” the state’s rule needs more than one line, and the guide covers it in full.
Small claims court limits by state: What Every State Shares
Underneath the different numbers, small claims court limits by state follow the same basic design. Each state names a court for smaller disputes, sets a dollar ceiling for it, and charges a filing fee to start a case. Those fees run from $10 plus service in Wyoming to as much as $198 at the top of Alabama’s range.
The idea is the same everywhere: a person can bring or answer a modest claim without the cost and formality of a full lawsuit. Several states go further to keep it simple. Virginia generally does not allow lawyers, and Idaho and Montana bar them in many situations.
The second shared feature is that the limit works in both directions. If a landlord, a lender or a collector sues you in small claims, the claim has to fit under the same cap that would apply if you were the one suing. That is why small claims court limits by state matter to someone holding a summons, not only to someone thinking about filing.
The limit tells you which court can hear the dispute. The state’s rules then tell you how each side shows up, what it costs and whether the decision can be appealed.
Small claims court limits by state: What Makes It Different
Statute is the first thing that moves the answer. Some states write separate caps for particular claims. Connecticut allows $15,000 for home improvement disputes, Massachusetts has no cap on motor vehicle property damage, and Hawaii has no cap on security deposit cases.
Others vary by court. New York allows $10,000 in New York City Civil Court but $5,000 in City Courts, and Pennsylvania’s $12,000 limit applies before magisterial district judges and in Philadelphia Municipal Court.
Fees work the same way. Florida, Illinois and Tennessee leave the fee to the county, so two neighbors in different counties can pay different amounts.
Procedure and the parties themselves change the answer too. Small claims court limits by state decide who may file as well as how much. A debt buyer barred in Kansas or Nebraska has to go to a different court, and an Illinois corporation suing as a plaintiff must use a lawyer.
Appeal rights differ sharply. Hawaii allows no appeal from a small claims judgment, and Rhode Island gives a losing defendant only two business days.
In New Jersey and Nevada the defendant does not file an answer but must come to the hearing, and Wyoming requires a demand for payment and a refusal before anyone files. Reading small claims court limits by state alongside these rules gives a much clearer picture than the dollar figure alone.
The dollar limit is only half the answer. Before you act on a letter or a summons, open your state’s own page and check who is allowed to file there, how the hearing works and how quickly an appeal has to be made.
Small claims court limits by state: What to Do Next
Start by finding your state in the table and writing down three things: the limit, any special cap that applies to your kind of claim, and the filing fee. Then open that state’s full page. Each one carries the statute citation, the sources used and the date each figure was verified, so you can see exactly where a number comes from.
If a page notes a scheduled change, such as South Carolina’s fees rising on January 1, 2027, confirm the current amount with the court clerk before filing or responding.
Next, check the deadlines. Appeal windows can be very short, and some states expect the defendant to appear in person instead of filing a written answer. The site’s free tools apply the state rule to your own numbers, so you can see whether an amount fits under the cap and what the fee would be.
Small claims court limits by state are set by law, but the date you were served, the amount in dispute and who is suing you are facts only you have. Put the state rule and your own paperwork side by side before you decide anything.
Find Your Small claims court limits by state
Ready to see the small claims court limits by state where you live? Click any state name in the table above, or browse the full category below.
Browse All Small claims court limits by state Guides →
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Official Sources
- Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School: www.law.cornell.edu — how small claims court works
- United States Courts, civil cases: www.uscourts.gov — how a civil lawsuit moves from complaint to judgment
- State statutes and agency pages: linked inside each state guide, with the date each was read
Small claims court limits by state data compiled from the verified figures behind each state’s guide on this site, which cites the statute and the source with the date each figure was read. Figures change by statute and by year, so each row links to the page that explains it. Last reviewed October 2026.
Disclaimer: This page is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by reading it. Rules, deadlines and figures vary by state and change over time. For advice about your specific situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.