Small Claims Court Limits by State 2026

Small claims court is where you sue for a modest amount of money without the cost and paperwork of a regular lawsuit. Every state sets its own top amount, and they range from $2,500 in Kentucky [18] to $25,000 in Delaware [8] and Tennessee [43]. The table below gives each state’s limit from its court system or statute, with the source for every row.

The 2026 table

The limit is the most an individual can sue for, usually not counting interest and court costs. Where businesses have a lower limit, or the case goes to a court that isn’t called “small claims,” the note says so. The number in brackets is the source for that row. Where a Best network site covers a state’s small claims court in depth, its guide is linked.

What small claims court is

Small claims is a simpler track for money disputes: unpaid debts, a security deposit, a repair job gone wrong, damage to your car or property. Hearings are short and informal, there’s usually no jury, and the forms are written for people without a lawyer. In some states the court can also order the return of personal property; in others, such as Maryland and Nevada, small claims is for money only [21][29].

You can’t stretch the limit by splitting one claim into several smaller cases. If you file a claim worth more than the limit, most states treat the extra as given up for good, as Alaska, Indiana, Missouri, Nevada and New Hampshire’s courts all warn [2][15][26][29][30]. If you’re owed much more than the limit, a regular civil case may be the better choice.

Rules that vary by state

• Lawyers. Most states let you bring a lawyer, but you don’t need one. Some limit them: California doesn’t let lawyers represent parties at the hearing [5], Arizona allows them only if both sides agree in writing [52], Michigan doesn’t allow them in the small claims division [23], Virginia doesn’t let them represent parties [47], and Washington needs the judge’s consent [54]. Arkansas’s small claims division is designed for people representing themselves [4].
• Businesses. Some states set a lower limit for businesses (California, Washington) [5][48]. New York doesn’t let corporations file in small claims at all; they use a separate commercial claims part [33].
• Appeals. Rules differ a lot. In California only the person who was sued can appeal the decision on the claim against them [5]. Arizona and North Dakota don’t allow appeals of small claims judgments [53][35]. In many other states the losing side can appeal to a higher court for a new trial, on a short deadline.
• Special limits. Some claims have their own cap or none at all: car property damage in Massachusetts [22], security deposits in Hawaii and Connecticut [12][7], consumer credit claims in Minnesota and Vermont [24][46], and personal injury claims in Wisconsin [50].

Plaintiffs also have to file in the right place, usually the county or district where the other side lives or where the problem happened.

How to find your court

1. Find the court type in the note column above: district, magistrate, justice, county or circuit court, depending on the state.
2. Go to your county’s court or clerk website. Most post the small claims forms, the filing fee and how to serve the other side. Fees usually run from about $20 to a few hundred dollars and often depend on how much you claim.
3. Read the state’s self-help guide. Most state court systems publish one; the sources below link to many of them, and our state guides walk through each step for the states linked in the table.
4. Ask the clerk. Clerks can’t give legal advice, but they can tell you which court to use, the current fee and what forms you need.