Small Claims Court Limits by State (2026)
The most you can sue for in small claims court in each state and DC. Some states set different limits for businesses or for certain cases — see the notes and your state page.
| State | Small claims limit |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $6,000, exclusive of interest and costs. Ala. Code § 12-12-31(a); Escambia County Circuit Clerk small claims page |
| Alaska | $10,000. A party with a larger claim may waive the excess in writing and proceed in small claims. AS 22.15.040; Alaska Dist. Ct. Civ. R. 8(b) and note |
| Arizona | $5,000, exclusive of interest and costs. A.R.S. § 22-503(A) |
| Arkansas | $5,000 (contracts, damage to personal property and recovery of personal property). Regular district court civil jurisdiction goes up to $25,000. Ark. Sup. Ct. Admin. Order No. 18; Arkansas Judiciary District Courts page |
| California | $12,500 for a natural person (including a sole proprietor); $6,250 for a business or public entity. No one may file more than two small claims cases for over $2,500 each in a calendar year. Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 116.110 et seq.; Judicial Council form SC-100-INFO (Rev. Jan. 1, 2024) |
| Colorado | $7,500, exclusive of interest and costs (including civil penalties). The same limit applies to replevin, contract specific-performance or rescission, restrictive covenant and HOA assessment actions. A claim larger than $7,500 cannot be split; a plaintiff who sues for more can collect only $7,500. C.R.S. § 13-6-403(1); Colorado Judicial Branch, Opening a Case (small claims) |
| Connecticut | $5,000 for money damages. Home improvement contract claims may be up to $15,000, and a tenant's security deposit suit may recover up to twice the deposit. Connecticut Judicial Branch Small Claims page and Small Claims FAQ |
| Delaware | $25,000. The Justice of the Peace Court hears debt, trespass (property damage only), replevin, security deposit and landlord-tenant cases and may not award more than $25,000; a plaintiff may sue for a larger claim by giving up the excess. Justice of the Peace Court Jurisdiction page; Starting a Civil Action in JP Court |
| District of Columbia | $10,000, exclusive of interest, attorney fees, protest fees and costs, for actions seeking only money. Actions affecting an interest in real property (including evictions) cannot be brought in the Small Claims Branch. D.C. Code § 11-1321 |
| Florida | $8,000, exclusive of costs, interest and attorneys' fees, for civil actions demanding money or property. Fla. Sm. Cl. R. 7.010(b) (July 1, 2026 edition) |
| Georgia | $15,000 for civil claims in Magistrate Court. Dispossessory (eviction) cases are also heard in Magistrate Court. O.C.G.A. § 15-10-2; Georgia Council of Magistrate Court Clerks page |
| Hawaii | $5,000 for money claims. A tenant's claim for return of a residential security deposit has no dollar limit. HRS § 633-27(a); Hawaii State Judiciary, Small Claims Court Q&A |
| Idaho | $15,000 for recovery of money or personal property. Small claims cannot award punitive damages or damages for pain and suffering. Idaho Code § 1-2301 (am. 2026, ch. 196) |
| Illinois | $10,000, exclusive of interest and costs, for civil actions based on tort or contract for money only. Small claims judges can award money only; they cannot order someone to do or stop doing something or to return property. Ill. Sup. Ct. R. 281; Illinois Supreme Court approved form instructions SC-I 1802.4 (06/24) |
| Indiana | $10,000 (claims filed on or after July 1, 2021). Landlord-tenant disputes qualify if the rent due at filing is $10,000 or less. A plaintiff who files in small claims gives up any amount over the limit. IC 33-29-2-4; Indiana Small Claims Manual (2026, updated 12/23/2025); S.C. 2(A)(2) |
| Iowa | $6,500, exclusive of interest and costs, for money judgments (actions commenced on or after July 1, 2018). The same limit applies to replevin. Small claims also has concurrent jurisdiction over forcible entry and detainer (eviction) actions on most grounds. Iowa Code § 631.1(1)(b), (2), (3) (Iowa Code 2026) |
| Kansas | $10,000, exclusive of interest, costs and any damages awarded under K.S.A. 60-2610, for recovery of money or personal property. K.S.A. 61-2703(a) |
| Kentucky | $2,500, exclusive of interest and costs, for money, damages or the value of personal property. The division can also hear suits to cancel (disaffirm, avoid or rescind) a contract for goods or services of $2,500 or less. Libel, slander, alienation of affections, malicious prosecution and abuse of process cases are excluded. KRS 24A.230 |
| Louisiana | $5,000 in justice of the peace courts and in city-court small claims divisions, not counting interest, court costs, attorney fees or penalties. A claim may not be split to get under the limit. La. C.C.P. art. 4911; La. R.S. 13:5202(A) |
| Maine | $10,000, not counting interest and costs (effective January 1, 2026). Actions involving title to real estate are not small claims. 14 M.R.S. § 7482 |
| Maryland | $5,000, not counting interest, costs and recoverable attorney's fees. Small claims are for money only, not return of property or performance of a service. The District Court also has exclusive jurisdiction over landlord-tenant actions under Real Property §§ 8-401 and 8-402 where the rent claimed is $5,000 or less. Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 4-405 |
| Massachusetts | $7,000 in debt or damages for contract or tort claims (not slander or libel). There is no limit for property damage caused by a motor vehicle. Cities and towns may claim up to $15,000 (no limit for unpaid personal property taxes). Double or treble damages may be awarded where another law provides for them. G.L. c. 218, § 21 |
| Michigan | $7,000 for cases seeking recovery of money (since January 1, 2024). MCL 600.8401 |
| Minnesota | $20,000 in money or property; $4,000 if the claim involves a consumer credit transaction. Excluded: real estate title and boundary disputes, libel or slander, class actions, prejudgment remedies, most injunctions and specific performance, family and probate matters, evictions and medical malpractice. Minn. Stat. § 491A.01, subds. 3a, 4 |
| Mississippi | $3,500. Justice court judges hear actions to recover debts, damages or personal property where the principal debt, demand or property value does not exceed $3,500. Miss. Code Ann. § 9-11-9 |
| Missouri | $5,000, not counting interest and costs, in tort or contract cases. A plaintiff with a larger claim may still file in small claims but gives up any amount over $5,000, now and in any later case on the same issues. RSMo 482.305; RSMo 482.315 |
| Montana | $7,000, not counting costs, for money or specific personal property, and the defendant must be servable in the county where the case is filed. Mont. Code Ann. § 25-35-502 |
| Nebraska | $7,500 (since July 1, 2025), not counting interest and costs, for money, damages or personal property, or to cancel a contract for goods or services of that amount or less. Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-2802 |
| Nevada | $10,000, for recovery of money only. A debt owed to one creditor may not be split into several cases to fit under the limit; any excess must be waived. NRS 73.010; JCRCP 88(d) |
| New Hampshire | $10,000 in debt or damages, not counting interest and costs. Actions involving title to real estate are excluded. RSA 503:1, I |
| New Jersey | $5,000 for money claims, including a tenant's suit to recover a security deposit of $5,000 or less. Excluded: professional malpractice, child support or alimony, wills and inheritance, and claims for anything other than money. Larger claims up to $20,000 go to the Special Civil Part's regular docket. N.J. Ct. R. 6:1-2(a); NJ Courts, Small Claims Court |
| New Mexico | $10,000 in magistrate courts and the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court, for tort, contract and landlord-tenant cases. These courts cannot hear domestic relations, malicious prosecution, libel or slander, land title or boundary disputes, specific performance of land sales, injunctions or extraordinary writs. NMSA 1978, § 35-3-3(A); Metropolitan Court pamphlet SH-101 (rev. 9/1/24) |
| New York | $10,000 in New York City Civil Court; $5,000 in City Courts outside NYC and in the Nassau and Suffolk District Courts; $3,000 in Town and Village Justice Courts. Interest and costs are not counted. Claims are for money only. NYC Civil Ct. Act § 1801; Uniform City Ct. Act § 1801; Uniform District Ct. Act § 1801; Uniform Justice Ct. Act § 1801 |
| North Carolina | $10,000, for money, recovery of specific personal property, summary ejectment (eviction), or a combination. The plaintiff asks for assignment to a magistrate by writing 'Small Claim' on the complaint. N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 7A-210, 7A-213 |
| North Dakota | $15,000. Small claims court hears cases for recovery of money, a mobile home park tenant's civil damages claim under N.D.C.C. 47-10-28(9), or cancellation of an agreement involving material fraud, deception, misrepresentation or false promise, when the agreement's value or the amount claimed does not exceed $15,000. N.D.C.C. 27-08.1-01(1) |
| Ohio | $6,000, exclusive of interest and costs, for civil actions to recover money only. Libel, slander, replevin, malicious prosecution, abuse of process and punitive-damages claims are excluded. Ohio Rev. Code 1925.02 |
| Oklahoma | $10,000, not counting attorney fees and court costs, for money claims based on contract or tort (not libel or slander), replevin of personal property worth up to $10,000, and interpleader up to $10,000. 12 O.S. 1751(A) |
| Oregon | $10,000 (including the value of any property claimed). Claims of $750 or less must be filed in small claims (unless a statute allows attorney fees); claims over $750 up to $10,000 may be filed in small claims or the regular civil department. ORS 46.405(2)-(5) |
| Pennsylvania | $12,000, exclusive of interest and costs, for contract (assumpsit) and tort (trespass) claims and government fines and penalties. A plaintiff may waive the part of a larger claim over $12,000 to file in magisterial district court; the waiver is revoked automatically if the defendant appeals. Claims against Commonwealth parties and contract cases where title to real estate may be in question are excluded. 42 Pa.C.S. 1515(a)(3) |
| Rhode Island | $5,000, exclusive of interest and costs, for contract claims, tax claims for money only, money claims arising from a retail sale of goods or services to the public, and claims on negotiable instruments. A larger claim cannot be split into several $5,000 cases. Only money judgments are available. R.I. Gen. Laws 10-16-1 |
| South Carolina | $7,500 for civil claims, including contract debts, personal injury and property damage, recovery of personal property and damages for unreturned rental property. Magistrates also hear landlord-tenant and possession matters. Cases where the State is a party or title to real estate is in question are excluded. S.C. Code 22-3-10, 22-3-20 |
| South Dakota | $12,000, not including allowable costs or attorney fees. Punitive damages are generally not available. SDCL 15-39-45, 15-39-45.1 |
| Tennessee | $25,000 for civil cases in general sessions court, not counting attorney fees, court costs and discretionary costs. Forcible entry and detainer (eviction) cases and actions to recover personal property have no dollar limit. T.C.A. 16-15-501(d) |
| Texas | $20,000, excluding statutory interest and court costs but including any attorney fees, for recovery of money damages, civil penalties, personal property or other relief allowed by law. Debt claim cases (by assignees, debt collectors, lenders) and tenant repair-and-remedy cases have the same $20,000 limit under their own rules. Tex. R. Civ. P. 500.1(a)-(c) |
| Utah | $20,000, including attorney fees but not court costs or interest (Jan. 1, 2025 through Dec. 31, 2029; rises to $25,000 on Jan. 1, 2030). Small claims cases are for money only; you cannot sue a government agency or bring an eviction in small claims. Utah Code 78A-8-102(1)(a); Utah Courts, Small Claims |
| Vermont | $10,000 for civil money claims (not slander or libel). A larger claim cannot be split into several small claims. Collection of consumer credit debt or medical debt over $5,000 is excluded. 12 V.S.A. 5531 |
| Virginia | $5,000, exclusive of interest, for money judgments or recovery of personal property (warrant in detinue) valued up to $5,000. Small claims jurisdiction is concurrent with the general district court. Va. Code 16.1-122.2 |
| Washington | $10,000 for claims brought by a natural person; $5,000 for all other claimants (businesses, corporations). Money claims only. RCW 12.40.010 |
| West Virginia | $20,000 in value or amount in controversy. Magistrate courts also hear unlawful entry and detainer of real property when title is not in dispute. W. Va. Code 50-2-1 |
| Wisconsin | $10,000 for money claims and replevin of property worth up to $10,000, rising to $15,000 on January 1, 2027 (2025 Wis. Act 105). Tort and personal injury claims are limited to $5,000. Evictions, earnest-money returns and certain real estate arbitration matters use small claims regardless of amount. Wis. Stat. 799.01(1) |
| Wyoming | $6,000, exclusive of costs. W.S. 1-21-201 |
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.