Court Rules for Each State
Use these States' *rules to determine where to file your small claims case, how to serve the official court papers and how much money you can win in Small Claims Court!
Small Claims Court!
State |
Maximum Allowed |
Name of Court |
Where to Sue |
Who Serves Papers |
Alabama |
$3,000 |
District Court |
District where defendant lives |
Sheriff (recommended) Process Server Certified Mail |
Alaska |
$7,500 |
Small Claims Court |
Court Nearest Defendant |
Peace Officer (recommended) Process Server Certified Mail through Clerk |
Arizona |
$2,500 |
Small Claims Division of Justice of the Peace Court |
Court Nearest Defendant |
Sheriff (recommended) Process Server First Class or Certified Mail |
Arkansas |
$5,000 |
Small Claims Division of Municipal Court |
Where Defendant lives |
Sheriff (recommended) Process Server Certified Mail |
California |
$5,000 |
Small Claims Court |
District where Defendant lives or lived when promise was made |
Disinterested Adult Certified or Registered Mail |
Colorado |
$5,000 |
County Court, Small Claims Division |
County where defendant lives or works |
Sheriff (recommended) Disinterested Adult Certified or Registered Mail |
Connecticut |
$2,500 |
Small Claims Court |
County where defendant lives |
Sheriff (recommended) Regular Mail through Clerk |
Delaware |
$15,000 |
Justice of the Peace |
Anywhere in the State |
Sheriff (recommended) Coroner, Deputy Sheriff |
District of Columbia |
$5,000 |
Superior Court or Small Claims Court |
Only One Location in State |
US Marshall Disinterested Adult Certified or Registered Mail |
Florida |
$5,000 |
County Court Summary Procedure Division |
County where defendant lives |
Sheriff (recommended) Process Server Certified or Registered Mail |
Georgia |
$15,000 |
Magistrate Courts |
County where defendant lives |
Sheriff (recommended) Marshall of Court Deputy Sheriff Person appointed by court |
Hawaii |
$3,500 |
District Court; Small Claims Division |
Judicial District where defendant lives |
Sheriff (recommended) Certified or Registered Mail Person appointed by court |
Idaho |
$3,000 |
Small Claims Department of Magistrate's Division |
County where defendant lives or where the claim arose |
Sheriff (recommended) Disinterested Adult |
Illinois |
$5,000 |
Small Claims Court |
County where defendant lives or where the claim arose |
Sheriff (recommended) Process Server Certified Mail |
Indiana |
$3,000 |
Small Claims Court |
County where defendant lives or where the claim arose |
Sheriff (recommended) Person appointed by court Registered or Certified Mail |
Iowa |
$4,000 |
Small Claims Court |
County where defendant lives or where the claim arose |
Peace officer (recommended) Person appointed by court Certified Mail |
Kansas |
$1,800 |
Small Claims Court |
County where defendant lives |
Sheriff (recommended) Process Server Certified Mail |
Kentucky |
$1,500 |
Small Claims Court |
County where defendant lives |
Bailiff appointed by court Certified Mail |
Louisiana |
$2,000 |
Justice of the Peace |
County where defendant lives |
Sheriff (recommended) Person appointed by court Constable |
Maine |
$4,500 |
Small Claims Court |
County where defendant lives |
Sheriff (recommended) Process Server |
Maryland |
$2,500 |
District Court |
County where defendant lives |
Sheriff (recommended) Disinterested Adult |
Massachusetts |
$1,750 |
District Court |
District where defendant or plaintiff lives |
Sheriff (recommended) Person appointed by court Registered or Certified Mail |
Michigan |
$5,000 |
District Court |
County where defendant lives or where the claim arose |
Disinterested Adult |
Minnesota |
$7,500 |
Conciliation Court |
County where defendant lives |
Sheriff (recommended) Disinterested Adult |
Mississippi |
$2,500 |
Justice Court |
County where defendant lives or where the claim arose |
Sheriff (recommended) Disinterested Adult |
Missouri |
$3,000 |
Small Claims Court |
County where defendant lives |
Sheriff (recommended) Process Server Registered or Certified Mail |
Montana |
$3,000 |
Small Claims Court |
County where defendant lives |
Sheriff (recommended) Disinterested Adult |
Nebraska |
$2,100 |
County Court |
County where defendant lives |
Sheriff (recommended) Person appointed by court or authorized by law |
Nevada |
$3,500 |
Justice's Court for Small Claims |
City where defendant lives |
Sheriff (recommended) Disinterested Adult |
New Hampshire |
$5,000 |
Small Claims Court |
District where defendant or plaintiff lives |
Sheriff (recommended) Registered or Certified Mail |
New Jersey |
$2,000 |
Superior Court, Special Civil Division |
County where defendant lives |
Sheriff (recommended) Person appointed by court Sergeant at Arms |
New Mexico |
$5,000 |
Magistrate's Court: Small Claims Division |
County where defendant lives |
Sheriff (recommended) Disinterested Adult |
New York |
$3,000 |
Small Claims Court |
County where defendant lives |
Sheriff (recommended) Process Server |
North Carolina |
$3,000 |
Small Claims Court |
County where defendant lives |
Sheriff (recommended) Process Server |
North Dakota |
$5,000 |
Small Claims Court |
County where defendant lives |
Disinterested Adult |
Ohio |
$3,000 |
Small Claims Court |
County where defendant lives |
Sheriff (recommended) Person appointed by court |
Oklahoma |
$4,500 |
Small Claims Court of the District Court |
County where defendant lives |
Sheriff (recommended) Person appointed by court Process Server Registered or Certified Mail |
Oregon |
$3,500 |
District Court: Small Claims Division |
County where defendant lives |
Disinterested Adult Registered or Certified Mail |
Pennsylvania |
$5,000 |
Magistrate's Court |
Where defendant can be served |
Sheriff (recommended) |
Rhode Island |
$1,500 |
Small Claims Court of the District Court |
County where defendant lives |
Sheriff (recommended) Town Sergeant Registered or Certified Mail |
South Carolina |
$5,000 |
Magistrate's Court |
County where defendant lives |
Sheriff (recommended) Disinterested Adult |
South Dakota |
$4,000 |
Small Claims Court |
County where defendant lives |
Sheriff (recommended) Disinterested Elector of County Registered or Certified Mail |
Tennessee |
$15,000 |
Court of General Session |
County where defendant lives |
Sheriff (recommended) Process Server Registered or Certified Mail return receipt requested |
Texas |
$5,000 |
Small Claims Court |
Precinct where defendant lives |
Sheriff (recommended) Disinterested Adult |
Utah |
$5,000 |
Small Claims Division of Circuit Court |
County where defendant lives or where claim arose |
Sheriff (recommended) Disinterested Adult over 21 |
Vermont |
$3,500 |
Small Claims Court |
County where defendant or plaintiff lives |
Sheriff (recommended) Person appointed by court Process Server Registered or Certified Mail |
Virginia |
$15,000 |
Small Claims Court in Fairfax and Arlington counties, Circuit Court in other counties |
District where defendant lives or where claim arose |
Officer (recommended) Disinterested Adult |
Washington |
$2,500 |
District Court |
County where defendant lives |
Sheriff (recommended) Disinterested Adult |
West Virginia |
$5,000 |
County Magistrate's Office |
County where defendant lives or where claim arose |
Sheriff (recommended) Disinterested Adult |
Wisconsin |
$5,000 |
Small Claims Court |
County where defendant lives or where claim arose |
Disinterested Adult Registered or Certified Mail |
Wyoming |
$4,000 |
County Court: Small Claims Division |
County where defendant lives |
Sheriff (recommended) Disinterested Adult Registered or Certified Mail |