Disclaimer

Small claims limits and fees are set by state law and change when legislatures amend them. This table is informational. Filing in the wrong court, for the wrong amount, or after the deadline can waste your filing fee and may bar you from refiling the same claim. Verify the current limit and fee with the state court before filing, and confirm the local rules that apply to your specific dispute.

No legal advice

Nothing on ClaimLimit is legal advice, and no attorney–client relationship is created by using the site or by contacting us. For advice about your situation, consult a qualified attorney licensed in the relevant state. Court procedure varies, and a short reference table cannot capture every exception that might apply to you. If your matter is time-sensitive or involves a large amount, an attorney is the right starting point, not a reference page.

No affiliation or warranty

ClaimLimit is not affiliated with any court, clerk’s office, or government agency. Links to external statutes are provided for convenience and do not constitute legal advice or endorsement. The figures reflect what we could verify from public sources as of the last review date, but we make no warranty that any figure is current, complete, or applicable to your facts. Courts and counties apply their own procedures — mediation requirements, business-vs-individual caps, filing-format rules — that a summary cannot capture.

Edge cases a table cannot show

Even a correct limit is only part of the picture. Some states cap a business claimant lower than an individual (California, for example, limits a business to $6,250 while an individual may claim $12,500). Some courts require mediation before trial; some impose their own formatting or service rules; and the contract statute of limitations can run from 3 years in one state to 15 in another. A table row cannot tell you which of these applies to you, so treat the data as the start of your research, not the end of it.

Use at your own risk

The decision to file, where, and for how much, is yours. Use the information at your own risk; we are not liable for any loss, cost, or action arising from your reliance on it. Verify every detail with the court before you act. The most reliable number is always the one the clerk reads back to you.