Alabama small claims
How to fill out Alabama's SM-1 (Statement of Claim)
Official form: SM-1 — Statement of Claim (Complaint) · Walkthrough written against Form SM-1, Rev. 3/95 (as printed on the form)
Download the official form — free, from the court
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Get the official SM-1 from the court's site →Link verified 2026-07-04. If it has moved, the court's forms index and clerk's office will have the current version — verify with the court before filing.
What this form is
The SM-1 — "Statement of Claim (Complaint), General" — is the statewide form that starts a small claims money case in Alabama. Small claims are a docket of the District Court in each county; you file the SM-1 with the clerk assigned to small claims cases, the clerk stamps a copy and assigns a case number, and the form doubles as the summons served on the defendant.
Alabama's small claims docket handles money claims up to $6,000. The front of the form carries a pre-printed "Notice to Each Defendant" warning that a judgment can be taken if the defendant does not deliver or mail an answer to the clerk within fourteen days of receiving the papers — that notice is part of the form, not something you write.
The back of the form is instructions: to the plaintiff (numbered 1–5) and to the sheriff or process server, plus the return-on-service and certified-mail blocks that the clerk and server complete. The instructions state plainly that this is your case and, if you are acting as your own lawyer, you are responsible for presenting the claim at each stage.
The form, field by field
What each part of the form asks for, in the form's own order. These are descriptions of the questions — what to answer depends on facts only you know, and the court clerk or the form's own instructions are the authoritative sources.
The caption — county, case number, and parties
"IN THE SMALL CLAIMS COURT OF ___, ALABAMA" (name of county)
The county where you are filing. The case number box at the top is completed by the clerk — the back-page instructions say the clerk inserts the case number when the form is filed, and every later contact with the clerk must refer to it.
Plaintiff v. Defendant name lines
Who is suing and who is being sued. The back-page instructions require each defendant to be described by his or her correct legal name.
Plaintiff's Home Address / Defendant's Home Address
Address blocks for each side. The instructions specify a real address, not a post office box — the defendant's address is where the summons and Statement of Claim are served.
Plaintiff's Attorney's Address / Additional Defendant(s) and Addresses
An attorney block (left blank by self-represented plaintiffs) and a block for naming additional defendants with their addresses. Instruction 1 on the back also states that one of these forms must be completed for each defendant being sued.
The Complaint — items 1 and 2
1. "I claim the defendant owes the plaintiff the sum of $___ because:"
The amount claimed and the reason, in your own words, on the lines provided. The instructions ask filers to be as brief as possible but to include every important name, date, and place.
2. Court costs, interest, and lawyers' fees
Three separate dollar blanks: court costs, interest, and lawyers' fees — the form's own parenthetical limits the fees blank to plaintiffs represented by a licensed, practicing attorney where the contract or note signed so provides. A pre-printed NOTE adds that total court costs may be more than the amount entered by the time the case closes, and the clerk will advise of any additional costs.
Signature block and clerk's information
Plaintiff or Plaintiff's Attorney (Signature), attorney code, phone number
You sign the complaint and give a phone number; the attorney code line applies only to attorney filers. The SM-1 is a signed complaint — there is no notarization block on the form.
Clerk's Address, Clerk's Phone No., Date of Filing
Court-side entries identifying the clerk's office the defendant must answer to and the date the case was filed.
The back page — instructions and service blocks
Instructions to the plaintiff (1–5)
The form's own checklist: complete a form for each defendant with the correct legal name and a non-P.O.-box address; file with the small claims clerk (who stamps your copy); confirm with the clerk that each defendant was served if you have heard nothing in about fourteen days; appear if any defendant asks for a trial (or the case is dismissed) and note that a default judgment may be available fourteen days after the defendant receives the form if no answer is filed; and enforce any judgment yourself — the court and clerk do not collect it for you.
Instructions to sheriff or process server / Return on Service
The command to serve the summons and Statement of Claim under Rule 4.1(b)(1) or 4.1(b)(2) of the Alabama Rules of Civil Procedure (the certified-mail block cites Rule 4.1(c)), with return-of-service and certified-mail blocks. These are completed by the clerk and the server, not by you.
Common reasons clerks reject this form
Clerks bounce filings for mechanical, fixable reasons. These are the patterns that come up with this particular form:
- ⚠Naming a defendant by a trade name or nickname — the form's instructions require each defendant's correct legal name, and service and enforcement depend on it.
- ⚠Using a post office box for the defendant's address — the instructions say the address may not be a P.O. box, because the form is served there.
- ⚠Not completing a form for each defendant — instruction 1 on the back requires one for every defendant being sued.
- ⚠Claiming more than $6,000 — larger claims exceed the small claims docket's limit and belong on the district court's regular civil docket.
- ⚠Folding costs and interest into item 1's sum — the form separates them into item 2's dedicated blanks, and the clerk sets the actual court costs.
- ⚠Leaving out key names, dates, and places in the item 1 explanation — the instructions require every important name, date, and place, even while asking filers to be brief.
What filing costs, and where it happens
Alabama small claims filing fees are tiered by the amount claimed and vary somewhat by county because of local surcharges. As a published example, Montgomery County's fee chart lists $52 for claims up to $1,500, $126 for $1,500.01–$3,000, and $215 for $3,000.01–$6,000, plus $10 for each additional defendant and a $30 sheriff service fee. An Affidavit of Substantial Hardship (form C-10) can defer the fee for those who qualify. The clerk's office for your county quotes the exact total — verify before filing.
You file with the small claims clerk of the District Court in the proper county; Alabama also accepts electronic filing of small claims through the courts' AlaFile system. After filing, the clerk arranges service, the defendant has fourteen days to answer, and the form's own instructions describe what follows: a trial date if the defendant requests one, or the possibility of a default judgment fourteen days after service if no answer is filed.
Published fees and court locations for your county are in our Alabama small claims guide and the court directory. Fees change — verify the current amount with the clerk before filing.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I get the SM-1?
From the Alabama courts' e-forms portal (eforms.alacourt.gov) — the official PDF is free and linked on this page. It is listed there as SM-01, "Statement of Claim (Complaint) - General"; a companion SM-02 exists for claims to recover specific property. District court clerk offices also provide paper copies.
How much can I sue for in Alabama small claims?
Up to $6,000 on the district court's small claims docket. Claims above that go to the district court's regular civil division or circuit court.
Does the SM-1 have to be notarized?
No. It is a signed complaint — you sign as plaintiff (with your phone number), and there is no notary block on the form.
What does it cost to file?
Fees are tiered by claim amount and vary by county — roughly $50 for the smallest claims up to a little over $200 near the $6,000 limit in published county charts, plus service costs. The clerk confirms the exact figure for your county and case; verify before filing.
What happens after I file?
The clerk stamps your copy, assigns a case number, and the defendant is served with the form. The defendant has fourteen days to answer; if an answer requests a trial, the court notifies you of the place, date, and time, and the form warns that the case is dismissed if you do not appear. If no answer is filed, the form's instructions note a default judgment may be taken fourteen days after the defendant received the papers.
Related guides
Form link verified: 2026-07-04. Reviewed against our Editorial Standards.
This is general information to help you understand the form — not legal advice, and not a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney about your specific situation. Courts revise forms, fees, and procedures; the court's own instructions and your court clerk are the authoritative sources. Always verify with the court before filing.