New Jersey small claims
How to fill out New Jersey's Small Claims Complaint (CN 10151 kit)
Official form: CN 10151 — Small Claims Complaint, non-motor-vehicle kit · Walkthrough written against CN 10151, Revised Effective 05/2025
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Get the official CN 10151 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
CN 10151 — "Small Claims Complaint, non-motor vehicle" — is not a single form but a 12-page kit from the New Jersey Judiciary for suing in the Small Claims Section of the Superior Court's Special Civil Part. Its own table of contents lists the pieces: the Small Claims Complaint (Form A), the Small Claims Summons and Return of Service (Form B), a how-to-sue guide, self-representation notes, step-by-step filing instructions, per-form instructions, and definitions. A separate kit exists for motor-vehicle cases.
New Jersey small claims covers up to $5,000 — the kit covers contract disputes, security deposits, rent owed, and personal injury or property damage other than motor vehicle. Its instructions also list what it cannot be used for: malpractice claims against doctors, dentists, lawyers, or other professionals; child support or alimony; probate matters; and motor-vehicle accident cases.
You complete Form A (the complaint) and the top of Form B (the summons), attach the filing fee, and file with the Special Civil Part — electronically through JEDS (the Judiciary Electronic Document System), by mail, or in person. The complaint's page-top notice is a compliance point of its own: the document is public, so personal identifiers like Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers, account numbers, and military status must not be entered on it.
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.
Form A (the Complaint) — the header blocks
Plaintiff or Filing Attorney Information — name, NJ Attorney ID Number, address, email, telephone
Who is filing the papers. A self-represented plaintiff enters their own information; the attorney ID line applies only when a lawyer files.
From Plaintiff / To Defendant blocks — name, address, email, telephone
The parties. The defendant's address matters doubly here: after filing, the court itself mails or delivers the papers to the defendant at the address you provide, and the kit warns that a bad address cancels the trial until you supply a new one with a reservice fee (within 60 days of filing, or the case is dismissed).
County and Docket Number
The county of the Special Civil Part office where you are filing; the docket number is "to be provided by the court."
Form A — case type and demand
"Check One" — Contract / Security Deposit / Rent / Personal Injury or Property Damage (other than motor vehicle)
Four checkboxes for the claim type, quoted from the form. The kit's instructions define each: contract for written or oral agreements, security deposit for recovering money given to a landlord, rent for landlords collecting from tenants, and the tort box for non-motor-vehicle injury or property damage.
"Demand: $___ plus costs" and the reasons block
The amount you are claiming — costs are added by the printed text — followed by space to type or print the reasons you are suing, with additional sheets allowed. The kit's instructions ask for the reasons "in detail."
Form A — certifications and signature
No-other-action certification
Pre-printed text you adopt by signing: "I certify that the matter in controversy is not the subject of any other court action or arbitration proceeding, now pending or contemplated, and that no other parties should be joined in this action."
Redaction certification
A second certification that confidential personal identifiers have been redacted from documents submitted to the court and will be redacted from future submissions, per Rule 1:38-7(b).
Date, Plaintiff's Signature, name typed or printed
You date and sign (the form provides an "s/" line) and type or print your name beneath.
Form B (the Summons) — the parts you fill
Plaintiff or Plaintiff's Attorney Information and Defendant Information
The same identifying blocks as the complaint. Per the kit, you also enter the county, the courthouse address and phone number, the Check One box (Contract or Tort), the Demand Amount, and the Filing Fee for your number of defendants.
Lines you leave blank
The kit's instructions are explicit: leave Service Fee blank for court staff, leave Attorney's Fees blank (an attorney completes it if you have one), and leave the TOTAL blank for court staff. The trial date/time, "Report to" location, and the entire Return of Service section are for the court, and page 1 of the summons is a pre-printed form the court attaches when it serves the defendant.
Assembling the packet
The kit's checklist
In order: the Complaint (Form A), the Summons (Form B), and the filing fee by check or money order payable to the Treasurer, State of New Jersey (credit card if filing through JEDS; cash only in person). Forms must be typed or printed clearly on 8.5" x 11" white paper only, instruction sheets removed, and everything signed where required.
Common reasons clerks reject this form
Clerks bounce filings for mechanical, fixable reasons. These are the patterns that come up with this particular form:
- ⚠Entering personal identifiers — the complaint's own notice bars Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers, plate numbers, insurance policy numbers, active account or credit card numbers, and military status from this public document, and attachments must be redacted per Rule 1:38-7(b).
- ⚠Filing in the wrong county — the kit requires the county where at least one defendant lives (or, for a business, where its registered office is or where it does business); security-deposit cases can also be filed where the landlord lives or the property sits.
- ⚠Using this kit for a motor-vehicle accident, professional malpractice, child support or alimony, or a probate claim — the kit's instructions exclude all of these.
- ⚠Submitting forms on the wrong paper — the instructions require 8.5" x 11" white paper only, typed or printed clearly, with instruction sheets removed.
- ⚠Filling in the summons lines reserved for others — Service Fee, Attorney's Fees, and TOTAL are completed by court staff or counsel, not the plaintiff.
- ⚠Wrong filing fee for the number of defendants — $45 covers one defendant; each additional defendant adds $15, and the fee attaches to the complaint when filed.
What filing costs, and where it happens
The fees are printed in the kit itself: $45 for one defendant ($35 filing fee plus $10 for certified and regular mail service) and $15 for each additional defendant ($5 filing plus $10 service). Payment is by check or money order to the Treasurer, State of New Jersey — or by credit card when filing electronically through JEDS.
You file with the Office of the Special Civil Part in the proper county — through JEDS, by mail (the kit recommends certified mail, return receipt requested), or in person. The court mails the papers to the defendant and sends you a postcard with the trial date; the kit notes the court will likely ask both sides to attempt settlement with a trained mediator before trial. The Special Civil Part office for your county confirms current fees and filing details — verify before filing.
Published fees and court locations for your county are in our New Jersey 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 CN 10151 kit?
From njcourts.gov — the official PDF kit (revised effective 05/2025) is free and linked on this page. County courthouses stock it too. Motor-vehicle accident cases use a separate packet available from the court.
How much can I sue for in New Jersey small claims?
Up to $5,000 in the Small Claims Section of the Special Civil Part. The kit is for contract, security deposit, rent, and non-motor-vehicle injury or property damage claims.
Can I file online?
Yes — through JEDS, the Judiciary Electronic Document System, with the fee paid by credit card. Mail and in-person filing at the Special Civil Part office are the other routes the kit describes.
Who serves the defendant?
The court does. After you file, the court mails or delivers the papers to the defendant at the address you provided — which is why the kit stresses a correct address. If the defendant can't be found there, the trial is cancelled until you provide another address and pay a reservice fee.
What happens after I file?
You receive a postcard with your court date, and the defendant is notified for the same date. The kit explains that missing your date risks dismissal, that witnesses must testify in person (written statements, even sworn, are not admissible), and that even against an absent defendant the judge may hold a proof hearing requiring your documents.
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.