New York small claims
How to fill out New York's Statement of Claim (CIV-SC-50)
Official form: CIV-SC-50 — Statement of Claim — court-type-specific (CIV-SC-50 = NYC Civil Court) · Walkthrough written against CIV-SC-50, Revised 04/22/22
In New York, this form is issued per county or court
There is no single statewide version — each county's (or court's) clerk issues its own, and courts generally expect their own version. The walkthrough below uses the NYC Civil Court Statement of Claim (CIV-SC-50) because the forms ask for largely the same information, but your court's layout and requirements can differ. Look up your courthouse to find the operative version — the clerk's office has it.
Download the official form — free, from the court
The only authoritative copy of this form is the court's own. Courts re-issue forms, so downloading a fresh copy right before filing beats reusing a saved one. We link the official source and never host court forms ourselves.
Get the official CIV-SC-50 from the court's site →Link verified 2026-07-01. 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
New York does not have one small claims court — it has four kinds, and each uses its own Statement of Claim. Inside New York City, small claims are a part of the NYC Civil Court, with a limit of $10,000. Outside the city, small claims are heard in the City Courts (limit $5,000), in the District Courts of Nassau and Suffolk Counties (limit $5,000), and in the Town and Village Justice Courts everywhere else (limit $3,000). The Statement of Claim that starts the case is court-specific: the form for a City Court or a town justice court is obtained from that court, and many town and village courts take the claim over the counter rather than from a downloaded PDF.
Whichever court applies, the Statement of Claim collects the same core information: who is suing, the legal name and street address of the person or business being sued, the amount claimed, when the events happened, and the reason for the claim. New York courts emphasize the defendant's correct legal name — the form itself warns that the legal name is required to obtain an enforceable judgment.
The walkthrough below uses the NYC Civil Court's form, CIV-SC-50 (Revised 04/22/22), as the representative example — it covers the five boroughs, which account for the dominant share of New York small claims filings. Filers outside New York City use their own court's version, which asks for similar information in a different layout.
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.
Section I — Claimant's information
The form is machine-scannable: its instructions say to place only one letter or number in each space and leave a blank space between words.
Last name, first name, middle initial
The claimant's name, one character per box.
Address (no P.O. box), borough/city/town or village, state, zip
The claimant's street address. The form specifically disallows a P.O. box on the address line.
Other info — Doing Business As / In Care Of / Attention To (circle one)
A supplemental line for a trade name or routing detail, with a note to circle which of the three it is.
Phone no. and email
The claimant's contact information.
Section II — Defendant's information
Last name (or full business name), first name, middle initial
Who is being sued. The form's footnote states that the legal name is required to obtain an enforceable judgment, and that a business's full and correct name can be checked with the County Clerk where the business is located or at www.dos.ny.gov.
Address (no P.O. box), borough/city/town or village, state, zip
The defendant's street address — the form's footnote says a Post Office Box is not acceptable, because this address drives service of the notice of claim.
Other info, phone no., email
The same supplemental DBA / in-care-of / attention line and contact fields as the claimant block.
Section III — The claim
Amount Claimed: $___ (Maximum $10,000.00)
The dollar amount sought. The $10,000 maximum printed on the form is the NYC Civil Court limit; other New York courts' versions carry their own lower limits.
Date of Occurrence or Transaction / Place of occurrence, if Auto Accident
When the events happened, and — for car-accident claims — where. A note at the bottom of the form states that an automobile-accident claim must be brought owner against owner.
Primary Reason for Claim (check one)
A grid of checkboxes covering the common claim types: damage caused to (automobile, other personal property, real property, person); failure to provide (proper repairs, proper services, proper merchandise, goods paid for); failure to return (security, property, deposit, money loaned); failure to pay (salary, for services rendered, insurance claim, rent, commissions, for goods sold and delivered); breach of (contract, lease, warranty, agreement); loss of (luggage, property, time from work, use of property); returned check (bounced or stopped); or Other, with a line to describe it briefly.
Identifying number(s)
A line for any receipt, claim, account, policy, ticket, license, or plate numbers connected to the claim.
Today's date and signature of claimant or agent
The form is dated and signed. The right-hand margin of the form (claim amount, fee, case type, court dates) is marked for office use only and is completed by the clerk.
Common reasons clerks reject this form
Clerks bounce filings for mechanical, fixable reasons. These are the patterns that come up with this particular form:
- ⚠Using CIV-SC-50 outside New York City — it is the NYC Civil Court's form. City Courts, the Nassau and Suffolk District Courts, and Town and Village Justice Courts each use their own Statement of Claim, and the filing court expects its own version.
- ⚠Suing a business under its storefront name instead of its legal name — the form warns that the legal name is required for an enforceable judgment, and points to the County Clerk and dos.ny.gov to look it up.
- ⚠Entering a P.O. box for either address — the form disallows P.O. boxes because the defendant must be servable at a street address.
- ⚠Claiming more than the court's limit — $10,000 in NYC Civil Court, $5,000 in City and District Courts, $3,000 in Town and Village Courts; the clerk cannot docket an over-limit claim.
- ⚠Bringing an auto-accident claim in the wrong names — the form's note requires owner against owner.
- ⚠Filling in the office-use column — the boxed right margin (fee, case type, court dates) belongs to the clerk.
What filing costs, and where it happens
In the NYC Civil Court, the small claims filing fee is $15 for claims up to and including $1,000 and $20 for claims over $1,000 up to $10,000, payable by cash, certified check, money order, or bank check to the Clerk of the Civil Court. The form's footer also states that it is a free civil court form — no fee may be charged to fill it in. Courts outside the city set their own fees, generally in a similar range.
The claim is filed with the small claims clerk of the proper court — in NYC, the Civil Court for the county (borough) where the defendant lives, works, or has a place of business. The clerk enters the case, collects the fee, mails the notice of claim to the defendant, and assigns the hearing date. Fee amounts and local filing details change, so confirming the current numbers with the clerk of the specific court before filing is the reliable approach.
Published fees and court locations for your county are in our New York small claims guide and the court directory. Fees change — verify the current amount with the clerk before filing.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the form for my court?
CIV-SC-50 is the NYC Civil Court's Statement of Claim — it covers the five boroughs only. If the case belongs in a City Court, the Nassau or Suffolk District Court, or a Town or Village Justice Court, that court supplies its own Statement of Claim, often at the clerk's window. The nycourts.gov small claims pages link each court type's materials.
How much can I sue for in New York small claims?
It depends on the court: up to $10,000 in the NYC Civil Court, up to $5,000 in City Courts and the Nassau/Suffolk District Courts, and up to $3,000 in Town and Village Justice Courts.
What does it cost to file?
In NYC, $15 for claims of $1,000 or less and $20 for claims over $1,000. Other courts' fees are set separately. The clerk of the filing court confirms the current amount — verify before filing.
Why does the form insist on the defendant's legal name?
Because a judgment against a wrongly named defendant can be unenforceable. The form directs filers to the County Clerk's office where the business is located or to www.dos.ny.gov to find a business's full and correct name.
What happens after I file?
The clerk assigns a hearing date and mails the notice of claim to the defendant. Both parties appear on the hearing date — in NYC, small claims sessions are typically held in the evening — with their evidence and witnesses.
Related guides
Form link verified: 2026-07-01. 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.