Ohio small claims
How to fill out Ohio's Small Claims Complaint (municipal court)
Official form: Small Claims Complaint (per municipal/county court) · Walkthrough written against Hamilton County Municipal Court form (current courtclerk.org PDF, no printed revision date; verified July 2026)
In Ohio, 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 Hamilton County Municipal Court Small Claims Complaint 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 form 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
Ohio small claims cases are heard in the small claims division of each municipal or county court, and there is no single statewide complaint form — each court publishes its own version. The layout, the notarization block, and local instructions vary from court to court, so the version that matters is the one published by the municipal or county court where the case will be filed.
Whichever court's version applies, the complaint does the same work: it identifies the plaintiff and defendant with addresses and phone numbers, states the amount due and owing (Ohio's small claims limit is $6,000), explains the reason for the claim, and is sworn — Ohio small claims complaints are signed before a clerk, deputy clerk, or notary public.
The walkthrough below uses the Hamilton County Municipal Court's Small Claims Complaint (Cincinnati) as the representative example. Other courts' forms ask for the same core information in different layouts; the filing court's clerk or website supplies the local version.
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 — parties and amount
Plaintiff(s) — name, address, phone number
The filer's identifying and contact information on three lines. The Case No. box is completed by the clerk.
Ordinary mail waiver checkbox
A pre-printed request, citing Ohio Civil Rule 4.6(C), (D), and (E), asking the court to use ordinary-mail service if certified mail is refused or unclaimed — a service-mechanics option built into the Hamilton County form.
Defendant(s) — name and address
The person or business being sued. The address entered here is where the notice and summons are served.
Amount $___
The amount claimed. Ohio's small claims division hears money claims up to $6,000.
The claim
"Plaintiff says that there is due and owing from the defendant(s) the sum of ___ dollars"
The claim amount written into the complaint's operative sentence.
"For the following reason(s):" (five lines)
A plain-language description of why the defendant owes the amount — the events, dates, and what the money represents.
"Interest, if applicable, from the ___ day of ___, ___ Plus Court Costs."
A line asking for the date interest starts running, if interest is claimed. Court costs are claimed by the pre-printed text and are not added into the claim amount.
Notice and summons (largely court-completed)
"To: (1) ___ (2) ___"
Address blocks for the summons directed to each defendant.
Notice to the Defendant — trial date
Pre-printed text setting trial at the Hamilton County Courthouse, 1000 Main St., Rm. 265, at 9:30 or 10:30 a.m., with the date filled in by the court. The notice warns the defendant that failure to appear can lead to default judgment, tells them to bring supporting witnesses and documents, and explains that counterclaims must be filed and served at least seven days before trial.
Memorandum to the Plaintiff
Pre-printed instructions to bring evidence and witnesses, to file any witness subpoenas at least seven days before trial, and — in motor-vehicle accident cases — to bring the vehicle title.
Military-service statement, signature, and notarization
"the defendant is / is not a member of the Armed Forces of the United States"
The plaintiff states what they know about whether the defendant is in military service — the screening required before default judgments under the federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.
Signature of Plaintiff/Attorney, attorney address, phone, attorney ID
The plaintiff (or an attorney, if one files) signs; the attorney-only lines stay blank for self-represented filers.
"Subscribed and sworn to before me this ___ day of ___, 20___"
The jurat: the complaint is sworn before a clerk, deputy clerk, or notary public, who signs and dates the block. Signing at the clerk's counter when filing is the common route, since the clerk can administer the oath.
Common reasons clerks reject this form
Clerks bounce filings for mechanical, fixable reasons. These are the patterns that come up with this particular form:
- ⚠Filing a different court's complaint form — Ohio small claims forms are published per municipal or county court, and the filing court expects its own version with its own caption and trial-notice language.
- ⚠Filing an unsworn complaint — the form ends in a subscribed-and-sworn jurat, and without it the complaint is incomplete.
- ⚠Claiming more than $6,000 — the small claims division cannot hear it; larger claims go to the court's regular civil docket.
- ⚠Adding court costs or interest into the claim amount — the form claims costs by its pre-printed text and asks for interest separately, with a start date.
- ⚠An incomplete defendant address — certified-mail service depends on it, and the ordinary-mail waiver only helps after certified mail is attempted.
- ⚠Writing in the trial date — the court sets and enters it on the notice portion of the form.
What filing costs, and where it happens
In Hamilton County, the clerk's own published schedule puts the minimum cost at $49 for one defendant served by certified mail ($69 with bailiff service), plus $10 for each additional certified-mail defendant ($30 per additional bailiff service). Other Ohio courts set their own fees, generally in a comparable range, and fee waivers are available for filers who qualify.
The complaint is filed with the clerk of the municipal or county court whose territory covers the proper venue — in Hamilton County, with the Clerk of Courts at 1000 Main St., Rm. 115, Cincinnati. Filing in person lets the clerk administer the oath on the spot. The court then sets the trial date, serves the defendant, and both parties appear at trial. Fees and local procedures vary court to court, so confirming the current numbers with the filing court's clerk before filing is the reliable approach.
Published fees and court locations for your county are in our Ohio 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 county or court?
The walkthrough uses the Hamilton County Municipal Court version. Every Ohio municipal and county court publishes its own small claims complaint, so the version to file is the one from the court where the case belongs — available from that court's clerk or website.
How much can I sue for in Ohio small claims?
Up to $6,000. Claims above that belong on the municipal or county court's regular civil docket, where different procedures apply.
Does the complaint have to be notarized?
It must be sworn — signed before a clerk, deputy clerk, or notary public, who completes the subscribed-and-sworn block. Filing in person lets the clerk's office administer the oath without a separate notary visit.
What does it cost to file?
Hamilton County's clerk publishes a $49 minimum for one certified-mail defendant ($69 with bailiff service), plus $10 per additional certified-mail defendant; other courts set their own amounts. The filing court's clerk quotes the exact total — verify before filing.
What happens after I file?
The court sets a trial date on the notice-and-summons portion of the form, the defendant is served (certified mail first, with the ordinary-mail fallback the form requests), and both sides appear at trial with their evidence and witnesses.
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.