Data report · 2026 edition
The State of Small Claims in America
What it costs, what you can sue for, and how filing actually works — computed from our verified dataset covering all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and 3,159 county court systems. Every figure below is drawn from published court sources and refreshed with the dataset itself.
Last computed: July 2026 · How we verify our data · Free to cite with attribution (see below)
📊 Key numbers
51
jurisdictions analyzed (50 states + D.C.)
3,159
county court systems in the dataset
$5,000–$25,000
range of individual claim limits
$10,000
median claim limit (individuals)
55%
of county systems accept e-filing for small claims
51 of 51
jurisdictions publish a fee-waiver process
1. How much you can sue for depends enormously on where you live
The same dispute that fits comfortably in small claims court in one state can exceed the limit entirely in another. The median individual limit across all jurisdictions is $10,000.
Highest limits
- 1. Delaware$25,000
- 2. Tennessee$25,000
- 3. Minnesota$20,000
- 4. Texas$20,000
- 5. Utah$20,000
Lowest limits
- 1. Kentucky$2,500
- 2. Mississippi$3,500
- 3. Virginia$5,000
- 4. Rhode Island$5,000
- 5. New Jersey$5,000
2. Filing fees: the published price of starting a case
Every jurisdiction publishes filing fees, and most scale them by claim amount. Comparing published minimum fees, the median entry price nationwide is $50 — and 51 of 51 jurisdictions publish a fee-waiver process for filers who can't afford it.
Lowest published minimum fees
- 1. District of Columbiafrom $5
- 2. New Yorkfrom $15
- 3. North Dakotafrom $25
- 4. Nebraskafrom $26
- 5. Californiafrom $30
Highest published minimum fees
- 1. Tennesseefrom $130
- 2. Wisconsinfrom $98
- 3. North Carolinafrom $96
- 4. Iowafrom $95
- 5. South Carolinafrom $80
3. The e-filing map is still being drawn
Electronic filing has reached 55% of the 3,159 county court systems in our dataset (1,726 counties). Coverage is all-or-nothing in much of the country: 23 states offer e-filing in every county we track, while 16 offer it in none.
Highest partial coverage (states in transition)
- 1. New Mexico88% of counties
- 2. Arizona87% of counties
- 3. California81% of counties
- 4. Georgia71% of counties
- 5. Maine69% of counties
4. Deadlines: the quiet case-killer
Statutes of limitations for the disputes people actually bring range from 2 years (oral contracts in California) up to 15 years for written contracts in the most generous states. The spread means the same unpaid debt can be years from expiring in one state and already unfilable in a neighboring one. Published tables for every state are in the deadline lookup.
5. The procedural landscape
12
states generally bar attorneys from the hearing
0
allow attorneys only in limited situations
0
require a demand letter before filing
48
officially recommend one first
Every small claims court is designed for self-representation — no state requires a lawyer to bring a case.
The full table: all 51 jurisdictions
| Jurisdiction | Limit (individuals) | Filing fee (published) | E-filing counties | Fee waiver |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $6,000 | $59 | 67 of 67 | Yes |
| Alaska | $10,000 | $75–$150 | 41 of 41 | Yes |
| Arizona | $5,000 | $46 | 13 of 15 | Yes |
| Arkansas | $5,000 | $65 | 33 of 76 | Yes |
| California | $12,500 | $30–$75 | 47 of 58 | Yes |
| Colorado | $7,500 | $31–$55 | 0 of 64 | Yes |
| Connecticut | $5,000 | $50–$100 | 8 of 8 | Yes |
| Delaware | $25,000 | $45–$55 | 3 of 3 | Yes |
| District of Columbia | $10,000 | $5–$45 | 1 of 1 | Yes |
| Florida | $8,000 | $55–$400 | 67 of 67 | Yes |
| Georgia | $15,000 | $45 | 114 of 160 | Yes |
| Hawaii | $5,000 | $35 | 0 of 5 | Yes |
| Idaho | $5,000 | $75 | 44 of 44 | Yes |
| Illinois | $10,000 | $75 | 103 of 103 | Yes |
| Indiana | $10,000 | $52 | 92 of 92 | Yes |
| Iowa | $6,500 | $95 | 100 of 100 | Yes |
| Kansas | $10,000 | $55 | 0 of 105 | Yes |
| Kentucky | $2,500 | $45 | 119 of 119 | Yes |
| Louisiana | $5,000 | $75 | 33 of 64 | Yes |
| Maine | $10,000 | $50 | 11 of 16 | Yes |
| Maryland | $5,000 | $34 | 26 of 26 | Yes |
| Massachusetts | $7,000 | $40–$150 | 14 of 14 | Yes |
| Michigan | $7,000 | $30–$70 | 49 of 83 | Yes |
| Minnesota | $20,000 | $75–$100 | 87 of 87 | Yes |
| Mississippi | $3,500 | $48 | 0 of 82 | Yes |
| Missouri | $5,000 | $50 | 0 of 115 | Yes |
| Montana | $7,000 | $30 | 12 of 56 | Yes |
| Nebraska | $7,500 | $26–$46 | 0 of 93 | Yes |
| Nevada | $10,000 | $56–$131 | 4 of 18 | Yes |
| New Hampshire | $10,000 | $60–$80 | 10 of 10 | Yes |
| New Jersey | $5,000 | $35 | 21 of 21 | Yes |
| New Mexico | $10,000 | $46 | 29 of 33 | Yes |
| New York | $10,000 | $15–$20 | 0 of 62 | Yes |
| North Carolina | $10,000 | $96 | 100 of 100 | Yes |
| North Dakota | $15,000 | $25 | 53 of 53 | Yes |
| Ohio | $6,000 | $50 | 0 of 87 | Yes |
| Oklahoma | $10,000 | $58–$80 | 0 of 77 | Yes |
| Oregon | $10,000 | $52–$89 | 36 of 36 | Yes |
| Pennsylvania | $12,000 | $53–$103 | 0 of 66 | Yes |
| Rhode Island | $5,000 | $40 | 5 of 5 | Yes |
| South Carolina | $7,500 | $80 | 0 of 46 | Yes |
| South Dakota | $12,000 | $50 | 0 of 66 | Yes |
| Tennessee | $25,000 | $130 | 21 of 95 | Yes |
| Texas | $20,000 | $54–$99 | 254 of 254 | Yes |
| Utah | $20,000 | $60–$185 | 0 of 29 | Yes |
| Vermont | $10,000 | $75 | 14 of 14 | Yes |
| Virginia | $5,000 | $46 | 0 of 134 | Yes |
| Washington | $10,000 | $50 | 23 of 39 | Yes |
| West Virginia | $20,000 | $45 | 0 of 55 | Yes |
| Wisconsin | $10,000 | $98 | 72 of 72 | Yes |
| Wyoming | $6,000 | $30 | 0 of 23 | Yes |
Methodology & how to cite
Figures are computed directly from the SmallClaims.com dataset: published dollar limits, fee schedules, statute-of-limitations tables, and county-level e-filing availability collected from official court and legislative sources for all 50 states and the District of Columbia, covering 3,159 county court systems. Data is reviewed against our editorial standards and refreshed continuously; this page recomputes from the live dataset. Rules change — verify with the court before acting.
Journalists and researchers: this report is free to cite with attribution and a link. Suggested citation:
SmallClaims.com, "The State of Small Claims in America (2026)," https://www.smallclaims.com/reports/state-of-small-claims
Questions about the data or requests for custom cuts: contact us.
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