This is a 50 state chart for using small claims court. A simple way to sue for damages when you have an unpaid bill due to you after an administrative process, or for damages/ expenses done to you.
| State | Dollar Limit |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $6,000 |
| Alaska | $10,000 |
| Arizona | $3,500 |
| Arkansas | $5,000 |
| California | $10,000, except that a plaintiff may not file a claim over $2,500 more than twice a year. Limit for a local public entity or for businesses is $5,000. $6,500 is the limit in suits by an individual against a guarantor that charges for its guarantor or surety services. |
| Colorado | $7,500 |
| Connecticut | $5,000 (except in landlord-tenant security deposit claims). |
| Delaware | $15,000 |
| District of Columbia | $10,000 |
| Florida | $5,000 |
| Georgia | $15,000 (no limit in eviction cases). |
| Hawaii | $5,000; no limit on landlord-tenant residential security deposit cases. For the return of leased or rented personal property, the property must not be worth more than $5,000. |
| Idaho | $5,000 |
| Illinois | $10,000 |
| Indiana | $6,000 ($8,000 in Marion County) |
| Iowa | $5,000 |
| Kansas | $4,000 |
| Kentucky | $2,500 |
| Louisiana | $5,000 (city court); $5,000 (justice of the peace, but no limit on eviction cases). |
| Maine | $6,000 |
| Maryland | $5,000 |
| Massachusetts | $7,000; no limit for property damage caused by a motor vehicle. |
| Michigan | $6,500 |
| Minnesota | $15,000 ($4,000 for claims involving consumer credit transactions, $15,000 for claims involving money or personal property subject to criminal forfeiture) |
| Mississippi | $3,500 |
| Missouri | $5,000 |
| Montana | $7,000 |
| Nebraska | $3,600 from July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2020 (adjusted every five years based on the Consumer Price Index) |
| Nevada | $10,000 |
| New Hampshire | $10,000 |
| New Jersey | $3,000 ($5,000 for claims relating to security deposits); certain landlord-tenant suits cannot be brought |
| New Mexico | $10,000 |
| New York | $5,000 ($3,000 in town and village courts) |
| North Carolina | $10,000 |
| North Dakota | $15,000 |
| Ohio | $6,000 |
| Oklahoma | $10,000 |
| Oregon | $10,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $12,000 |
| Rhode Island | $2,500 |
| South Carolina | $7,500 |
| South Dakota | $12,000 |
| Tennessee | $25,000; no limit in eviction suits or suits to recover personal property |
| Texas | $10,000 |
| Utah | $11,000 |
| Vermont | $5,000 |
| Virginia | $5,000 |
| Washington | $5,000 |
| West Virginia | $10,000 |
| Wisconsin | $10,000; no limit in eviction suits |
| Wyoming | $6,000 |
*Check your state's website for any special rules or exclusions.
For the information, tips, and strategies you need to sue someone successfully in small claims court, see Everybody's Guide to Small Claims Court, by Ralph Warner (Nolo)
