Small claims
Money owed, damage, deposits, unfinished work.
What this site has read for this area
43 provisions read for this area, in 25 jurisdictions. Each one is true where it says it is true, and nowhere else on this site. The other 27 jurisdictions have not been read for this area, and no rule is borrowed for them.
- Arizona: How much can I sue for in small claims court in Arizona?, Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 22-503(A), read 2026-08-21
- California: In California, how much can I sue for in small claims court?, Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 116.221, read 2026-08-20
- California: In California small claims court, can a lawyer take part in the case?, Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 116.530, read 2026-08-20
- California: How much can I sue for in small claims court in California?, Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 116.221, read 2026-08-21
- California: Can the other side bring a lawyer to small claims court in California?, Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 116.530(a), read 2026-08-21
- Florida: Am I allowed to go to court in Florida and speak for myself without hiring a lawyer?, Fla. Stat. § 454.18 (2026), read 2026-08-20
- Florida: How much can I sue for in small claims court in Florida?, Fla. Sm. Cl. R. 7.010(b), read 2026-08-21
- Idaho: How much can I sue for in small claims court in Idaho?, Idaho Code § 1-2301, read 2026-08-21
- Iowa: How much can I sue for in small claims court in Iowa?, Iowa Code § 631.1(1)(b), read 2026-08-21
- Kansas: How much can I sue for in small claims court in Kansas?, Kan. Stat. Ann. § 61-2703(a), read 2026-08-21
- Kansas: Can the other side bring a lawyer to small claims court in Kansas?, Kan. Stat. Ann. § 61-2707(a), read 2026-08-21
- Maine: Which court hears small claims, and what can it order besides money?, 14 M.R.S. § 7481, read 2026-08-20
- Maine: How much can I sue for in small claims court in Maine?, 14 M.R.S. § 7482, read 2026-08-21
- Massachusetts: How much can I sue for in small claims court in Massachusetts?, Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 218, § 21, read 2026-08-21
- Michigan: How much can I sue for in small claims court in Michigan?, Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.8401(e), read 2026-08-21
- Michigan: Can the other side bring a lawyer to small claims court in Michigan?, Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.8408(1), read 2026-08-21
- Minnesota: How much can I sue for in small claims court in Minnesota?, Minn. Stat. § 491A.01, subd. 3a(a), read 2026-08-21
- Missouri: How much can I sue for in small claims court in Missouri?, Mo. Rev. Stat. § 482.305, read 2026-08-21
- Montana: How much can I sue for in small claims court in Montana?, Mont. Code Ann. § 25-35-502(1), read 2026-08-21
- Montana: Can the other side bring a lawyer to small claims court in Montana?, Mont. Code Ann. § 25-35-505(2)-(3), read 2026-08-21
- Nebraska: How much can I sue for in small claims court in Nebraska?, Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-2802(4), read 2026-08-21
- Nebraska: Can the other side bring a lawyer to small claims court in Nebraska?, Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-2803(2)-(3), read 2026-08-21
- New York: What is the most I can sue for in small claims in New York City?, N.Y.C. Civ. Ct. Act § 1801, read 2026-08-20
- New York: What is the small claims limit in a town or village justice court?, N.Y. Unif. Justice Ct. Act § 1801, read 2026-08-20
- New York: What is the small claims limit in the district courts (Nassau and Suffolk)?, N.Y. Unif. Dist. Ct. Act § 1801, read 2026-08-20
- New York: Can a company sue me in small claims, or send a non-lawyer to defend?, N.Y.C. Civ. Ct. Act § 1809, read 2026-08-20
- New York: How much can I sue for in small claims court in New York?, N.Y. City Civ. Ct. Act (CCA) § 1801, read 2026-08-21
- North Dakota: How much can I sue for in small claims court in North Dakota?, N.D. Cent. Code § 27-08.1-01(1), read 2026-08-21
- Oregon: How much can I sue for in small claims court in Oregon?, Or. Rev. Stat. § 46.405(3), read 2026-08-21
- Oregon: Can the other side bring a lawyer to small claims court in Oregon?, Or. Rev. Stat. § 46.415(4), read 2026-08-21
- Rhode Island: How much can I sue for in small claims court in Rhode Island?, R.I. Gen. Laws § 10-16-1, read 2026-08-21
- South Carolina: How much can I sue for in small claims court in South Carolina?, S.C. Code Ann. § 22-3-10(1)-(2), read 2026-08-21
- Texas: Can I go to small claims court without a lawyer?, Tex. Gov't Code § 27.060, read 2026-08-20
- Texas: How much can I sue for in small claims court in Texas?, Tex. Gov't Code § 27.031(a)(1), read 2026-08-21
- Texas: Can the other side bring a lawyer to small claims court in Texas?, Tex. Gov't Code § 27.031(d), read 2026-08-21
- Utah: How much can I sue for in small claims court in Utah?, Utah Code § 78A-8-102(1)(a)(i)(B), read 2026-08-21
- Vermont: How much can I sue for in small claims court in Vermont?, 12 V.S.A. § 5531(a), read 2026-08-21
- Virginia: How much can I sue for in small claims court in Virginia?, Va. Code § 16.1-122.2, read 2026-08-21
- Virginia: Can the other side bring a lawyer to small claims court in Virginia?, Va. Code § 16.1-122.4(A), read 2026-08-21
- Washington: How much can I sue for in small claims court in Washington?, Wash. Rev. Code § 12.40.010(1), read 2026-08-21
- Washington: Can the other side bring a lawyer to small claims court in Washington?, Wash. Rev. Code § 12.40.080(1), read 2026-08-21
- West Virginia: How much can I sue for in small claims court in West Virginia?, W. Va. Code § 50-2-1, read 2026-08-21
- Wisconsin: How much can I sue for in small claims court in Wisconsin?, Wis. Stat. § 799.01(1)(d), read 2026-08-21
When a rule is read it will appear here with the section it rests on, the jurisdiction it is true in, and the date it was read. See the reading state of all 52 jurisdictions.
What is worth documenting, whatever your state
This part does not depend on any state's law. It is what a record of this kind usually has to show, and it is the part people most often cannot reconstruct afterwards.
- the agreement, in whatever form it exists
- what was delivered and what was not
- every demand you made and the date
- the amount, and how you calculated it
- what you did to limit the loss