Legal costs · reference
Small-Claims Court Limits by State (2026)
The maximum amount you can sue for in small-claims court, by state. Limits range from $2,500 to $25,000 and are set by state statute. Source: state court self-help / Nolo 2026 compilation.
| State | Small-claims limit |
|---|---|
| Alabama (AL) | $6,000 |
| Alaska (AK) | $10,000 |
| Arizona (AZ) | $3,500 |
| Arkansas (AR) | $5,000 |
| California (CA) | $12,500 |
| Colorado (CO) | $7,500 |
| Connecticut (CT) | $5,000 |
| Delaware (DE) | $25,000 |
| District of Columbia (DC) | $10,000 |
| Florida (FL) | $8,000 |
| Georgia (GA) | $15,000 |
| Hawaii (HI) | $5,000 |
| Idaho (ID) | $5,000 |
| Illinois (IL) | $10,000 |
| Indiana (IN) | $10,000 |
| Iowa (IA) | $6,500 |
| Kansas (KS) | $4,000 |
| Kentucky (KY) | $2,500 |
| Louisiana (LA) | $5,000 |
| Maine (ME) | $6,000 |
| Maryland (MD) | $5,000 |
| Massachusetts (MA) | $7,000 |
| Michigan (MI) | $6,500 |
| Minnesota (MN) | $15,000 |
| Mississippi (MS) | $3,500 |
| Missouri (MO) | $5,000 |
| Montana (MT) | $7,000 |
| Nebraska (NE) | $3,600 |
| Nevada (NV) | $10,000 |
| New Hampshire (NH) | $10,000 |
| New Jersey (NJ) | $5,000 |
| New Mexico (NM) | $10,000 |
| New York (NY) | $10,000 |
| North Carolina (NC) | $10,000 |
| North Dakota (ND) | $15,000 |
| Ohio (OH) | $6,000 |
| Oklahoma (OK) | $10,000 |
| Oregon (OR) | $10,000 |
| Pennsylvania (PA) | $12,000 |
| Rhode Island (RI) | $2,500 |
| South Carolina (SC) | $7,500 |
| South Dakota (SD) | $12,000 |
| Tennessee (TN) | $25,000 |
| Texas (TX) | $20,000 |
| Utah (UT) | $11,000 |
| Vermont (VT) | $5,000 |
| Virginia (VA) | $5,000 |
| Washington (WA) | $10,000 |
| West Virginia (WV) | $10,000 |
| Wisconsin (WI) | $10,000 |
| Wyoming (WY) | $6,000 |
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