Small claims court · filing fee
What does it cost to file your claim?
Pick your state and enter how much you're suing for. Every figure is read from that state's own published fee schedule, not estimated.
It costs $50 to file a $2,500 claim in California.
A plaintiff who has filed more than 12 small claims cases in California in the previous 12 months pays a flat $100 regardless of claim amount.
Covers the court's filing fee only — not service-of-process, jury, or additional-defendant fees. Informational only, not legal advice; confirm the current fee with your court clerk before filing.
How this is calculated
Last reviewed: September 2026
Where the numbers come from
Every state's filing fee schedule is read directly from that state's judiciary or a county superior court's own published fee schedule — never a summary or a legal-services site repeating a number without a citation. Each state's source is cited by name and linked in the result above once you select it.
The fee bands, exactly as published
Most states we cover set filing fees in bands — the fee depends on which band your claim amount falls into — and every state has its own dollar limit on what small claims court will hear at all. A few states we cover (North Carolina, New Jersey, Washington) charge one flat fee instead, regardless of amount, up to their own limit. The calculator looks up your exact case for your state and returns that state's published fee — no rounding, no averaging across states.
What this doesn't cover
- Service of process. Getting the claim delivered to the defendant costs extra and isn't included here — it varies by method (sheriff, process server, certified mail) and by county.
- Extra fees for special circumstances — an added fee per additional defendant, a jury-trial fee on appeal, or a frequent-filer surcharge in states that charge one. Any surcharge we know about for a given state is noted directly in that state's result.
- County-level variation. A small number of states set small claims fees at the county or local-court level rather than statewide; those states aren't covered here yet rather than risk showing a number that doesn't match your specific court.
States currently covered
California, Texas, Florida, New York (New York City), Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Michigan, New Jersey, Washington. More states are added on an ongoing basis.
Frequently asked questions
Does this include the cost of serving the other party?
No — this covers only the court's filing fee, the amount the clerk charges to open your case. Serving the defendant (by sheriff, private process server, or certified mail, depending on your state) is a separate cost, usually somewhere between $10 and $150 depending on the method and county. Use the Total Cost to Sue Calculator to see both added together.
Why does the fee depend on how much I'm suing for?
In most states we cover, yes: larger claims cost more to file, in bands, up to that state's small claims dollar limit. A few states charge one flat fee no matter the claim amount instead — North Carolina, New Jersey, and Washington, as covered here. Either way, the fee and the limit both vary by state, which is why the calculator asks for your state before showing a number.
What if my claim is worth more than my state's small claims limit?
Small claims court has a maximum claim amount in every state — file above it and the case doesn't qualify for the simplified small claims process. Your options are usually to voluntarily reduce ("remit") your claim down to the limit, or to file in a regular civil court instead, which allows larger claims but comes with more formal procedure and often requires a lawyer.
Will this fee be exactly what I pay at the courthouse?
It should match what's on your court's current fee schedule, since that's exactly where each figure comes from — but courts update fees periodically, and some jurisdictions add small surcharges (for example, a higher flat fee if you've filed many small claims cases in the past year). Treat this as a reliable estimate and confirm the exact figure with your court clerk before you file.
Related tools
Small claims, limited civil and general civil filing fees in every state and DC, cited to each judiciary's own fee schedule and re-checked twice a year.
Open tool →Total Cost to Sue CalculatorThe full out-of-pocket cost to sue in small claims court — filing fee plus service of process, added together and cited to each court's own fee schedule.
Open tool →Small Claims Limit CheckerSee whether your claim qualifies for small claims court and what the dollar limit is, by state and by plaintiff type — individual or business.
Open tool →Fee Waiver Eligibility CheckerSee whether you qualify to have your small claims filing fee waived for financial hardship, by state — cited to each court's own fee-waiver rule.
Open tool →Small Claims Appeal Cost CalculatorSee what it costs to appeal a small claims judgment, by state — cited to each state's own appeal filing fee statute or court fee schedule.
Open tool →Witness Fee & Subpoena Cost CalculatorSee what it costs to subpoena a witness to a small claims trial — statutory witness fee plus mileage, by state — cited to each state's own witness-fee statute.
Open tool →Small Claims Statute of Limitations CheckerSee how much time is left to file a small claims case, by state and claim type — cited to each state's own statute of limitations.
Open tool →Small Claims Court Costs by StateFiling fees, claim limits, and service costs for every covered state, side by side.
Compare states →Related reading
Filing fees usually scale with your claim amount, but not always — how the tiers work, why some states charge a flat rate, and what the fee doesn't include.
Read guide →Does Adding a Second Defendant Raise Your Small Claims Filing Fee?Naming a second defendant on the same small claims complaint does not raise the filing fee in most states this site tracks — the fee is set by the amount you are suing for, not the headcount. New Jersey is the one exception, and North Carolina charges per defendant too, but as a separate service fee rather than a higher filing fee.
Read guide →