Guides

The process for filing a small claims case, from checking eligibility to collecting a judgment — with what it costs at each step.

Winning a small claims case doesn't get you paid automatically — here's how wage garnishment and bank levies actually work, and what each costs.

Who can serve a defendant, which methods each state recognizes, and what happens if service fails — before your case can get a hearing date.

Not every state lets both sides appeal, and not every appeal gets you a new trial — what to know about the deadline, the process, and the cost before you file one.

The small claims dollar limit varies by state and often by whether you're an individual or a business — what actually sets it, and what happens if your claim is over it.

How to get a small claims filing fee waived for financial hardship — the income and benefits tests each state uses, and what a waiver does and doesn't cover.

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.

An unpaid small claims judgment accrues interest by law from the day it's entered — the rate, the exceptions, and why waiting to collect doesn't cost you what's owed.

A small claims judgment doesn't stay collectible forever — the four different ways states handle expiration, and what it costs to renew one before it lapses.

Levying a debtor's bank account is one of the most direct ways to collect an unpaid judgment — how states charge for it, and what it costs whether or not the levy succeeds.

Compelling a witness to testify comes with a statutory fee you generally have to pay upfront — the rates, the mileage rules, and when a witness costs nothing extra.

Every claim has a filing deadline that depends on your state and the type of claim — what starts the clock, how periods differ by claim type, and what this doesn't cover.

Suing an out-of-state defendant usually rules out the cheaper in-county sheriff fee, leaving certified mail or a process server as the real cost — priced very differently from a local fee schedule.

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.

The filing fee plus the service fee for a $1,000 small claim in eight states, from $15 in New York City to $210 in Florida, cited to each court's own schedule.

Federal law caps wage garnishment at 25% of take-home pay; Pennsylvania and North Carolina bar it, and Washington limits it to 20%. Rules for eight states.

Some states set one small claims filing fee; others leave it to each county or court. See how the four structures differ, with examples from CA, FL, NC, OH, WA.