Cost to sue · Michigan
What it costs to sue in Michigan small claims court
Filing a small claims case in Michigan costs $25–$65 in court fees, plus $26 or more to deliver the papers to the person you're suing. You can sue for up to $7,000. Everything below is read from Michigan's own fee schedules and statutes, each one linked.
Informational only — this is not legal advice, and it doesn't predict how a case will turn out. Court fees change without much notice; confirm the exact figure with your court clerk before you file. Last reviewed: September 2026.
Does your claim qualify?
An individual can sue for up to $7,000 in Michigan small claims court. A business or other entity is held to the same limit.
Source: Michigan Compiled Laws §600.8371
How long you have to file
Michigan sets a different deadline depending on what the claim is about. Miss it and the court can throw the case out no matter how strong it is.
| Type of claim | Deadline | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Written contract | 6 years | MCL 600.5807 |
| Oral contract or agreement | 6 years | MCL 600.5807 |
| Property damage | 3 years | MCL 600.5805 |
| Personal injury | 3 years | MCL 600.5805 |
Michigan doesn't distinguish a written contract from an oral one — both run on the same 6-year period.
What the court charges to file
Michigan charges by how much you're suing for, in bands:
| Claim amount | Filing fee |
|---|---|
| Up to $600 | $25 |
| Over $600, up to $1,750 | $45 |
| Over $1,750, up to $7,000 | $65 |
Michigan's Small Claims Division jurisdiction caps at $7,000, even though the underlying district-court fee statute continues into higher tiers for general civil claims.
Source: Michigan Compiled Laws §600.8371
Getting the papers to the other side
Filing isn't enough — the person you're suing has to be formally notified, and Michigan recognizes these methods:
| Method | Cost |
|---|---|
| Court officer | $26 |
Court officer. $26 per defendant, plus mileage — 1.5× the state's civil-service mileage rate, capped at 75 miles each way. MCL 600.2559
Michigan small claims cases typically require personal or court-arranged service rather than plaintiff-mailed certified mail, so a mail option isn't shown here. A private process server is also an option; no official source publishes a typical cost for one.
If you can't afford the fee
Michigan can waive the filing fee entirely for someone who can't afford it. The published income test is 125% of the federal poverty guidelines for your household size.
Automatic qualification. You currently receive a means-tested public assistance program (for example FIP, SSI, or Food Assistance/SNAP), or you're represented by a qualifying legal aid program.
Above 125% of the poverty guideline, Michigan's court rule still requires a waiver if paying would cause a "manifest hardship" — decided case by case from your specific income, expenses, and assets.
Source: MCR 2.002 (Waiver or Suspension of Fees and Costs for Indigent Persons)
Garnishing the debtor's wages
Michigan caps how much of one paycheck a judgment creditor can take, based on the debtor's disposable earnings.
Michigan doesn't set its own limit for an ordinary judgment — it applies the federal formula as-is.
How long the judgment lasts
A Michigan judgment stays enforceable for 10 years. Renewing it costs $20.
No cap on how many times you can renew — file before each 10-year period runs out and the judgment stays enforceable indefinitely.
Source: MCL 600.5809(3)
What isn't shown for Michigan
These costs are real, but Michigan doesn't publish a single statewide figure for them — they're set county by county, or by an authority that doesn't publish a citable rate. Rather than show a number that would be wrong for your court, this page leaves them out:
- What a subpoenaed witness must be paid
- What it costs to appeal a judgment
- The statutory interest rate on an unpaid judgment
- What it costs to levy a bank account
Your court clerk can give you the figure for your county.
Where these numbers come from
Every figure on this page is read from Michigan's own statute, court fee schedule, or judiciary guidance, and each section links the source it came from. Nothing here is estimated, averaged, or copied from another site's summary. Where a cost genuinely varies by county or isn't published anywhere citable, this page says so rather than showing a number.
This page is a summary — the calculators it links to do the arithmetic for your specific claim amount, dates, and circumstances.
Last reviewed: September 2026