All verified limits
Limits are the amount claimed, generally exclusive of interest and court costs where the rule says so; the quote on each state page gives the exact wording. California and Washington set a lower figure for businesses, and Michigan and Nebraska raise theirs on a schedule written into the statute.
| State | Limit | Court | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $6,000 | District court small claims docket | Ala. Code § 12-12-31(a) |
| Alaska | $10,000 | District court small claims | AS 22.15.040 (court form SC-95) |
| Arizona | $5,000 | Justice court small claims division | A.R.S. § 22-503(A) |
| Arkansas | $5,000 | District court small claims division | Arkansas Judiciary court structure chart |
| California | $12,500 business $6,250 | Superior court small claims | Cal. Code Civ. Proc. §§ 116.220, 116.221 |
| Colorado | $7,500 | County court small claims | C.R.S. § 13-6-403 |
| Connecticut | $5,000 | Superior Court small claims session | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 51-15(d) |
| Delaware | $25,000 | Justice of the Peace Court (civil) | 10 Del. C. § 9301 |
| District of Columbia | $10,000 | Superior Court Small Claims and Conciliation Branch | D.C. Code § 11-1321 |
| Florida | $8,000 | County court small claims | Fla. Sm. Cl. R. 7.010(b) |
| Georgia | $15,000 | Magistrate court | O.C.G.A. § 15-10-2 |
| Hawaii | $5,000 | District court small claims division | Haw. Rev. Stat. ch. 633 |
| Idaho | $15,000 | Magistrate division small claims department | Idaho Code § 1-2301 |
| Illinois | $10,000 | Circuit court small claims | Ill. S. Ct. R. 281 |
| Indiana | $10,000 | Small claims docket | Ind. Code § 33-29-2-4 |
| Iowa | $6,500 | District court small claims | Iowa Code § 631.1(1)(b) |
| Kansas | $10,000 | District court small claims | K.S.A. 61-2703 |
| Kentucky | $2,500 | District court small claims division | KRS 24A.230 |
| Louisiana | $5,000 | City court small claims division | La. R.S. 13:5202(A) |
| Maine | $10,000 | District court small claims | 14 M.R.S. § 7482 |
| Maryland | $5,000 | District court small claims | Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 4-405 |
| Massachusetts | $7,000 | District court and Boston Municipal Court small claims | M.G.L. c. 218, § 21 |
| Michigan | $7,000 | District court small claims division | MCL 600.8401 |
| Minnesota | $20,000 | Conciliation court | Minn. Stat. § 491A.01, subd. 3a |
| Mississippi | $3,500 | Justice court | Miss. Code § 9-11-9 |
| Missouri | $5,000 | Associate circuit small claims | RSMo § 482.305 |
| Montana | $7,000 | Justice court small claims | Mont. Code Ann. § 25-35-502(1) |
| Nebraska | $7,500 | County court small claims | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-2802(4) |
| Nevada | $10,000 | Justice court small claims | NRS 73.010(1) |
| New Hampshire | $10,000 | Circuit court district division small claims | RSA ch. 503 |
| New Jersey | $5,000 | Superior Court Special Civil Part, Small Claims Section | N.J. Ct. R. 6:1-2 |
| New Mexico | $10,000 | Magistrate court | NMSA § 35-3-3 |
| New York New York City | $10,000 | New York City Civil Court, Small Claims Part | N.Y.C. Civ. Ct. Act § 1801 |
| North Carolina | $10,000 | District court small claims (magistrate) | N.C.G.S. § 7A-210(1) |
| North Dakota | $15,000 | Small claims court | N.D.C.C. § 27-08.1-01 |
| Ohio | $6,000 | Municipal and county court small claims division | Ohio Rev. Code § 1925.02(A)(1) |
| Oklahoma | $10,000 | District court small claims | 12 O.S. § 1751 |
| Oregon | $10,000 | Circuit court small claims department | ORS 46.405(3) |
| Pennsylvania | $12,000 | Magisterial district court (Philadelphia: Municipal Court) | 42 Pa.C.S. § 1515(a)(3) |
| Rhode Island | $5,000 | District court small claims | R.I. Gen. Laws § 10-16-1 |
| South Carolina | $7,500 | Magistrate court | S.C. Code § 22-3-10 |
| South Dakota | $12,000 | Small claims court | SDCL § 16-12C-13 |
| Tennessee | $25,000 | General sessions court | Tenn. Code Ann. § 16-15-501 |
| Texas | $20,000 | Justice court (small claims cases) | Tex. Gov't Code § 27.031(a)(1) |
| Utah | $20,000 | Justice court small claims | Utah Code § 78A-8-102 |
| Vermont | $10,000 | Superior court civil division small claims | 12 V.S.A. § 5531(a) |
| Virginia | $5,000 | General district court small claims division | Va. Code § 16.1-122.2 |
| Washington | $10,000 business $5,000 | District court small claims department | RCW 12.40.010(1) |
| West Virginia | $20,000 | Magistrate court | W. Va. Code § 50-2-1 |
| Wisconsin | $10,000 | Circuit court small claims | Wis. Stat. § 799.01(1)(d) |
| Wyoming | $6,000 | Circuit court small claims | Wyo. Stat. § 1-21-201 |
Reading the spread
Delaware and the other states at the top of the chart send these cases to a general limited-jurisdiction court (a justice of the peace, magistrate or general sessions court) rather than a separate small claims division, which is why their ceilings sit well above the median. At the other end, Kentucky keeps a $2,500 small claims division inside its district court.
The security deposit rules pair naturally with this table: an unreturned deposit is one of the most common small claims cases, and each state page shows the rent level at which a full-deposit claim still fits under the limit. For the steps that follow a decision to sue, see how to file a small claims case.