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Small claims · checked October 20, 2026

Small claims limit in New York: $10,000

New York (New York City) caps small claims at $10,000, set by N.Y.C. Civ. Ct. Act § 1801. It ranks 13th of 51 verified jurisdictions.

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  1. 1Limit$10,000
  2. 2CourtNew York City Civil Court, Small Claims Part
  3. 3FeeSet by clerk
  4. 4RuleN.Y.C. Civ. Ct. Act § 1801

The rule in New York

The small claims limit in New York (New York City) is $10,000. The rule is N.Y.C. Civ. Ct. Act § 1801; the New York State Unified Court System, NYC Small Claims Court puts it this way: “The Small Claims Part hears cases where parties are seeking monetary relief up to $10,000.” The court that hears these cases: New York City Civil Court, Small Claims Part.

Among the 51 jurisdictions with a verified figure on this site, New York ranks 13th from the top. That is exactly the median of $10,000. It is 4 times Kentucky's $2,500 floor and 40% of the $25,000 top figure. 15 other verified jurisdictions use the same $10,000 figure, including Alaska, District of Columbia, Illinois and Indiana.

Next door, Connecticut allows $5,000, Massachusetts allows $7,000, New Jersey allows $5,000, Pennsylvania allows $12,000 and Vermont allows $10,000. A claim of $10,000 that fits in New York would be $5,000 over the line in Connecticut. Pennsylvania goes $2,000 further, so a dispute worth $12,000 could stay in small claims there but not in New York.

Worked check against the $10,000 figure: a $5,000 claim uses 50% of the limit and leaves $5,000 of room; a claim of exactly $10,000 still fits, because the rule caps the amount rather than excluding it; a claim of $10,001 is $1 over.

The source checked for New York does not publish a statewide filing fee, so this page shows none; the clerk of the court where the case is filed posts the current amount.

This record covers the five boroughs of New York City. City, town and village courts elsewhere in the state set their own limits, which this site has not verified.

Deposit disputes are a common small claims case. New York caps deposits at 1 month's rent (deposit rules), so a claim for a full deposit stays under the $10,000 limit whenever the monthly rent is $10,000 or less.

Pennsylvania$12,000New York$10,000Vermont$10,000Massachusetts$7,000Connecticut$5,000New Jersey$5,000Median, verified$10,000
Small claims limits, New York against neighbouring or nearest states. Bar lengths are to scale.

Source: New York State Unified Court System, NYC Small Claims Court · N.Y.C. Civ. Ct. Act § 1801 · last checked October 20, 2026.

Where the case goes

A claim within the limit is filed with the New York City Civil Court, Small Claims Part. The linked source is the place to confirm forms, the filing fee and where to file before starting; the guides on filing a small claims case and serving the papers explain the usual steps in general terms.

Questions

What is the small claims limit in New York?

$10,000 (New York City), under N.Y.C. Civ. Ct. Act § 1801. Checked October 20, 2026.

Do interest and costs count toward the New York limit?

The wording quoted from the source (“The Small Claims Part hears cases where parties are seeking monetary relief up to $10,000.”) does not address it; the court clerk can say how the court counts them.

How much does it cost to file a small claim in New York?

The source checked does not publish a statewide fee; the clerk of the court where the case is filed posts it.

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