Small Claims Court Amount Calculator
Calculate small claims court total from damages and filing fees by US state.
Returns whether it fits the state limit ($2,500-$25,000) and total owed.
Small Claims Court allows individuals to sue for relatively small amounts without needing a lawyer. Each US state has different maximum claim limits and filing fees.
Total claim calculation:
Claim Amount = Original Damages + Prejudgment Interest
The filing fee is not part of the claim. This matters more than it sounds. The jurisdictional limit applies to what you are suing the other side for, and the court’s own fee is not something you are suing them for. Add it in and a $9,950 claim in a $10,000 state looks like it fails the limit because of a $75 fee, which is simply wrong. Pay the fee separately, and ask the judge to award it as costs if you win, which most will.
Prejudgment interest is the interest owed from the date the debt was due until the court date.
Interest = Principal × (Annual Rate / 365) × Days Overdue
Most states allow prejudgment interest at a statutory rate, commonly 5-10% per year. The rate is set by law rather than by you, so look up your state’s figure instead of using the one on the contract.
US state small claims limits (selected examples):
- California: $12,500 (individuals since January 2024), $6,250 (business plaintiffs)
- New York: $10,000 in New York City Civil Court, $3,000-$5,000 in town and village courts
- Texas: $20,000
- Florida: $8,000
- Illinois: $10,000
- Pennsylvania: $12,000
- Ohio: $6,000
- Georgia: $15,000
- Michigan: $7,000
- Washington: $10,000
All 50 states are in the Small Claims Limit Lookup.
Filing fees vary by state and claim amount:
- Small claims under $1,500: typically $30-75
- Claims $1,500-$5,000: typically $50-100
- Claims $5,000-$10,000: typically $75-200
What you can claim:
- Unpaid debts or loans
- Property damage
- Breach of contract (written or verbal)
- Security deposit disputes
- Defective products or poor services
- Personal injury (minor)
What you cannot claim in small claims:
- Amounts above your state maximum
- Libel, slander, or defamation (in most states)
- Class action lawsuits
- Claims against the federal government
Important note: If your claim exceeds the small claims limit, you can either reduce your claim to fit, or file in a higher court (which typically requires an attorney). This calculator provides general estimates only and is not legal advice.
How we build and check this calculator
This calculator runs entirely in your browser, so the numbers you enter stay on your device. The math behind it is written by hand and tested against worked examples and standard references before the page goes live.
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