Lowest Small Claims Court Filing Fees by State (Ranked)

Small claims courts provide an accessible venue for resolving civil disputes involving limited monetary amounts, with the specific dollar ceiling and fee structure set by each state. Filing fees represent a key barrier to entry, and most states use a tiered structure where the fee climbs as the claim amount climbs rather than charging one flat rate. This ranking lists the 10 U.S. states PlainCivil covers, sorted from the lowest base filing fee to the highest, drawn directly from PlainCivil's own filing-fee database of official court schedules.

Top Patterns

New York leads with the lowest starting fee at $20–$35. $20 for claims up to $1,000; $35 for claims over $1,000. California follows at $30–$75. $30 for claims up to $1,500; $50 for $1,501-$5,000; $75 for $5,001-$12,500. Michigan follows at $30–$75. $30-$75 depending on claim amount.

Ohio at $35–$75, Texas at $46–$112, and Georgia at $50–$150. $35-$75 depending on county and claim amount. $46-$112 depending on county and claim amount. Justice of the Peace Courts handle small claims. $50-$150 in Magistrate Court. Fee varies by claim amount and county.

Full ranking of small claims filing fees, 10 states covered by PlainCivil

  1. 1
    New York $20–$35 filing fee
    $20 for claims up to $1,000; $35 for claims over $1,000.
  2. 2
    California $30–$75 filing fee
    $30 for claims up to $1,500; $50 for $1,501-$5,000; $75 for $5,001-$12,500.
  3. 3
    Michigan $30–$75 filing fee
    $30-$75 depending on claim amount.
  4. 4
    Ohio $35–$75 filing fee
    $35-$75 depending on county and claim amount.
  5. 5
    Texas $46–$112 filing fee
    $46-$112 depending on county and claim amount. Justice of the Peace Courts handle small claims.
  6. 6
    Georgia $50–$150 filing fee
    $50-$150 in Magistrate Court. Fee varies by claim amount and county.
  7. 7
    Florida $55–$300 filing fee
    $55 for claims up to $100; $80 for $101-$500; $175 for $501-$2,500; $300 for $2,501-$8,000.
  8. 8
    Pennsylvania $60–$120 filing fee
    $60-$120 in Magisterial District Courts. Fee varies by county and claim amount.
  9. 9
    Illinois $89–$264 filing fee
    $89-$264 in Cook County depending on claim. Other counties: $50-$150 approximately.
  10. 10
    North Carolina $96–$150 filing fee
    $96 court costs plus sheriff service fee (~$30). Additional fees may apply.

Source PlainCivil court-schedule fields

Florida marks the start of the higher-fee tier at $55–$300. $55 for claims up to $100; $80 for $101-$500; $175 for $501-$2,500; $300 for $2,501-$8,000. Pennsylvania follows at $60–$120. $60-$120 in Magisterial District Courts. Fee varies by county and claim amount. Illinois follows at $89–$264. $89-$264 in Cook County depending on claim. Other counties: $50-$150 approximately. North Carolina follows at $96–$150. $96 court costs plus sheriff service fee (~$30). Additional fees may apply. Nearly every state on this list uses a tiered fee schedule where the amount charged rises with the size of the claim, rather than one flat rate, so the range shown reflects the low and high ends of that schedule. For state-by-state process detail, see the small claims process guide.

Methodology Notes

Fees shown are pulled live from PlainCivil's own filing-fee database, which compiles base filing fees for plaintiff-initiated small claims actions from official state court fee schedules and clerk handbooks. Where a state uses a tiered fee structure (fee increases with claim amount, as most states in this dataset do), both the low and high end of the published range are shown. Rankings sort by the low end of each state's range; ties are broken by the high end. This list covers only the 10 states PlainCivil tracks, not a national survey of all 50 states.

Caveats and Limitations

Fees exclude mailing, service, or e-filing add-ons, which can add to the total. County-level surcharges exist in several states and are noted in the process detail pages where documented. Claim-amount ceilings and fee schedules change via legislation, and indigent fee waivers are available in every state PlainCivil covers but require a separate affidavit process. Coverage spans 10 states; verify the current fee with the county clerk before filing. See our methodology for how every figure is sourced.