2026 state court fee data · North Carolina
Small Claims in North Carolina
Recorded at $96–$150 - mid-pack among the civil filings in North Carolina, and one of 10 states where we price this filing.
Fee rank is not wait rank
Signature reading for Small Claims in North Carolina: 6 steps on published procedural depth for this filing. On this filing's state cohort, North Carolina sits in the upper third of recorded max fees ($96–$150). The published step list sits near the 6-step median for this filing (6 steps). According to PlainCivil's compiled state court fee schedules, Small Claims in North Carolina ranks #84 of 120 process-state filings by maximum filing fee (highest max fee = #1). Civil Lawsuit is largest of 3 at $300 among 12 civil filings in North Carolina; that is not the longest wait: Divorce records 365 days on a $225 ceiling.
Small Claims figures for North Carolina are compiled schedule reference, not legal advice - verify with the clerk where you intend to file.
In-state wait inventory
Waiting periods among North Carolina civil filings
Exclusive split of all 12 tracked filings in North Carolina - orthogonal to in-state fee placement below.
Compare a state record
Compare small claims with another state
Start with North Carolina, then inspect another published court-schedule record without leaving this page.
In-state placement
Where small claims sits among North Carolina filings
Of the 12 civil filings we track in North Carolina, small claims ranks 7 by recorded maximum fee: mid-pack among the civil filings in North Carolina. Neighbours: Name Change at $150 and Tenant Rights at $150.
Same-state corpus only, not a national ranking. How we place filings
The North Carolina row lists 6 procedural steps against a 6-step median for this filing: a reading of published detail, not difficulty.
Filing Fee Details
$96 court costs plus sheriff service fee (~$30). Additional fees may apply.
North Carolina's high-band fee among states
North Carolina sits in the upper third of this filing's state cohort at $96–$150 (rank #3 of 10 by max fee).
Source: state court filing-fee schedules (upper-bound fee per state). Verify current amounts with the relevant court. How we calculate this ranking →
Key Requirements
- Claim limit: $10,000
- Filed in Small Claims Court (Magistrate)
- Service by sheriff
- Attorneys rarely appear; informal hearing
Step-by-Step Process
- 1
File complaint at Clerk of Superior Court
- 2
Pay filing fee and service fee
- 3
Sheriff serves defendant
- 4
Hearing before magistrate (1-3 weeks)
- 5
Informal presentation of evidence
- 6
Judgment same day or shortly after
Important Notes
NC Small Claims Court (magistrate) is very informal and fast. Appeal to District Court available.
Grounds / Eligibility
Monetary disputes up to $10,000 in Small Claims Court
Quick Reference
- Fee stamp
- CLERK schedule band
- Wait stamp
- OPEN clock band
- Filing Fee
- $96–$150
- Residency
- File in county where defendant resides or business is located
- Typical Timeline
- 1-3 weeks to hearing in magistrate court
Official Resources
Nearest fee-schedule peers in North Carolina
Ordered by ABS(filing_fee_max) to this row's CLERK stamp - not an A-Z process catalog.
Take this with you
What to do with small claims in North Carolina's numbers, next.
- Read the step-by-step guide for small claims Small claims limits guide
- See how every state compares on small claims filing fees View state rankings
- Check where this fee sits against every other filing we track Use the fee percentile tool
Filing fees and requirements change; verify current figures with your local court before filing.
| Publisher | PlainCivil |
| Sources | Public state court datasets and federal civil-justice records |