2026 state court fee data · Pennsylvania
Small Claims in Pennsylvania
Recorded at $60–$120 - among the cheaper civil filings in Pennsylvania, and one of 10 states where we price this filing.
Fee rank is not wait rank
Signature reading for Small Claims in Pennsylvania: 6 steps on published procedural depth for this filing. On this filing's state cohort, Pennsylvania sits mid-pack on recorded max fees ($60–$120). 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 Pennsylvania ranks #91 of 120 process-state filings by maximum filing fee (highest max fee = #1). Civil Lawsuit is largest of 2 at $450 among 12 civil filings in Pennsylvania; that is not the longest wait: Divorce records 90 days on a $350 ceiling.
Small Claims figures for Pennsylvania are compiled schedule reference, not legal advice - verify with the clerk where you intend to file.
In-state wait inventory
Waiting periods among Pennsylvania civil filings
Exclusive split of all 12 tracked filings in Pennsylvania - orthogonal to in-state fee placement below.
Compare a state record
Compare small claims with another state
Start with Pennsylvania, then inspect another published court-schedule record without leaving this page.
In-state placement
Where small claims sits among Pennsylvania filings
Of the 12 civil filings we track in Pennsylvania, small claims ranks 9 by recorded maximum fee: among the cheaper civil filings in Pennsylvania. Neighbours: Eviction at $175 and Tenant Rights at $120.
Same-state corpus only, not a national ranking. How we place filings
The Pennsylvania row lists 6 procedural steps against a 6-step median for this filing: a reading of published detail, not difficulty.
Filing Fee Details
$60-$120 in Magisterial District Courts. Fee varies by county and claim amount.
Pennsylvania's mid-band fee among states
Pennsylvania sits mid-pack in this filing's state cohort at $60–$120 (rank #5 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: $12,000
- Filed in Magisterial District Court
- Informal hearing before magistrate
- Appeal to Court of Common Pleas available
Step-by-Step Process
- 1
File complaint at Magisterial District Court
- 2
Pay filing fee
- 3
Constable serves defendant
- 4
Hearing within 3-6 weeks
- 5
Informal hearing before district justice
- 6
Judgment issued same day usually
Important Notes
Pennsylvania uses Magisterial District Courts. Process is informal.
Grounds / Eligibility
Monetary disputes up to $12,000
Quick Reference
- Fee stamp
- CLERK schedule band
- Wait stamp
- OPEN clock band
- Filing Fee
- $60–$120
- Residency
- File in Magisterial District Court where defendant resides or contract was made
- Typical Timeline
- 3-6 weeks to hearing
Official Resources
Nearest fee-schedule peers in Pennsylvania
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 Pennsylvania'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 |