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Small Claims Court Limits in New York

In New York, small claims limits depend on the court: $10,000 in New York City, $5,000 in city courts outside NYC and $3,000 in town and village courts; in NYC the filing fee is $15 or $20.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

New York at a glance

Maximum claim
$10,000 in NYC, $5,000 city courts, $3,000 town courts
Limits exclude interest and costs.
Filing fee
$15 to $20 in NYC
NYC Civil Court: $15 for claims of $1,000 or less, $20 for larger claims.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in New York

What is the small claims court limit in New York?

Maximum claim in New York: $10,000 in NYC, $5,000 city courts, $3,000 town courts. Limits exclude interest and costs.

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

Filing fee in New York: $15 to $20 in NYC. NYC Civil Court: $15 for claims of $1,000 or less, $20 for larger claims.

Where do the New York small claims court limits come from?

The rules above come from N.Y. City Civ. Ct. Act 1801, N.Y. City Civ. Ct. Act 1803, N.Y. Uniform City Ct. Act 1801 and N.Y. Uniform Justice Ct. Act 1801. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

What this means in practice

Before filing, send the other side a written demand that states what is owed, why, and a deadline to pay. A clear demand letter sometimes settles the dispute without court, and some courts ask whether you tried to resolve the matter first.

Bring organized evidence to the hearing: contracts, receipts, invoices, photos, text messages and any written promise to pay. Prepare a short timeline of what happened. Judges in small claims court decide cases quickly, so a clear, document backed explanation helps.

Winning a judgment does not mean you are paid automatically. If the other side does not pay voluntarily, you may need to use collection tools such as wage garnishment, a bank levy or a lien, and each of those has its own forms, fees and rules.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check the current statute before you rely on it.