The Small Claims Court is a special court where you can resolve disputes quickly and inexpensively. The rules are simple. The hearing is informal. You are not allowed to have a lawyer with you in court. As an individual, you can use Small Claims Court if your claim is for $10,000 or less. If you are an individual who owns a business (i.e. sole proprietor) and do business under a fictitious business name, you are considered to be an "individual" in Small Claims Court. For example, if you are a plumber doing business as XYZ Plumbing and want to sue a customer who has not paid you, you can file a claim for up to $10,000. If your business is a Corporation, Partnership or any other type of entity other than a Sole Proprietorship, your maximum claim amount is $5,000.

.Plaintiffs Checklist.

Form Description ............................................................................................................ Form

Plaintiff's Claim and ORDER to Go to Small Claims Court (Small Claims) ........................... SC-100

Other Plaintiffs or Defendants (Attachment to Plaintiff's Claim ............................................. SC-100A

and ORDER to Go to Small Claims Court)

Information for the Plaintiff (Small Claims) ............................................................................ SC-100-INFO

Attorney Fee Dispute (After Arbitration) (Attachment to Plaintiff's ......................................... SC-101

Claim and ORDER to Go to Small Claims Court)

Fictitious Business Name (Small Claims) ............................................................................. SC-103

Proof of Service (Small Claims) ............................................................................................ SC-104

Proof of Mailing (Substituted Service) (Small Claims) .......................................................... SC-104A

What Is Proof of Service? (Small Claims) ............................................................................. SC104B

How to Serve a Business or Public Entity (Small Claims) .................................................... SC-104C

Request for Court Order and Answer .................................................................................... SC-105

Order on Request for Court Order ........................................................................................ SC-105A

Small Claims Subpoena for Personal Appearance and ........................................................ SC-107

Production of Documents at Trial or Hearing and Declaration

Request to Correct or Cancel Judgment and Answer (Small Claims) ................................... SC-108

Order on Request to Correct or Cancel Judgment ............................................................... SC-108A

Authorization to Appear on Behalf of Party ........................................................................... SC-109

Proof of Service by Mail (Small Claims) ................................................................................ SC-112A

Clerk's Certificate of Mailing .................................................................................................. SC-113A

Request to Amend Party Name Before Hearing (Small Claims) ........................................... SC-114

Defendant's Claims and ORDER to Go to Small Claims Courts ........................................... SC-120

Other Plaintiffs or Defendants (Attachment to Defendant's ................................................... SC-130

Claim and ORDER to Go to Small Claims Court)

Attorney-Client Fee Dispute (Attachment to Notice of Entry of Judgment) .......................... SC-132

Judgment Debtor's Statement of Assets (Small Claims) ....................................................... SC-133

Application and Order to Produce Statement of Assets and to Appear For Examination ..... SC-134

Notice of Motion to Vacate Judgment and Declaration ......................................................... SC-135

Notice of Appeal .................................................................................................................... SC-140

Request to Pay Judgment to Court ....................................................................................... SC-145

Request to Postpone Trial (Small Claims) ............................................................................. SC-150

(For Information for the Plaintiff, see SC-100-INFO)

Order on Request to Postpone Trial (Small Claims) .............................................................. SC-152

Notice of Entry of Judgment (Small Claims) .......................................................................... SC-200

What to Do After the Court Decides Your Small Claims Case ............................................... SC-200-INFO

Decision on Attorney-Client Fee Dispute (Small Claims) ...................................................... SC-202A

Request to Make Payments (Small Claims) .......................................................................... SC-220

Payments in Small Claims Cases ......................................................................................... SC-220-INFO

Response to Request to Make Payments (Small Claims) ..................................................... SC-221

Order on Request to Make Payments (Small Claims) ........................................................... SC-222

Declaration of Default in Payment of Judgment .................................................................... SC-223

Response to Declaration of Default in Payment of Judgment ............................................... SC-224

Order on Declaration of Default in Payments ........................................................................ SC-225

Attachment to Order on Declaration of Default in Payments ................................................ SC-225A

Acknowledgment of Satisfaction of Judgment ....................................................................... SC-290

Petition for Writ (Small Claims) ............................................................................................. SC-300

Information on Writ Proceedings in Small Claims Cases ...................................................... SC-300-INFO

Plaintiff's Claim and ORDER to Go to Small Claims Court ................................................... SC-500

(COVID-19 Rental Debt)

Other Plaintiffs or Defendants (COVID-19 Rental Debt) ....................................................... SC-500A

COVID-19 Rental Debt in Small Claims Court ...................................................................... SC-500-INFO

Petition for Writ (Misdemeanor, Infraction, or Limited Civil Case) .......................................... APP-151

Abstract of Judgment—Civil and Small Claims ..................................................................... EJ-001

Foreign Language Interpreter's Duties—Civil And Small Claims ........................................... INT-200

(For Noncertified And Nonregistered Interpreters)

Important note: You can’t file more than 2 Small Claims Court actions for more than $2,500 in California during any calendar year. For example, if you file a claim for $3,000 in February of this year, and another claim for $4,000 in March of this year, you can’t file another claim for more than $2,500.00 in any Small Claims Court in California until January 1 of next year. However, you can still file as many claims as you want for $2,500 or less.

If you are filing the claim, you are the Plaintiff.

If you are being sued, you are the Defendant.

• Here are some examples of common Small Claims cases:
• Your former landlord refuses to return the security deposit you paid.
• Someone dents your fender and refuses to pay for repairs.
• Your new TV doesn’t work, and the store won’t fix it.
• Your tenant caused damage to the apartment and the repairs cost more than the security deposit. (Note: You can't use Small Claims Court to evict someone.)
• You lent money to a friend, and she refuses to pay you back.
• Small Claims Court can also order a defendant to do something, as long as you are also asking for money in your claim. For example, the court can cancel a contract. Or, the court can order your neighbor to pay you for your lawn mower or to return it to you right away.

You don't have to be a U.S. citizen to file or defend a case in Small Claims Court. If you don't speak English well, bring someone who speaks English and ask the judge if that person can be your interpreter. The court can’t give you an interpreter. You may find a list of interpreters on the state's judicial website.

New Rule:

Different limits apply in an action against a defendant who is a guarantor (See Code of Civ. Proc., §116.220(c).) In an action brought by a natural person for damages for bodily injuries resulting from an automobile accident, a $7,500 limit applies if a defendant is covered by an automobile insurance policy that includes a duty to defend. (See Code Civ. Proc., § 116.221.)

Disclaimer: This website does not give you legal advice. This is only general information. If you would like to search the Court's case index for information about a particular Small Claims case, or look up a hearing date, visit https://fresno.courts.ca.gov.