How Much is Small Claims Court in California
Small claims court is for small but personal cases. When a client refuses to pay you for $4,000 in work, when a dog bite costs you $8,000 in medical bills, or when the cable company does $6,500 in property damage during installation, you take these issues to the small claims court to get back what the other party owes. The question remains: how much is small claims court in California?
Small claims court is where people and entities file lawsuits that are worth less than $5,000 to $10,000 dollars. These disputes are not big enough to make a large case, but also significant enough for the plaintiff to seek settlement from another party. Small claims court is often used to settle fees, contract violations, and other civil disputes that are not officially crimes but warrant an official ruling on whether one party should pay the other.
To file a small claim, the plaintiff must pay a small fee. Knowing the amount of the small claims court filing fees can help you decide whether a case is worth pursuing. This article will share how much small claims court costs in California and other helpful information.
Small Claims Court Filing Fees
Fees are based on the value of a case. Suing the dry cleaner for damage to a suit would be considerably less than suing the tree trimming business for dropping a huge branch on your roof.
Small claims court filing fees are based on the amount you are suing for and how many small claims you have filed in the last year. The minimum filing fee for small claims court in California is $30 if your claim is $1,500 in value or less. If your claim is over $1,500 but less than $5,000, the filing fee is $50. If your claim is over $5,000 to the maximum of $10,000, the filing fee is typically $75.
- Claims $1,500 or Less:
- $30 Filing Fee
- Claims $1,501 to $5,000:
- $50 Filing Fee
- Claims $5,001 to $10,000
- $75 Filing Fee
Frequent Filing Fee
If you have filed over 12 small claims in the last 12 months, your default filing fee will increase. The frequent filing fee is $100 for all claims, no matter the size.
- Frequent Filing Fee:
- $100 per Claim
NOTE: You can only file 2 small claims that are over the value of $2,500 each year. However, you can file an infinite number of claims worth $2,500 or less. This restriction does not apply to schools and other local public organizations.
Fees Across California Counties
Small claims fees are the same in every county in California.
How Much Small Claims Court Costs in California Counties Outside of Your Local Area
If you want the court to take specific actions, that also comes with fees. Notifying parties, vacating a property, ordering a medical exam, or even postponing your court date will add further cost to your original filing fee.
In addition to filing fees, there are a number of additional fees that may or may not apply to your case in the California small claims court. Added fees differ from one county to the next. Attached find links to fee schedules for San Diego and Los Angeles Counties. SueYa is ready to assist you with information on how much small claims court is in any county throughout California.
- Raising a claim from below to above $1,500
- $20 San Diego
- Raising a claim from below to above $5,000
- $25 San Diego
- Raising a claim from below $1,500 to above $5,000
- $45 San Diego
- Clerk serving each defendant through certified mail
- $15 San Diego
- $40 Los Angeles
- Request postponement of hearing after a defendant has been served
- $10 San Diego
- Notice of Appeal
- $75 San Diego
- Petition of Writ
- $75 San Diego
- $25 Los Angeles
- Motion to Vacate
- $20 San Diego
- $20 Los Angeles
- Payment of Judgment to the Court
- $20 San Diego
- $20 Los Angeles
- Application for Order of Examination or Judgment Debtor
- $60 San Diego
- $20 Los Angeles
- Writ of Execution
- $40 San Diego
- $25 Los Angeles
- Abstract Judgment
- $40 San Diego
- $25 Los Angeles
V. Exceptions and Waivers
Not everyone can afford the court fees. People with the greatest resource limitations are the likeliest to seek payment through small claims court because they are unable to afford non-payment or damage costs.
If you cannot afford your fees for small claims court, however, waivers are handled differently in each county of California. You can request a waiver form from the court both for plaintiff filing fees and additional fees that may relate to the processing of your case. SueYa can help you receive fee waivers if you are unable to cover the routine costs of your small claims case in California.
It is also possible to have the other party pay your small claims court fees if you win the case.
How Much Is Small Claims Court in California?
It is costlier not to file a claim than the nominal fee required to legally air your dispute before an authoritative entity. Small claims court is an important source of dispute resolution if someone owes you money or has harmed you, equating to $10,000 or less. However, it’s important to be aware of all the costs that may come with a California small claims case. If you are eligible for waivers or exceptions, seeking them out is a good idea.
SueYa can help you with California small claims cases, among other legal help we can offer. Contact us to find out more about how SueYa can assist with your small claims court needs.
