Small Claims Court Eligibility Calculator
ANA›Life Services Authority›National Calculator Authority›Small Claims Court Eligibility Calculator
.calc-container { max-width: 640px; margin: 2rem 0; padding: 1.5rem; background: #fff; border: 1px solid #ddd; border-radius: 8px; box-shadow: 0 1px 3px rgba(0,0,0,0.06); font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, sans-serif; } .calc-container h3 { font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.15rem; color: #1a1a1a; margin-bottom: 1rem; padding-bottom: 0.5rem; border-bottom: 2px solid var(--ac, #3d5a80); } .calc-row { display: flex; align-items: center; gap: 0.75rem; margin-bottom: 0.75rem; flex-wrap: wrap; } .calc-row label { min-width: 160px; font-size: 0.9rem; color: #333; font-weight: 500; } .calc-row input[type="number"], .calc-row select { flex: 1; min-width: 120px; max-width: 200px; padding: 0.5rem 0.6rem; border: 1px solid #ccc; border-radius: 4px; font-size: 0.9rem; font-family: system-ui, sans-serif; color: #1a1a1a; background: #fafaf8; } .calc-row input:focus, .calc-row select:focus { outline: none; border-color: var(--ac, #3d5a80); box-shadow: 0 0 0 2px rgba(26,74,138,0.12); } .calc-row .unit { font-size: 0.82rem; color: #888; min-width: 30px; } .calc-btn { display: inline-block; margin-top: 0.5rem; padding: 0.55rem 1.5rem; background: var(--ac, #3d5a80); color: #fff; border: none; border-radius: 4px; font-size: 0.9rem; font-weight: 600; cursor: pointer; font-family: system-ui, sans-serif; } .calc-btn:hover { opacity: 0.9; } .calc-result { margin-top: 1.25rem; padding: 1rem 1.25rem; background: #f0f6fc; border-left: 3px solid var(--ac, #3d5a80); border-radius: 0 6px 6px 0; display: none; } .calc-result.visible { display: block; } .calc-result-label { font-size: 0.78rem; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.06em; color: #666; margin-bottom: 0.25rem; } .calc-result-value { font-size: 1.6rem; font-weight: 700; color: var(--ac, #3d5a80); } .calc-result-detail { font-size: 0.85rem; color: #555; margin-top: 0.5rem; line-height: 1.5; } .calc-note { margin-top: 1rem; font-size: 0.8rem; color: #888; font-style: italic; } .calc-grid { display: grid; grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr; gap: 0.75rem; margin-top: 0.75rem; } .calc-grid-item { padding: 0.6rem 0.8rem; background: #f8f9fa; border-radius: 4px; border: 1px solid #eee; } .calc-grid-item .label { font-size: 0.75rem; color: #888; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.04em; } .calc-grid-item .value { font-size: 1.1rem; font-weight: 600; color: #1a1a1a; } @media (max-width: 720px) { .calc-row { flex-direction: column; align-items: flex-start; gap: 0.3rem; } .calc-row label { min-width: auto; } .calc-row input[type="number"], .calc-row select { max-width: 100%; width: 100%; } .calc-grid { grid-template-columns: 1fr; } } .calc-chart { margin: 1rem 0; text-align: center; } .calc-chart svg { max-width: 100%; height: auto; } .calc-chart-legend { display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; justify-content: center; gap: 0.6rem 1.2rem; margin-top: 0.6rem; font-size: 0.8rem; color: #555; } .calc-chart-legend span { display: inline-flex; align-items: center; gap: 0.3rem; } .calc-chart-legend i { display: inline-block; width: 10px; height: 10px; border-radius: 2px; font-style: normal; } .calc-related { max-width: 640px; margin: 2rem 0 1rem; padding: 1.25rem 1.5rem; background: #f8f9fa; border: 1px solid #e8e8e8; border-radius: 8px; } .calc-related h3 { font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1rem; color: #1a1a1a; margin: 0 0 0.75rem; padding-bottom: 0.4rem; border-bottom: 2px solid var(--ac, #3d5a80); } .calc-related-list { list-style: none; padding: 0; margin: 0 0 0.75rem; display: grid; grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr; gap: 0.4rem 1.5rem; } .calc-related-list li a { font-size: 0.88rem; color: var(--ac, #3d5a80); text-decoration: none; } .calc-related-list li a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } .calc-browse-all { margin: 0.5rem 0 0; font-size: 0.9rem; font-weight: 600; } .calc-browse-all a { color: var(--ac, #3d5a80); text-decoration: none; } .calc-browse-all a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } @media (max-width: 720px) { .calc-related-list { grid-template-columns: 1fr; } }
Small Claims Court Eligibility Calculator
Determine whether your dispute qualifies for small claims court based on your state's monetary limits, claim type, and party eligibility.
State
-- Select State -- Alabama ($6,000) Alaska ($10,000) Arizona ($3,500) Arkansas ($5,000) California ($12,500) Colorado ($7,500) Connecticut ($5,000) Delaware ($15,000) Florida ($8,000) Georgia ($15,000) Hawaii ($5,000) Idaho ($5,000) Illinois ($10,000) Indiana ($10,000) Iowa ($6,500) Kansas ($4,000) Kentucky ($2,500) Louisiana ($5,000) Maine ($6,000) Maryland ($5,000) Massachusetts ($7,000) Michigan ($7,000) Minnesota ($15,000) Mississippi ($3,500) Missouri ($5,000) Montana ($7,000) Nebraska ($3,600) Nevada ($10,000) New Hampshire ($10,000) New Jersey ($5,000) New Mexico ($10,000) New York ($10,000) North Carolina ($10,000) North Dakota ($15,000) Ohio ($6,000) Oklahoma ($10,000) Oregon ($10,000) Pennsylvania ($12,000) Rhode Island ($2,500) South Carolina ($7,500) South Dakota ($12,000) Tennessee ($25,000) Texas ($20,000) Utah ($11,000) Vermont ($5,000) Virginia ($5,000) Washington ($10,000) West Virginia ($10,000) Wisconsin ($10,000) Wyoming ($6,000) Washington D.C. ($10,000)
Claim Amount ($)
Type of Claim
Money Owed / Debt Property Damage Security Deposit Breach of Contract Personal Injury Eviction / Landlord-Tenant Defamation / Libel / Slander Divorce / Custody Criminal Matter Injunction / Restraining Order
Plaintiff Type (You)
Individual / Person Business / Corporation Government Entity
Defendant Type (Other Party)
Individual / Person Business / Corporation Government Entity
Number of Small Claims Filed by You This Year
Some states limit filings per year (e.g., CA: 2 for individuals, 12 for businesses)
Check Eligibility
(function() {
// State limit data: [individual_limit, business_limit, notes] const STATE_LIMITS = { AL: [6000, 6000, ""], AK: [10000, 10000, ""], AZ: [3500, 3500, ""], AR: [5000, 5000, ""], CA: [12500, 6250, "Individuals may file up to 2 claims over $2,500/year; businesses limited to 12 claims/year"], CO: [7500, 7500, ""], CT: [5000, 5000, ""], DE: [15000, 15000, ""], FL: [8000, 8000, ""], GA: [15000, 15000, ""], HI: [5000, 5000, ""], ID: [5000, 5000, ""], IL: [10000, 10000, ""], IN: [10000, 10000, ""], IA: [6500, 6500, ""], KS: [4000, 4000, ""], KY: [2500, 2500, ""], LA: [5000, 5000, ""], ME: [6000, 6000, ""], MD: [5000, 5000, ""], MA: [7000, 7000, ""], MI: [7000, 7000, ""], MN: [15000, 15000, ""], MS: [3500, 3500, ""], MO: [5000, 5000, ""], MT: [7000, 7000, ""], NE: [3600, 3600, ""], NV: [10000, 10000, ""], NH: [10000, 10000, ""], NJ: [5000, 5000, ""], NM: [10000, 10000, ""], NY: [10000, 5000, "NYC Civil Court handles up to $10,000; businesses limited to $5,000"], NC: [10000, 10000, ""], ND: [15000, 15000, ""], OH: [6000, 6000, ""], OK: [10000, 10000, ""], OR: [10000, 10000, ""], PA: [12000, 12000, ""], RI: [2500, 2500, ""], SC: [7500, 7500, ""], SD: [12000, 12000, ""], TN: [25000, 25000, ""], TX: [20000, 20000, ""], UT: [11000, 11000, ""], VT: [5000, 5000, ""], VA: [5000, 5000, ""], WA: [10000, 10000, ""], WV: [10000, 10000, ""], WI: [10000, 10000, ""], WY: [6000, 6000, ""], DC: [10000, 10000, ""] };
// Claim types that are generally NOT allowed in small claims const INELIGIBLE_CLAIM_TYPES = { divorce: "Divorce and custody matters cannot be filed in small claims court. These require family court.", criminal: "Criminal matters are handled by criminal courts, not small claims court.", injunction: "Injunctions and restraining orders require a higher court. Small claims court only awards monetary damages.", defamation: "Defamation claims are complex and typically require civil court; some states allow small claims for minor amounts." };
// Claim types with warnings const WARNING_CLAIM_TYPES = { personal_injury: "Personal injury claims are allowed in small claims court in most states, but complex cases may benefit from an attorney in civil court.", eviction: "Eviction (unlawful detainer) is allowed in some states' small claims courts but not all. Verify with your local court.", defamation: "Defamation claims are complex and typically require civil court; some states allow small claims for minor amounts." };
// Annual filing limits per state [individual_max, business_max] const FILING_LIMITS = { CA: [2, 12] // CA: individuals >$2,500 limited to 2/year; businesses 12/year };
window.smaUpdateLimit = function() { const state = document.getElementById("sma-state").value; const pType = document.getElementById("sma-plaintiff-type").value; const note = document.getElementById("sma-limit-note"); if (!state || !STATE_LIMITS[state]) { note.textContent = ""; return; } const limit = pType === "business" ? STATE_LIMITS[state][1] : STATE_LIMITS[state][0]; note.textContent = "State limit for your party type: $" + limit.toLocaleString(); };
window.smaValidateAmount = function() { const val = parseFloat(document.getElementById("sma-amount").value); if (val 0) { resultDiv.innerHTML = "Please fix the following:" + errors.map(e => "").join("") + ""; return; }
// --- Core eligibility logic --- const stateData = STATE_LIMITS[state]; const stateLimit = pType === "business" ? stateData[1] : stateData[0]; const stateNote = stateData[2];
let eligible = true; let reasons = []; let warnings = []; let suggestions = [];
// 1. Check ineligible claim types if (INELIGIBLE_CLAIM_TYPES[claimType]) { eligible = false; reasons.push(INELIGIBLE_CLAIM_TYPES[claimType]); }
// 2. Check warning claim types (not outright ineligible) if (WARNING_CLAIM_TYPES[claimType] && !INELIGIBLE_CLAIM_TYPES[claimType]) { warnings.push(WARNING_CLAIM_TYPES[claimType]); }
// 3. Check monetary limit const amountEligible = amount = myLimit) { eligible = false; reasons.push( state + " limits " + (pType === "business" ? "businesses" : "individuals") + " to " + myLimit + " small claims filing(s) per year. You have already filed " + priorClaims + " this year." ); } }
// 6. Business plaintiff note if (pType === "business") { warnings.push( "Some states require businesses to be represented by an officer or owner (not an attorney) in small claims court. Verify local rules." ); }
// 7. State-specific note if (stateNote) warnings.push(stateNote);
// --- Compute score / confidence --- // Score: 0–100 representing how cleanly eligible the claim is let score = 100; if (!amountEligible) score -= 50; if (INELIGIBLE_CLAIM_TYPES[claimType]) score -= 50; if (dType === "government") score -= 30; if (warnings.length > 0) score -= (warnings.length * 5); score = Math.max(0, Math.min(100, score));
// Percentage of limit used const pctOfLimit = Math.min((amount / stateLimit) * 100, 999).toFixed(1);
// --- Build output --- const fmt = (n) => "$" + n.toLocaleString("en-US", {minimumFractionDigits:2, maximumFractionDigits:2}); const statusColor = eligible ? "#1a7a3c" : "#b91c1c"; const statusBg = eligible ? "#d1fae5" : "#fee2e2"; const statusText = eligible ? "✅ LIKELY ELIGIBLE" : "❌ LIKELY NOT ELIGIBLE";
let html = ""; html += "### " + statusText + " "; html += "Eligibility Confidence Score: " + score + " / 100
"; html += "";
// Summary table html += ""; html += "FactorValueStatus";
const rows = [ ["State", state, "—"], ["Claim Amount", fmt(amount), amountEligible ? "✅ Within limit" : "❌ Exceeds limit"], ["State Limit", fmt(stateLimit) + " (" + (pType==="business"?"business":"individual")+")", "—"], ["% of Limit Used", pctOfLimit + "%", parseFloat(pctOfLimit) c.toUpperCase()), INELIGIBLE_CLAIM_TYPES[claimType] ? "❌ Not allowed" : "✅ Allowed"], ["Plaintiff Type", pType.charAt(0).toUpperCase()+pType.slice(1), "—"], ["Defendant Type", dType.charAt(0).toUpperCase()+dType.slice(1), dType==="government" ? "⚠️ Complex" : "✅ OK"], ["Prior Filings", priorClaims + " this year", "—"] ];
rows.forEach(([factor, value, status]) => { html += "" + factor + "" + "" + value + "" + "" + status + ""; }); html += "";
// Reasons (if ineligible) if (reasons.length > 0) { html += ""; html += "Reasons for Ineligibility:"; reasons.forEach(r => { html += "" + r + ""; }); html += ""; }
// Warnings if (warnings.length > 0) { html += ""; html += "⚠️ Warnings & Notes:"; warnings.forEach(w => { html += "" + w + ""; }); html += ""; }
// Suggestions if (suggestions.length > 0) { html += ""; html += "💡 Suggestions:"; suggestions.forEach(s => { html += "" + s + ""; }); html += ""; }
// Next steps html += ""; html += "📋 General Next Steps:"; if (eligible) { html += ""; html += ""; html += ""; html += ""; html += ""; } else { html += ""; html += ""; html += ""; } html += "";
resultDiv.innerHTML = html; };
})();
#### Eligibility Formula
Eligible = (Claim Amount ≤ State Limit for Party Type) AND (Claim Type is Permitted) AND (Defendant is not a Government Entity) AND (Annual Filing Count < State Maximum)
Confidence Score = 100 − 50×(amount_over_limit) − 50×(ineligible_claim_type) − 30×(government_defendant) − 5×(number_of_warnings), clamped to [0, 100]
% of Limit Used = (Claim Amount ÷ State Limit) × 100
State limits vary by plaintiff type. Example: California — individuals: $12,500; businesses: $6,250. New York — individuals: $10,000; businesses: $5,000.
#### Assumptions & References
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