See whether your claim fits under your state's small claims limit. Pick your state, enter the amount you would sue for, and read it against the ceiling, the filing fee, and the lawyer rule, cited to the statute.
All 50 states. Each limit is cited to that state's statute; 36 states are source-verified and the rest are flagged as drafts pending verification, in the tool as on the reference pages.
Pick your state
The headline ceiling is shown on each card; New York varies by court and North Carolina's counties can set the limit lower, and both checkers say so.
Every state runs a simplified court for smaller disputes: security deposits a landlord kept, unpaid bills, minor property damage. The price of the simpler procedure is a dollar ceiling, and that ceiling is the single fact that decides whether your dispute belongs there. The checker compares your amount to your state's ceiling and shows the filing fee and whether a lawyer may appear at the hearing, from the same statute-cited records as our reference pages.
The checker states the limit; it does not assess the claim behind the number, and it does not walk through filing, which varies by county and court. This tool is informational only and not legal advice. Open your state for the figures and the official self-help link, or see the small claims limits by state.