Small claims courts primarily resolve relatively small monetary disputes (usually between $2,500 and $7,500, depending on the state. Common types of claims involve failure to repay a loan, fix a car or appliance properly, or meet the terms of a service contract -- for example, properly remodel a kitchen or install a new roof.

In a few states, small claims courts may also rule on a limited range of other types of legal disputes, such as evictions or requests for the return of an item of property (called "restitution" in legal jargon). But no matter where you live, you cannot use small claims court to file a divorce, guardianship, name change or bankruptcy, or to ask for emergency relief, such as an injunction to stop someone from doing an illegal act.

When it comes to disputes involving money, you can usually file in small claims court based on any legal theory that is allowed in any other court -- for example, breach of contract, personal injury, intentional harm or breach of warranty. Thus if you buy an expensive new "all weather tent" and it leaks the first time you're out in a storm, you have the basics for a valid small claims suit based on breach of warranty. However, a few states do limit or prohibit a few types of cases from being filed in small claims court. Most likely "no-no's" include suits based on libel, slander and false arrest.

Finally, suits against the federal government, a federal agency or even against a federal employee for actions relating to his or her employment cannot be brought in small claims court. Suits against the federal government normally must be filed in a federal District Court or other federal court, such as Tax Court or the Court of Claims. Unfortunately, there are no federal small claims procedures available except in federal Tax Court.  

This chart tells you how much you can sue for in your state's small claims court.

Small Claims Court Limits for the 50 States State Dollar Limit Alabama $3,000 Alaska $7,500 Arizona $2,500 (Small Claims Court); $5,000 (Regular Justice Court) Arkansas $5,000 California $5,000 (A plaintiff may not file a claim over $2,500 more than twice a year. The limit for suits involving a surety company or licensed contractor is $4,000.) Colorado $5,000 Connecticut $3,500 (no limit for landlord-tenant cases involving security deposit claims) Delaware $15,000 District of Columbia $5,000 Florida $5,000 Georgia $15,000 Hawaii $3,500 Idaho $3,000 (will increase to $4,000 on January 1, 2001) Illinois $5,000 (Small Claims); $1,500 (Cook County Pro Se Branch) Indiana $3,000 ($6,000 in Marion and Allen Counties) Iowa $4,000 Kansas $1,800 Kentucky $1,500 Louisiana $3,000 ($2,000 for movable property) Maine $4,500 Maryland $2,500 Massachusetts $2,000 Michigan $3,000 Minnesota $7,500 Mississippi $2,500 Missouri $3,000 Montana $3,000 Nebraska $2,400 Nevada $5,000 New Hampshire $5,000 New Jersey $2,000 (Small Claims Court); $10,000 (Special Civil Part, Superior Court) New Mexico $7,500 New York $3,000 North Carolina $4,000 North Dakota $5,000 Ohio $3,000 Oklahoma $4,500 Oregon $5,000 Pennsylvania $8,000 (Small Claims); $10,000 (Philadelphia Municipal Court) Rhode Island $1,500 South Carolina $7,500 South Dakota $8,000 Tennessee $15,000; $25,000 in Shelby and Anderson counties; no limit in evictions or suits to recover personal property) Texas $5,000 Utah $5,000 Vermont $3,500 Virginia $1,000 (Small Claims Court); $3,000 (General District Court); $15,000 (Circuit Court); no limits on eviction suits in General District Court Washington $2,500 West Virginia $5,000 Wisconsin $5000 (no limit on eviction suits) Wyoming $3,000 (Small Claims Court); $7,000 (County Circuit Court)