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How much does small claims court cost? Every cost, itemised

Most filers budget for the filing fee and get surprised by everything around it. Here is the full stack — what each cost is, what it typically runs, and which ones you can get back if you win.

Cost	Typical range	When you pay it
Filing fee	About $10–$300 depending on state and claim size	At filing. Tiered by claim amount in states like CA ($30/$50/$75), FL ($55–$300) and PA ($67–$167 all-in); flat in TX ($54) and GA (~$45–$80 by county)
Service of process	$0–$150	Right after filing. $0 extra where the clerk serves by mail (NY; CA clerk mail $15). Sheriff/constable $20–$75 typical; private server $50–$100 for a routine serve
Pre-suit demand letter	$11.02 by certified mail (1 oz, return-receipt green card)	Before filing — optional in most states, required for NY commercial claims. USPS rates in effect since July 12, 2026: $0.82 postage + $5.55 certified fee + $4.65 green card
Copies, forms & postage	Usually $0–$25	Forms are free from the court in most states; you pay for copies, printing, and mailing your own paperwork
Mediation	$0–$120 typical for court-connected; private mediators $150–$400/hr	If the court orders or refers it (mandatory in FL pretrial practice and for NH claims over $5,000). Community mediation is frequently free
Jury fee (only if demanded)	$10–$70	TX $22 · NY $70 city / $10 town-village · IL (Cook) $12.50–$25. Many states have no jury in small claims at all
Counterclaim fee (defendants)	$0–$300	Free in GA; $5 + postage in NY; same tiers as the plaintiff in CA; $295 for a FL counterclaim over $2,500 (Citrus Co. schedule)
Enforcement (only if you win and they don't pay)	$15–$65 court writ fee + $40–$100+ service/levy	After judgment: writ of execution or garnishment. Examples — CA writ $40 · PA execution order $22.50 · MI writs $15 · FL sheriff execution $40 + $50 per levy; TX all-in guides quote $125–$200 with service

So what is the realistic total?

For a straightforward one-defendant case that settles or wins at the first hearing, most filers spend roughly $75–$400 out of pocket: under $100 in cheap-fee, clerk-serves states (New York is the extreme — about $20 all-in), $100–$250 in a typical tiered-fee state with sheriff service, and up to about $450 at the top end (Florida's $300 top tier plus statutory $40 sheriff service, before mediation). Cases that need a paid mediator, a jury, or post-judgment garnishment cost more — but enforcement costs are normally added to what the defendant owes you.

The cost nobody lists: your time

Expect at least two trips or logins (filing and hearing), plus the pretrial conference in states like Florida that require one. Hearings are usually short, but a continued hearing — often because service failed — doubles the trips. The cheapest way to keep total cost down is boring: serve the defendant correctly the first time, bring organised evidence, and show up to every date the court sets. A default judgment against you for missing a mediation or conference is the most expensive outcome in small claims.

Fee waivers

Every state has a mechanism — usually called a fee waiver, in forma pauperis filing, or a poverty affidavit — that lets the court waive or reduce filing fees if paying them would be a genuine hardship. Sheriffs' service fees are often waivable too; private process servers' never are. Ask the clerk for the waiver form when you file; approval is the court's decision, and you will normally have to document income. (We do not publish waiver income thresholds — they are set by each court and change.)

Can you get it back?

Usually, yes — if you win. Courts in every state we researched tax the winner's filing and service costs to the loser and add them to the judgment. The full picture, including the caveats, is in Can you recover your court costs if you win?

Sources: LegalClarity — process server and certified mail cost roundups · USPS Notice 123 price list, via LegalClarity · Simple Certified Mail — USPS prices effective July 12, 2026. Researched October 2026 — confirm current figures with the court clerk.