Small Claims Limits
General information from official sources, not legal advice. Rules change. Check with the court before you file.

All states

Small claims court in Hawaii

$5,000maximum claim in Small Claims Division of the District Court, as of 29 October 2026

The basics

Small claims limit
$5,0001,2,3Haw. Rev. Stat. 633-27(a)

You can sue for up to $5,000 in Hawaii small claims, not counting interest and costs. Disputes over a residential security deposit can also go to small claims.

Court
Small Claims Division of the District Court1,2Haw. Rev. Stat. ch. 633

Small claims cases are heard in the Small Claims Division of the District Court.

Filing fee
$352,4,5Haw. Rev. Stat. 633-29, 607-4(b)(2)

The filing fee is $35, and a judge may waive it for financial hardship. Filing a counterclaim costs $10.

Lawyers
Yes, with an exception2

You may use a lawyer, except in residential security deposit cases, where neither side may have one.

Appeals
No appeal2

There is no right to appeal a small claims judgment. The losing party may ask the court to change or set aside the judgment within 10 days after it is filed.

Deadlines to sue (statutes of limitations)

How long you usually have to file, counted from when the claim arose. Exceptions apply.

Written contract
6 years6,7Haw. Rev. Stat. 657-1(1)

You have 6 years to sue to recover a debt based on a contract.

Oral contract
6 years6,7Haw. Rev. Stat. 657-1(1)

You have 6 years. Hawaii uses the same period for written and oral contracts.

Property damage
2 years8,9Haw. Rev. Stat. 657-7

You have 2 years to sue for damage to property.

Personal injury
2 years8,9Haw. Rev. Stat. 657-7

You have 2 years to sue for an injury to a person.

Small claims rules are set by state law and court rules, and fees are often set locally. Before you file, check the court's own page or call the clerk.

Sources

  1. Small Claims, Hawaii State Judiciaryofficial
  2. Your Guide to Small Claims Court (Reprographics 05/14), Hawaii State Judiciary, 2014-05official
  3. HRS 633-27 (2025), Justia, 2025secondary
  4. District Court Filing Fees (Effective January 1, 2014), Hawaii State Judiciary, 2013-12-31official
  5. HRS 633-29 (2025), Justia, 2025secondary
  6. Haw. Rev. Stat. 657-1 (2025), Justia (reproduction of state code text), 2025secondary
  7. Hawaii Revised Statutes 657-1, FindLaw (reproduction of state code text), 2025-01-01secondary
  8. Haw. Rev. Stat. 657-7 (2025), Justia (reproduction of state code text), 2025secondary
  9. Hawaii Revised Statutes 657-7, FindLaw (reproduction of state code text), 2025-01-01secondary

Checked 29 October 2026. "Secondary" sources reproduce the official text. We use them only where the official site could not be read and mark them here.