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 Ohio

$6,000maximum claim in Small claims division of the municipal or county court, as of 29 October 2026

The basics

Small claims limit
$6,0001Ohio Rev. Code 1925.02(A)

The small claims division hears claims for money of up to $6,000, not counting interest and costs. It cannot hear libel, slander, replevin, malicious prosecution or punitive damages claims.

Court
Small claims division of the municipal or county court2Ohio Rev. Code 1925.01(A)

Every municipal court and county court has a small claims division.

Filing fee
Not yet confirmed

We have not confirmed this from an official source yet, so we do not show a figure.

Lawyers
Yes, not required2,3Ohio Rev. Code 1925.01(D), 1925.17

A lawyer may appear for any party but is not required. A corporation may present its case through an officer or salaried employee, but without a lawyer it may not cross examine witnesses or argue.

Appeals
Not yet confirmed

We have not confirmed this from an official source yet, so we do not show a figure.

Deadlines to sue (statutes of limitations)

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

Written contract
6 years4Ohio Rev. Code 2305.06

6 years for a written contract.

Oral contract
4 years5Ohio Rev. Code 2305.07(A)

4 years for a contract that is not in writing.

Property damage
2 years6Ohio Rev. Code 2305.10(A)

2 years for damage to personal property.

Personal injury
2 years6Ohio Rev. Code 2305.10(A)

2 years for bodily injury.

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. Ohio Revised Code 1925.02, State of Ohio (Ohio Revised Code), 2025-04-09official
  2. Ohio Rev. Code 1925.01, Ohio Legislative Service Commission, 1996-10-17official
  3. Ohio Rev. Code 1925.17, Ohio Legislative Service Commission, 1969-10-24official
  4. Ohio Revised Code 2305.06, State of Ohio (Ohio Revised Code), 2026-09-23official
  5. Ohio Revised Code 2305.07, State of Ohio (Ohio Revised Code), 2021-06-16official
  6. Ohio Revised Code 2305.10, State of Ohio (Ohio Revised Code), 2006-08-03official

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.