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 Tennessee

$25,000maximum claim in General Sessions Court, as of 29 October 2026

The basics

Small claims limit
$25,0001,2Tenn. Code 16-15-501(d)(1)

You can sue for up to $25,000 in general sessions court. Eviction cases and suits to get back personal property have no dollar limit.

Court
General Sessions Court1,2Tenn. Code 16-15-501

Civil cases within the limit are heard in the general sessions court of each county. Larger cases go to circuit court.

Filing fee
Varies by county ($271.25 in Hamilton County)2,3

Filing costs are set by each county. In Hamilton County, a civil warrant against one defendant costs $271.25, plus $52 for each additional defendant.

Lawyers
Yes, not required2

You may represent yourself without a lawyer. In Hamilton County, a corporation that files suit must have a lawyer.

Appeals
10 days2,4Tenn. Code 27-5-108(a)(1)

You have 10 days after the judgment to appeal to the circuit court of the county.

Deadlines to sue (statutes of limitations)

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

Written contract
6 years5,6Tenn. Code 28-3-109(a)(3)

6 years for contract claims that no other law covers.

Oral contract
6 years5,6Tenn. Code 28-3-109(a)(3)

6 years. Tennessee uses the same period for written and oral contracts.

Property damage
3 years7,8Tenn. Code 28-3-105(1)

3 years for damage to personal or real property.

Personal injury
1 year9,10Tenn. Code 28-3-104(a)(1)

1 year for injuries to the 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. Tenn. Code 16-15-501 (2025 Tennessee Code), Justia (reproduction of state code text), 2025secondary
  2. All About Sessions Civil Court, Hamilton County General Sessions Court, Hamilton County, Tennesseeofficial
  3. Sessions Civil Filing Fees effective January 1, 2026, Hamilton County, Tennessee, 2026-01-01official
  4. Tenn. Code 27-5-108 (2025 Tennessee Code), Justia (reproduction of state code text), 2025secondary
  5. Tenn. Code 28-3-109 (2025 Tennessee Code), Justia (reproduction of state code text), 2025secondary
  6. Tennessee Code 28-3-109, FindLaw (reproduction of state code text), 2024-01-02secondary
  7. Tenn. Code 28-3-105 (2025 Tennessee Code), Justia (reproduction of state code text), 2025secondary
  8. Tennessee Code 28-3-105, FindLaw (reproduction of state code text), 2024-01-02secondary
  9. Tenn. Code 28-3-104 (2025 Tennessee Code), Justia (reproduction of state code text), 2025secondary
  10. Tennessee Code 28-3-104, FindLaw (reproduction of state code text), 2024-01-02secondary

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.