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 Texas

$20,000maximum claim in Justice court, as of 29 October 2026

The basics

Small claims limit
$20,0001,2Tex. R. Civ. P. 500.3(a)

A small claims case can be for up to $20,000, not counting statutory interest and court costs but including any attorney fees.

Court
Justice court3,2Tex. Gov't Code 27.060, Tex. R. Civ. P. 500.3

Small claims cases are heard in justice court.

Filing fee
Not yet confirmed

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

Lawyers
Yes2,3Tex. R. Civ. P. 500.4, Tex. Gov't Code 27.060(d)(1)

Parties may represent themselves or hire a lawyer. A business may be represented by an employee, owner, officer or partner who is not a lawyer.

Appeals
21 days1,4Tex. R. Civ. P. 505.1, 506

An appeal must be filed within 21 days after the judgment is signed.

Deadlines to sue (statutes of limitations)

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

Written contract
4 years5Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 16.004(a)(3), 16.051

4 years. Texas sets 4 years for debt claims and for any claim without a specific period, and does not separate written and oral contracts.

Oral contract
4 years5Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 16.004(a)(3), 16.051

4 years, the same as for written contracts.

Property damage
2 years5Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 16.003(a)

2 years for damage to another person's property and for conversion of personal property.

Personal injury
2 years5Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 16.003(a)

2 years for personal 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. Supreme Court of Texas, Misc. Docket No. 25-9096 (amendments to Rule 143a and Part V, TRCP), Supreme Court of Texas, 2025-11-21official
  2. Supreme Court of Texas, Misc. Docket No. 25-9105 (amended order, Part V, TRCP), Supreme Court of Texas, 2025-12-31official
  3. Texas Government Code, Chapter 27 (Sec. 27.060, Small Claims), Texas Legislature, Texas Constitution and Statutes, 2025official
  4. Civil Appeal Information 2026, Justice of the Peace Precinct 5, Tarrant County, Texas, 2026official
  5. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, Chapter 16, Limitations, Texas Legislature, Texas Constitution and Statutes, 2025official

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.