Wayne County Small Claims (Michigan): Which District Court to File In

Wayne County small claims: the $7,000 limit, fees, the no-lawyer rule, the 7-day appeal and which district court covers your city. Checked 2026-10-27.

Navy cover with a drawn generic courthouse and the words Wayne County Small Claims, Your district court depends on where you file
Where and how to file small claims in Wayne County, Michigan.

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Quick answer: In Wayne County, small claims are heard by the small claims division of your district court, for claims of up to $7,000. Detroit cases go to the 36th District Court, 421 Madison Street; other cities and townships have their own district courts. Filing costs $30, $50 or $70 depending on the amount (the statutory fee plus a $5 electronic filing system fee). No lawyers can take part, and an appeal is possible only from a magistrate's decision, within 7 days. 36th District Court: (313) 965-2200.

Drawn generic courthouse beside a pinned info board for the Wayne County, Michigan District courts: Your district court, Detroit: 421 Madison St.; hours not listed online (call your court first); and e-filing not listed online, ask your court's clerk.
Wayne County, Michigan small claims at a glance, checked 2026-10-27.

This independent guide covers small claims cases in Wayne County, Michigan, including Detroit, Livonia, Dearborn, Westland, Taylor, Canton, Southgate, Wyandotte, Romulus and Plymouth. Small Claims Coach is not the court; we link to the court's official pages throughout.

Checked on 2026-10-27 against the 36th District Court website and the Michigan Compiled Laws. Sources are listed below. Jump to court addresses and phones ↓ For the statewide rules, see our Michigan small claims guide.

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Wayne County small claims court: the district courts

  • Court: the small claims division of each district court. Wayne County has many district courts, each covering certain cities and townships.
  • Limit: $7,000 (MCL 600.8401(e), beginning January 1, 2024).
  • No lawyers: under MCL 600.8408(1), an attorney (except on the attorney's own behalf), a collection agency or anyone other than the plaintiff and defendant can't take part in filing, prosecuting or defending the case.
  • Businesses: a business "may be represented by an officer or employee who has direct and personal knowledge of facts in dispute."
  • Appeal: only if a district court magistrate heard the case, and within 7 days after the magistrate's decision is entered (MCL 600.8427). If a judge heard it, there's no further appeal.
  • Detroit: "Small Claims trials are held before a 36th District Court magistrate." "If the plaintiff fails to appear for the mediation hearing or trial, the case is dismissed."

Which district court do I file in?

  • Which district: every Wayne district is third class, so under MCL 600.8415(2) you file "in the district in which the cause of action arose or in the district in which the defendant is established or resides or is employed."
  • Suing a city, village or township? File "in the district in which the city, village, or township is located".
  • Find your district in the list below.

Wayne County district courts by city

From MCL 600.8121 and 600.8121a, the official city-to-district list.

36th District

City of Detroit

16th District

Livonia

17th District

Redford Township

18th District

Westland. If Westland and Wayne approved consolidation before Jan. 1, 2020, the 18th covers Westland and Wayne and the 29th is abolished. We couldn't confirm whether that happened; call to check.

19th to 23rd Districts

19th: Dearborn. 20th: Dearborn Heights. 21st: Garden City. 22nd: Inkster. 23rd: Taylor.

24th District

Allen Park, Melvindale

25th District

Ecorse, Lincoln Park, River Rouge

27th and 28th Districts

27th: Wyandotte, Riverview. 28th: Southgate.

29th District

City of Wayne (see the 18th District note)

30th, 31st and 32-A Districts

30th: Highland Park. 31st: Hamtramck. 32-A: Harper Woods.

32-B District

Under the statute: Grosse Pointe Woods, Grosse Pointe Park, Grosse Pointe, Grosse Pointe Farms and the village of Grosse Pointe Shores. We couldn't confirm whether this court operates or the Grosse Pointes use municipal courts; call to confirm.

33rd District

Trenton, Gibraltar, Woodhaven, Rockwood, Flat Rock, Brownstown Township, Grosse Ile Township

34th District

Romulus, Belleville, Sumpter Township, Van Buren Township, Huron Township

35th District

Northville and Plymouth (cities); Northville, Plymouth and Canton townships

Addresses, phone numbers and hours

From the 36th District Court website. This page lists the 36th District (Detroit) only. For the 16th to 35th District Courts, find the address and phone on the Michigan Courts website or your city's website, and call before filing.

36th District Court (Detroit)

Address: 421 Madison Street, Detroit, MI 48226

Phone: (313) 965-2200 (Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)

Small claims here:

  • Small claims proceedings, in person in Courtroom 540 (since January 1, 2025)

How much does small claims cost in Wayne County?

Statewide fees from MCL 600.8420 and MCL 600.1986:

  • Claims up to $600: $30.00
  • Over $600 to $1,750: $50.00
  • Over $1,750: $70.00
  • Clerk mailing the affidavit: the prevailing postal rate, for each defendant
  • Writ of execution, attachment or garnishment, or judgment debtor discovery subpoena: $15.00

These totals are the MCL 600.8420(1) fee ($25, $45 or $65) plus the $5 small claims electronic filing system fee under MCL 600.1986(1).

The 36th District Court's small claims FAQ also lists: "All garnishments require a $15.00 filing fee"; a motion to set aside costs a $20.00 motion fee plus $1.00 for the form; and an installment-payment motion requires a $20.00 motion fee.

Confirm the current fee and postage with your district court's clerk before you file.

Can I e-file in Wayne County?

We didn't confirm e-filing for small claims in Wayne County's district courts. Ask your district court's clerk how it takes small claims filings.

Wayne County small claims forms: the Small Claims Affidavit (SCAO DC 84)

Michigan small claims start with a small claims affidavit. Ask your district court's clerk for it; the 36th District Court's small claims FAQ covers Detroit cases.

How to file in Wayne County, step by step

Illustrated winding road with six numbered stations for Wayne County, Michigan small claims: check your claim fits the limit, find your district court, prepare your affidavit, file with the court clerk, mediation or trial, with evidence, magistrate case? You can appeal.
The steps to file a small claims case in Wayne County, Michigan.
  1. Make sure your claim is $7,000 or less.
  2. Find your district court (where the claim arose, or where the defendant is established, resides or is employed).
  3. Prepare your small claims affidavit.
  4. File with the district court clerk and pay $30, $50 or $70 depending on the amount (confirm with the clerk).
  5. Go to the mediation hearing or trial with your evidence. In Detroit, a plaintiff who doesn't appear has the case dismissed.
  6. If a magistrate decided the case and you disagree, appeal within 7 days. Statewide rules are in our Michigan guide.

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How to look up a Wayne County small claims case

  • Detroit (36th District): use the Case Inquiry System. "There is no charge for utilizing the Case Inquiry System." It covers cases "from 1990 through the present", and "Document images are not available through the System."
  • Other districts: the statewide Michigan Online Court Case Search may help, but we couldn't confirm which Wayne district courts take part. Call your court.

What does it cost to collect a judgment?

Winning doesn't mean you get paid automatically. By statute, a writ of execution, attachment or garnishment, or a judgment debtor discovery subpoena, costs $15.00, and the 36th District Court says "All garnishments require a $15.00 filing fee". See our Michigan guide for the statewide steps.

Fee waivers and venue changes

  • Can't afford the fees? Ask your district court's clerk what options it offers.
  • Set aside a judgment (Detroit): a $20.00 motion fee plus $1.00 for the form.
  • Appeal: within 7 days after a magistrate's decision is entered. "There is no appeal of the judge's decision." Per the 36th District Court, "only trials before a magistrate can be appealed", so dismissals and defaults can't be.

Coach's Tips for Wayne County

  • A judge's decision is final. In Michigan small claims, if a judge (not a magistrate) hears your case, that decision is final. Come ready to present everything the first time.
  • Show up, or lose the case. In Detroit, if the plaintiff fails to appear for the mediation hearing or trial, the case is dismissed.
  • Find your district first. Look up the city or township in the list above, and call the court before you file.

Wayne County small claims checklist

  • My claim is $7,000 or less.
  • I found the right district court for the place.
  • I have my small claims affidavit.
  • I confirmed the filing fee and postage with the clerk.
  • I know lawyers can't take part.
  • I know about the 7-day appeal window after a magistrate's decision.
  • My evidence is organized and copied for court.

Wayne County small claims FAQ

Which court hears small claims in Wayne County, Michigan?

Small claims go to the small claims division of the district court for the city involved. In Detroit, that is the 36th District Court.

How do I file a small claims affidavit in Wayne County?

You fill out the Small Claims Affidavit (SCAO form DC 84; the older version, titled Affidavit and Claim, may be used through December 31, 2026) and file it with the district court clerk. The fee and limit are in the sections above; confirm them with the clerk before you file.

Will a magistrate or a judge hear my small claims case?

At the 36th District Court, small claims trials are held before a magistrate. For other Wayne County district courts, ask that court's clerk.

Where is small claims court in Detroit?

Small claims in Detroit are handled by the 36th District Court.

Can I move my case out of the small claims division?

Yes. A party can ask to move the case to the district court's general civil division using a Demand for Removal (DC 86).

What is the small claims limit in Wayne County?

$7,000, under MCL 600.8401(e).

How much does it cost to file small claims in Wayne County?

$30 for claims up to $600, $50 up to $1,750 and $70 above that (the statutory fee plus a $5 electronic filing system fee), plus postage if the clerk mails the affidavit. Confirm with your district court's clerk.

Sources

Checked 2026-10-27.

More for Michigan: Michigan small claims guide · Ready to sue · Just got sued · How to serve small claims papers · What to say on hearing day

Free: the Small Claims Starter Kit (basic timeline and checklists).

You do the work. The Playbook hands you the plays.

This page covers where and how to file in Wayne County. The Playbook coaches you from filing to hearing day: a filled-in sample of the Michigan Small Claims Affidavit (DC 84), your Michigan Playbook section, and step-by-step prep guides. One membership covers every state. $149 for your first year (introductory offer), then $199 a year. Join now.

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Small Claims Coach is built to help you handle your case yourself, without a lawyer. But if your situation is complicated, doesn't fit our samples, or a deadline is close, you may want to call a lawyer.

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