New Jersey Special Civil Part — How to file (statewide)
Quick answer: New Jersey small claims are handled in the Special Civil Part of Superior Court. The Small Claims Section takes claims up to $5,000; regular Special Civil goes up to $20,000. The Small Claims filing fee is $35 for one defendant, plus $5 for each additional defendant and service fees. You don't need a lawyer.
Filing in New Jersey? See a filled-in sample first.
Everything on this page is free. The Small Claims Playbook adds a filled-in sample of New Jersey's Small Claims Complaint (CN 10532), using a made-up case, with a box-by-box guide. One membership covers every state. $149 for your first year (introductory offer), then $199 a year. Join now.
How small claims works in New Jersey
New Jersey doesn't use a different small-claims process for each county. Money claims of this size are handled in the Special Civil Part of Superior Court (Law Division), with statewide rules and forms. You still file in a specific county's Special Civil Part office, based on the venue rules below. Special Civil Part has three sections: Landlord/Tenant, Small Claims, and regular Special Civil.
Checked October 2026. Sources: official sources are linked in each section and under Official links below.
What is the small claims limit in New Jersey?
$5,000 in the Small Claims Section, and $20,000 in regular Special Civil (Rule 6:1-2, as amended July 1, 2022).
- Small Claims (SC): up to $5,000, with simpler procedures; often used without a lawyer.
- Special Civil (DC): up to $20,000, for broader money claims.
If your claim is over $5,000 but not over $20,000, file in regular Special Civil. If you file in Small Claims for more than $5,000, you generally waive the excess and can't recover it later in a separate suit. Claims that typically can't go here include professional malpractice, child support or alimony, and probate matters. Special Civil is for money claims, not orders that mainly require someone to do something other than pay money.
How much does it cost to file small claims in New Jersey?
Small Claims Section: $35 for one defendant, plus $5 for each additional defendant, plus service fees.
Regular Special Civil complaint (official fee FAQ, checked October 2026):
- Complaint filing fee: check your court's rules.
- Certified and regular mail service, per defendant: $10
- Jury trial (six jurors), if requested: $100
Personal service by a Court Officer has separate published fees: check your court's rules before paying. Fee waivers may be available if you qualify as indigent.
Where do I file a small claim in New Jersey?
File in the Office of the Special Civil Part in the county where:
- at least one defendant lives, or
- the defendant's business is located (actually doing business, or registered office), or
- if none of the defendants live or are located in New Jersey, where the cause of the complaint occurred.
With multiple defendants, any qualifying defendant's county works. Security-deposit claims may also be filed where the rental property is located.
How to file in New Jersey: the basic steps
- Get the Small Claims kit: CN 10151 (non-motor vehicle cases) or CN 10148 (motor vehicle cases), and complete the complaint and summons it includes. Redact confidential personal identifiers on copies filed with the court.
- Give the court the defendant's correct current address (service depends on it).
- Pay the filing fee (or apply for a fee waiver). Checks are payable to "Treasurer, State of New Jersey."
- Check and sign the forms, and keep copies.
- File by mail or in person at the correct county Special Civil Part office. You may be able to file through JEDS; check your court's rules.
- For Small Claims, the summons gives the defendant a court date to appear; there's no written answer. In regular Special Civil, the defendant files a written answer: check your court's rules.
- If the defendant doesn't respond, you may seek a default judgment under the court's procedures.
Ready to do these steps yourself?
Picking the right track matters: the Small Claims Section takes claims up to $5,000, and regular Special Civil goes up to $20,000. The steps above are free. The Playbook helps you do each one, with a filled-in sample of the Small Claims Section complaint (CN 10532) and every box explained, plus your New Jersey Playbook section: what happens after you file (service, the answer and the trial notice), what to bring to your trial, collecting a judgment, and appeals (the deadline, fees and transcript).
You also get prep guides that work in any state: a document checklist, exhibit labels, a prep timeline and a hearing-day outline. $149 for your first year (introductory offer), then $199 a year. Join now.
Do I need a lawyer for small claims in New Jersey?
No lawyer is required for individuals filing or defending in Special Civil or Small Claims. The court recommends getting a lawyer if you can, and court staff can't give legal advice. Businesses face a separate representation rule when the amount is over $5,000.
Small claims court by New Jersey county
The ten largest counties, largest first (2020 Census). Every county uses the same statewide limits, forms and fees; what changes is the county office you file in. Find each office in the official Directory of Superior Court Special Civil Part Offices. County guides are coming soon.
| County | Small Claims fee | Where to file |
|---|---|---|
| Bergen | $35, one defendant | Special Civil Part office |
| Essex | $35, one defendant | Special Civil Part office |
| Middlesex | $35, one defendant | Special Civil Part office |
| Hudson | $35, one defendant | Special Civil Part office |
| Monmouth | $35, one defendant | Special Civil Part office |
| Ocean | $35, one defendant | Special Civil Part office |
| Union | $35, one defendant | Special Civil Part office |
| Passaic | $35, one defendant | Special Civil Part office |
| Camden | $35, one defendant | Special Civil Part office |
| Morris | $35, one defendant | Special Civil Part office |
New Jersey county guides
Know your county office? Next, get your proof in order.
You can present your own case. The Playbook's exhibit-label guide and hearing-day outline help you put your documents in order and explain them clearly, step by step. General legal information, not advice about your case.
New Jersey small claims FAQ
What is the small claims limit in New Jersey?
$5,000 in the Small Claims Section. Claims over $5,000 and up to $20,000 go in regular Special Civil.
How much does it cost to file small claims in New Jersey?
$35 for one defendant, plus $5 for each additional defendant, plus service fees. Fee waivers may be available if you qualify as indigent.
Where do I file small claims in New Jersey?
In the Special Civil Part office in the county where at least one defendant lives or does business. If no defendant is in New Jersey, where the cause of the complaint occurred.
Can I file small claims online in New Jersey?
You may be able to file through JEDS; check your court's rules. You can also file by mail or in person at the correct county Special Civil Part office.
Does the defendant have to file a written answer in New Jersey small claims?
For Small Claims, the summons gives the defendant a court date to appear; there's no written answer. In regular Special Civil, the defendant files a written answer: check your court's rules.
Do I need a lawyer for small claims in New Jersey?
No lawyer is required for individuals. Court staff can't give legal advice.
Official links
- Small Claims kit, non-motor vehicle case (CN 10151)
- Small Claims kit, motor vehicle case (CN 10148)
- For claims over $5,000 (regular Special Civil): kit CN 10541
- Lawsuits $20,000 or less (Special Civil)
- Special Civil Part offices directory
- JEDS electronic filing
- Small Claims FAQ
Related guides: Ready to sue · Just got sued · Small claims court basics · 10 things to do before you sue · How to save text messages as evidence · Sued in small claims? What to do next
Other states: pick your state on the map. Free: the Small Claims Starter Kit (basic timeline and checklists). Go deeper: preview the Playbook.
What's in the New Jersey Playbook section
- After you file: service, the answer, and the trial notice
- What to bring to your trial
- Collecting after you win
- Appeals: the 45-day deadline, fees, and transcript
You do the work. The Playbook hands you the plays.
This page covers the New Jersey rules. The Playbook coaches you from filing to hearing day: a filled-in sample of CN 10532, your New Jersey Playbook section, and step-by-step prep guides. Every state and DC has a filled-in sample claim (for Mississippi, Oklahoma and Wyoming it's a sample layout we made, so you'd get the real form from the court clerk). One membership covers every state.
Small Claims Coach is built to help you handle your case yourself, without a lawyer — but if your situation is complicated, does not fit our samples, or a deadline is close, you may want to call a lawyer.
Small Claims Coach uses public information to build the Playbook, which coaches you as you organize and present your own case. We are not your lawyer, there is no attorney-client relationship, and we don't want the details of your case.
This information is for educational purposes only. It is not legal advice.