California Small Claims Court Limits: How Much Can You Sue For?

The first question most people ask about small claims court is whether their case fits within the dollar limits. California sets strict jurisdictional caps based on who is filing the lawsuit, and exceeding them means your case belongs in a different court. Here is exactly how the limits work as of 2025.

Current Claim Limits

California's small claims limits depend on the plaintiff's legal status, not the type of claim:

Individuals (natural persons and sole proprietors): Up to $12,500 per case (CCP 116.221).

Businesses (corporations, LLCs, and partnerships): Up to $6,250 per case (CCP 116.220(a)).

This distinction matters. If you are a sole proprietor suing for an unpaid invoice, you get the individual limit of $12,500. But if your business is structured as an LLC or corporation, even a single-member one, you are capped at $6,250.

Guarantor Claims Have Lower Caps

When suing a guarantor (someone who guaranteed payment or performance), the limits drop further and depend on whether the guarantor charged a fee:

These guarantor limits come from CCP 116.220(c) and apply most often in contractor bond disputes. Licensed contractors in California must carry a surety bond (often $25,000 as of 2025), and small claims is one avenue to pursue a bond claim, subject to these caps.

The Filing Frequency Rule

California limits how often you can file larger claims. Under CCP 116.220(a), a plaintiff may file no more than two claims exceeding $2,500 anywhere in California within a single calendar year.

This means:

• You can file unlimited claims of $2,500 or less per year
• Your third claim over $2,500 in the same calendar year will be rejected
• The restriction applies statewide, not per courthouse

If you file more than 12 cases in any 12-month period, you are also classified as a "frequent filer" and will pay a flat $100 filing fee regardless of the claim amount.

What if Your Claim Exceeds the Limit?

You have three options when your damages exceed the small claims cap:

Option 1: Reduce your claim to fit the limit. You can voluntarily waive the excess. For example, if you are owed $15,000 as an individual, you could sue for $12,500 and accept the $2,500 loss. The advantage is speed and simplicity. There is no way to later recover the waived amount.

Option 2: File in limited civil court. Claims between $12,500 and $25,000 go to limited civil court. Claims over $25,000 go to unlimited civil court. Both allow attorney representation and follow standard civil procedure, which means more complexity and higher costs.

Option 3: Split the claim into multiple lawsuits. This is generally not permitted. California prohibits "splitting" a single cause of action into multiple small claims cases. If a judge determines that you split a claim to stay under the limit, the second case can be dismissed.

However, if you have genuinely separate causes of action (for example, two different contracts or two different incidents), those are separate lawsuits and can each be filed independently.

How the Limit Applies to Your Claim Amount

The limit applies to the total amount you request, including damages and any statutory penalties. For example, in a security deposit case under Civil Code 1950.5, a landlord who withholds a deposit in bad faith can be liable for the deposit plus up to twice the deposit in statutory damages. If the deposit was $3,000, your total claim could be $9,000 (the $3,000 deposit plus $6,000 in bad faith penalties), which fits within the $12,500 individual limit.

Filing fees are based on the amount you claim, not the limit:

• $30 for claims up to $1,500
• $50 for claims from $1,500.01 to $5,000
• $75 for claims from $5,000.01 to $12,500

Interest and Collection Costs

Winning a judgment is only half the process. The judgment amount earns interest at 10% per year (or 5% for certain personal and medical debts) from the date of entry until it is paid. You can also recover your reasonable collection costs, including filing fees for enforcement motions, by filing Form MC-012.

These post-judgment amounts are added on top of your original claim and are not subject to the small claims dollar limit.

Before You File

Knowing the limits is the first step. The next steps include confirming that your statute of limitations has not expired, sending the required demand letter, and identifying the correct defendant by their legal name.

The complete California Small Claims Court Filing Guide walks you through every step -- from demand letter templates and SC-100 form instructions to evidence worksheets and post-judgment collection methods. It covers the practical details that determine whether your case succeeds or gets dismissed on a technicality.