Small Claims Fee & Limit Calculator Guide for Alabama

Alabama small claims fee and limit rules

This source-backed guide covers Alabama small claims court fee and limit rules. It certifies only the quoted small-claims cap and filing-fee rules below; local service fees and other county-specific court costs remain outside certification unless a quoted source below says otherwise.

Maximum claim amount

The current small-claims cap in Alabama is $6,000.

Ala. Code § 12-12-31. The district court shall exercise exclusive jurisdiction over all civil actions in which the matter in controversy, exclusive of interest and costs, does not exceed six thousand dollars ($6,000). These actions shall be placed on a small claims docket by each district court and shall be processed according to uniform rules of simplified civil procedure as may be promulgated by the Supreme Court.

Filing fee schedule

Alabama small claims filing fees are tiered at $35, $109, and $198 based on the amount in controversy.

Ala. Code § 12-19-71. The filing fees which shall be collected in civil cases shall be: (1) Thirty-five dollars ($35) for cases filed on the small claims docket of the district court in which the matter in controversy, exclusive of interest, costs, and attorney fees, totals one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) or less; (2) One hundred nine dollars ($109) for cases filed on the small claims docket of the district court in which the matter in controversy, exclusive of interest, costs, and attorney fees, exceeds one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) but does not exceed three thousand dollars ($3,000); (3) One hundred ninety-eight dollars ($198) for cases otherwise filed in the district court, including cases on the small claims docket, in which the matter in controversy, exclusive of interest, costs, and attorney fees, exceeds three thousand dollars ($3,000) but does not exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000).

Filing and procedure

The Alabama Judicial System guide says to contact the clerk for the filing fee and confirms the $6,000 small-claims maximum.

A Guide to Alabama Small Claims Courts. Small Claims Court is a division of the District Court designed to settle disputes between individuals as well as businesses. The maximum amount an individual or other entity may sue or be sued for is $6,000. Procedures are simple, informal and inexpensive. There are no juries and, parties can represent themselves. A filing fee must be paid at the time of filing. Contact the Clerk for the amount of the filing fee.

Not certified by this page

• This page does not certify county-specific sheriff service fees, e-filing add-ons, or other local court costs that vary by county.

Use the calculator

DocketMath's small-claims fee/limit calculator can model the claim cap and filing-fee tiers once you identify the controlling jurisdiction, claim amount, and court schedule. Use the source panel for the verified source-backed rule.

Open the Small Claims calculator

Sources

• A Guide to Alabama Small Claims Courts — A Guide to Alabama Small Claims Courts
• Ala. Code § 12-12-31 — Jurisdictional Amount in Small Claims Procedure
• Ala. Code § 12-19-71 — Filing fees in civil cases

All sources are official primary law published by judicial.alabama.gov, alison.legislature.state.al.us.

Corroboration method: The Alabama Judicial System small-claims guide and the Alabama Legislature bill text agree on the $6,000 cap, the clerk-confirmed filing-fee workflow, and the statutory filing-fee tiers.