Process serving · New York
How to serve small claims papers in New York
New York's Small Claims Part (NYC Civil Court; City Courts; District Courts; Town and Village Justice Courts) lists this method: Clerk mails notice by first-class and certified mail; deemed served if regular mail not returned within 21 days (30 days for consumer transactions/commercial claims). Because the court starts that step itself, you may not need a private server unless the court tells you service failed.
New York's court guides spell out who delivers a small claims case to the defendant; this page repeats it and says when we can help.
| Court | Small Claims Part (NYC Civil Court; City Courts; District Courts; Town and Village Justice Courts) |
|---|---|
| Service | Clerk mails notice by first-class and certified mail; deemed served if regular mail not returned within 21 days (30 days for consumer transactions/commercial claims). |
| Where the case is filed | Defendant must live, work, have a place of business, or own rented property in NY. Town/Village Court where defendant is located, or any City Court in that county; NYC: county where defendant resides/works/has business. Commercial claims: defendant must live, work or do business in the same county as the court. |
| Small claims limit | $10,000. Limit depends on the court: New York City Civil Court Small Claims/Commercial Claims Part maximum is $10,000; City Courts outside NYC up to $5,000; Town and Village Courts up to $3,000 (NY Courts guide updated August 2024). Nassau and Suffolk District Court limits were not confirmed here. $10,000 is the NYC figure. |
| Filing fees | NYC small claims under $1,000: $15; NYC small claims $1,000.01-$10,000: $20; City Court small claims up to $1,000: $15; City Court small claims $1,000-$5,000: $20; Town/Village Court small claims up to $1,000: $10; Town/Village Court small claims $1,000-$3,000: $15; commercial claim: $25 |
| Who can file | Anyone 18 or older (minors through parent/guardian). Corporations, LLCs, associations and assignees cannot start a regular small claims case (municipal/public benefit corporations can); they use commercial small claims (corporation, partnership, LLC, association; principal office in NY; max 5 commercial claims per calendar month). Consumer-transaction commercial claims require a demand letter 10-180 days before filing. |
When we can help in New York
We book a vetted server near the address, share the papers and the date the court needs, and return the completed proof of service to you.
The full New York small claims page, with limits and fees, is here.
Alabama · all states · serving someone in another state
If you represent yourself, you are responsible for your documents: what they say, that they are complete and signed, which court they go to and that they are filed on time. We are not lawyers, we do not give legal advice or draft pleadings, and we cannot guarantee any legal outcome. We file, serve or pull exactly what you send.
Sources
Before you send
- Send the papers to serve as a PDF, with every page in order.
- Give the best address, a description or photo of the person, and the times they're usually home.
- Up to three attempts at different times of day are included.
- You get a notarized affidavit of service once service is made.
- Rules on who may serve papers vary by state. The desk confirms them for your state before assigning a server.
Prefer to talk?
Call the desk and we'll take the request by phone.
Questions
Who serves small claims papers in New York?
The court's guide says: Clerk mails notice by first-class and certified mail; deemed served if regular mail not returned within 21 days (30 days for consumer transactions/commercial claims).
What does a New York serve cost?
Outside New Jersey every serve is quoted per job, because local server rates and travel differ. We confirm the price before any work starts.
Can you tell me if service was done correctly?
No. The New York court decides whether service was proper. We send you the server's proof of service so you can file it.