California Small Claims Court Kit: the $12,500 Limit, Filing Guide, Demand Letter, Evidence and Hearing Prep, and a Claim Calculator

Who it is for

People and small businesses with a money claim in California that may fit under $12,500, and people who have been sued there and want the same organized record. Anyone who believes a person, business or government agency owes them money.

Not the right fit if

Your claim is outside California, over its small claims limit, or needs a lawyer (an injury, a dispute over land, a family case). Not a form preparation or legal service.

Why it is different

• Built only from our California small claims data file, checked November 2026 against California Courts Self-Help Guide: Small claims in California; California Courts Self-Help Guide: File your Plaintiff's Claim; California Courts Self-Help Guide: Where to file your small claims case; California Courts Self-Help Guide: Serve your small claims forms.
• All 10 California facts in the kit are confirmed on an official page.
• Official forms are linked, not copied, so you always file the court's current version.

What is inside

• Start here and is small claims right?. How to use the kit, the 10 confirmed California facts at a glance and a yes/no checklist: is the amount under $12,500, is it the right court, is there someone to serve and something to collect from.
• California filing guide. Where and how to file, from the official pages: Usually the county where the other side lives or does business. Other options depend on the claim: where an accident or injury happened; for a contract, where it was made, broken or to be performed; for an item sold, where the buyer lives or bought it. Filing in the wrong county can get the case dismissed. Fees: claim up to $1,500: $30; over $1,500 up to $5,000: $50; over $5,000 up to $12,500: $75; filed more than 12 small claims in the past 12 months: $100. From the California Courts Self-Help Guide. A fee waiver is available if you can't afford the fee. Online filing: https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/file-form-start-your-small-claims-case-plaintiffs-claim
• Service, the hearing and after in California. Service: You cannot serve the papers yourself. Someone 18 or older who is not part of the case can hand them to the other side (personal service) or to someone at their home or work and then mail a copy (substituted service); some courts offer certified mail by the clerk for $15. Serve at least 15 days before the court date (20 days if the other side is in a different county), and file the Proof of Service at least 5 days before the hearing. Lawyers can't represent a party at the hearing. Appeal: If you started the case, you can't appeal if you lose. A defendant who loses can appeal.
• Demand letter and response tracker. A neutral demand letter to fill in (what happened, the amount, a reply-by date, how to pay), a log of every reply and offer, and a short checklist before sending.
• Evidence organizer and hearing prep. An exhibit list numbered for the judge, a timeline, witness notes, a three-minute opening outline and a hearing-day packing list.
• California small claims workbook (Excel). A claim calculator that adds up your items and compares the total with $12,500 and $6,250 (businesses and other entities), a costs sheet with the California fee list, a deadline sheet in business days that skips weekends and federal holidays, and a collection tracker with the balance owed.