District of Columbia Small Claims Court Kit: the $10,000 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 District of Columbia that may fit under $10,000, and people who have been sued there and want the same organized record. Anyone seeking money damages of $10,000 or less; a case can have more than one plaintiff or defendant. A business that files a claim must have a lawyer.

Not the right fit if

Your claim is outside District of Columbia, 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 DC small claims data file, checked November 2026 against DC Courts: Small Claims change of cap from $5,000 to $10,000 (press release); DC Superior Court Civil Rule 202 Fees; DC Courts: Small Claims (Civil Division); DC Court of Appeals: Appeals from Small Claims guide; Superior Court Rules of Procedure for the Small Claims and Conciliation Branch (DC Courts).
• All 9 DC 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 9 confirmed DC facts at a glance and a yes/no checklist: is the amount under $10,000, is it the right court, is there someone to serve and something to collect from.
• DC filing guide. Where and how to file, from the official pages: The Small Claims Clerk's Office, Room 110, 510 4th St. NW, Building B, Washington, DC 20001, by mail or in person, or the lobby drop box at the Moultrie Courthouse, 500 Indiana Avenue NW. Fees: claims $500 or less: $5 (Superior Court Civil Rule 202 (amended 2020)); claims over $500 up to $2,500: $10; claims over $2,500: $45. Superior Court Civil Rule 202 (Small Claims & Landlord-Tenant column). Service costs extra. Online filing: http://efiledcsuperiorcourt.gov/
• Service, the hearing and after in DC. Service: Personal delivery by any competent adult who isn't a party, or leaving the papers at the defendant's home with a suitable adult who lives there; or the clerk mails them by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, with postage the plaintiff pays at filing (Small Claims Rule 4). File proof of service within 60 days of filing (90 days in debt collection cases) and at least 7 days before the first court date. Lawyers are allowed. Appeal: An appeal goes to the DC Court of Appeals by an Application for Allowance of Appeal filed in the Court of Appeals Clerk's Office: "you only have 3 days" if an Associate Judge signed the order; if a Magistrate Judge signed it, first file a Motion for Review by an Associate Judge in Superior Court within 10 days, then 3 days to appeal. "It costs $10 to file an Application for Allowance of Appeal" ($40 more if it is granted), and "Applications for Allowance of Appeal are not granted very often.".
• 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.
• DC small claims workbook (Excel). A claim calculator that adds up your items and compares the total with $10,000, a costs sheet with the DC fee list, a deadline sheet in business days that skips weekends and federal holidays, and a collection tracker with the balance owed.