Minnesota Small Claims Court Kit: the $20,000 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 Minnesota that may fit under $20,000, and people who have been sued there and want the same organized record. Any person, company, agency or other organization can be a party; a business representative may need a power of attorney.

Not the right fit if

Your claim is outside Minnesota, 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 Minnesota small claims data file, checked November 2026 against Minnesota Judicial Branch: Conciliation Court; Minnesota Judicial Branch: What to Expect in a Conciliation Court Hearing (CCT1001, rev. 8/22); Minnesota Judicial Branch, Hennepin County District Court: FAQs on Conciliation Court; Minnesota Judicial Branch: File in a District Trial Court (self-represented filers may use eFile and eServe in all counties); Minnesota Judicial Branch: Next Steps, Conciliation Court (eFiling at the end of the Guide & File interview), rev. 10/20.
• 2 details aren't stated on those pages, so the kit leaves them out and lists them once to look up, with the 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 7 confirmed Minnesota facts at a glance, a short look-up list (filing fees, serving the other side) with the page to check, and a yes/no checklist: is the amount under $20,000, is it the right court, is there someone to serve and something to collect from.
• Minnesota filing guide. Where and how to file, from the official pages: Generally the county where the defendant lives or is located (for a corporation, where the business is located). Bad-check claims can go where the check was given, and rent or deposit claims where the rental property is. Online filing: https://mncourts.gov/file-a-case/file-in-a-district-trial-court
• Service, the hearing and after in Minnesota. Lawyers are allowed, with limits. Appeal: Appeal to district court, which starts the case over. A judgment isn't effective until 20 days after the order is mailed; a request to vacate a default must be filed within that 20-day stay.
• 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.
• Minnesota small claims workbook (Excel). A claim calculator that adds up your items and compares the total with $20,000, a costs sheet, a deadline sheet in business days that skips weekends and federal holidays, and a collection tracker with the balance owed.