A landlord kept your deposit, a contractor walked off the job, a dry cleaner ruined your coat. In Ohio you can sue for up to $6,000 in the Small Claims Division of your Municipal or County Court, without hiring a lawyer. Check your case below, then follow six steps.
Answer a few questions. The result updates as you type.
Ohio doesn't require a demand letter, but official guides recommend sending one by certified mail. A short, dated demand letter is the best proof. Use the generator below and keep a copy.
File in the municipal or county court for the area where the defendant lives or does business, or where the problem happened. The claim must be in plain language and signed under oath.
Your local court's Small Claims Complaint form. By law the hearing is set 15 to 40 days after you file. Some courts offer mediation first.
Each court sets its own fee, usually about $37 to $124 for one defendant, often including service by certified mail. Each extra defendant costs more. If you can't afford it, ask for a fee waiver: Poverty affidavit (affidavit of indigency); Ohio Legal Help has the form.
The clerk serves the defendant, usually by certified mail with a return receipt; if that's refused, often by regular mail or a bailiff. You don't have to arrange it yourself. The clerk handles service before the hearing. Any counterclaim must reach you at least 7 days before the hearing.
Bring receipts, photos, texts, the contract and your demand letter, with three copies of each. If the judgment is unpaid after 30 days, ask the court to order the debtor to list assets. Then use wage or bank garnishment, a lien on real estate, or property seizure.
Want every detail? The full filing guide walks you through all 7 stages, from finding the defendant's legal name to collecting your money, with a checklist.
Open the filing guideFill in the details, then download the letter as a PDF or Word file, or copy the text. Send it by certified mail or email so you can prove the date.
Miss this date and the court will dismiss your case, however strong it is. The fraud clock starts when the fraud is discovered. A contract can set a shorter deadline.
| Type of claim | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Broken written contract (lease, invoice, signed agreement) | 6 years |
| Broken verbal agreement | 4 years |
| Damaged property | 2 years |
| Personal injury | 2 years |
| Fraud | 4 years |
| Libel or slander | 1 year |
| Claims against a government agency | You can't sue the State of Ohio in small claims; those claims go to the Ohio Court of Claims. Claims against local governments must be filed within 2 years. |
Allowed but not required; people usually represent themselves. A company can present its claim through an officer or employee, but without a lawyer that person can't cross-examine or argue.
The limit is $6,000, not counting interest and court costs. If a counterclaim asks for more, the whole case moves to the regular docket. Small claims only award money and can't hear libel, slander or claims for getting property back. Collection agencies and debt buyers can't file. Otherwise, you can give up the amount above the limit, or file a regular civil case where the rules are stricter.
Most hearings are run by a magistrate. To challenge the decision, file written objections within 14 days, and a judge reviews it. After the judge's final judgment, you have 30 days to appeal to the court of appeals, which is rare and costly.
Courts must appoint a foreign-language or sign-language interpreter if you need one. Ask the clerk before your hearing.