Small Claims Court Dollar Limits in Georgia
At a glance
| Governing law | O.C.G.A. § 15-10-2(5) (Magistrate Court's general civil jurisdiction, the $15,000 cap); § 15-10-41 (no jury; de novo appeal); § 15-10-43 (procedure, including corporate representation) |
|---|---|
| Dollar limit | $15,000, exclusive of interest and costs: one flat figure, no venue split and no natural-person/entity split |
| Limit for businesses/entities | No lower dollar figure: an entity faces the identical $15,000 cap as an individual, and may be represented by an employee just as freely as an individual represents themselves |
| Court name and where to file | No separately named small claims court: it's the ordinary civil jurisdiction of the Magistrate Court for the county where the case is filed, commonly called 'small claims' as a matter of description, not a distinct division |
| Can you bring a lawyer? | Not required for anyone. Nothing bars an attorney, but an employee of a corporation or other legal entity may represent it at any stage, with no restriction on cross-examination or argument (§ 15-10-43(i)): broader than several other states' corporate-representative rules |
| Limit on how many claims you can file | None found: Article 3 (§§ 15-10-40 to 15-10-54) imposes no limit on how many claims a plaintiff may file |
| Can you appeal? | Generally symmetric: either party may seek de novo review in the State Court or Superior Court of the county within 30 days (O.C.G.A. §§ 15-10-41(b)(1), 5-3-7(b)); no ordinary appeal lies from a default judgment or dismissal after the plaintiff's nonappearance, which instead uses the petition-for-review procedure (§ 15-10-41(b)(2)) |
| What you can sue for | Primarily money damages, in a civil claim not exceeding $15,000; the same Magistrate Court also independently handles dispossessory (eviction) and distress-warrant proceedings under a SEPARATE grant of jurisdiction (§ 15-10-2(6)) that is not subject to the $15,000 cap: a different proceeding type, not an extension of the small-claims money jurisdiction itself |
Requirements one by one
Dollar limit
O.C.G.A. § 15-10-2(5) gives Magistrate Court jurisdiction over civil claims, including garnishment and attachment, when the amount demanded or value of the property “does not exceed $15,000.00” and Superior Court does not have exclusive jurisdiction. The section bars prejudgment attachment.
Can you bring a lawyer?
O.C.G.A. § 15-10-43(i) provides that nothing in Chapter 10 prohibits an employee of a corporation or other legal entity from representing the entity before Magistrate Court. The chapter does not otherwise bar attorney representation.
Can you appeal?
O.C.G.A. § 15-10-41(a)-(b)(1) bars a jury in Magistrate Court but permits appeal to the county's State or Superior Court and specifies a de novo appeal under Chapter 3 of Title 5. O.C.G.A. § 5-3-7(b) requires the petition for review within 30 days after the lower judicatory's final judgment. Section 15-10-41(b)(2) excludes default judgments and dismissals after a plaintiff's nonappearance from the ordinary appeal route.
What you can sue for
O.C.G.A. § 15-10-2(5) covers civil claims for money or property value within the ceiling. O.C.G.A. § 15-10-2(6) separately authorizes summonses, trials, writs, and judgments in dispossessory and distress-warrant proceedings; that is a distinct jurisdictional grant rather than part of the ordinary capped civil claim.
What trips people up
Georgia calls the forum Magistrate Court, not Small Claims Court. The governing jurisdictional section is O.C.G.A. § 15-10-2.
The no-jury rule applies at the Magistrate Court stage. O.C.G.A. § 15-10-41(a) states: “There shall be no jury trials in the magistrate court.”
The failed limit bills do not change current law. 2024 HB 967 and 2026 SB 405 proposed higher ceilings, but SB 405's final action was “Senate Tabled” and the current statutory text remains unchanged.
Common questions
How technical must the statement of claim be?
O.C.G.A. § 15-10-43(a) says it must be concise and free from technicalities, but must briefly state the claim so the defendant has reasonable notice of each basis asserted.
Can the court grant prejudgment attachment?
No. O.C.G.A. § 15-10-2(5) expressly provides that no prejudgment attachment may be granted within this civil-claim jurisdiction.
Is an ordinary appeal available from a default judgment?
No. O.C.G.A. § 15-10-41(b)(2) directs review of a default judgment, including review of a denied postjudgment motion to vacate, through a petition for review.
Statutes and sources
- O.C.G.A. §§ 15-10-2 and 15-10-43 — civil jurisdiction, separate dispossessory jurisdiction, and entity representation. Code Revision Commission/Public.Resource.Org Title 15 text (accessed 2026-08-17).
- O.C.G.A. § 15-10-41, effective July 1, 2023 — no jury, de novo appeal, and default-judgment exception. Title 15 text (accessed 2026-08-17).
- O.C.G.A. § 5-3-7(b) — petition-for-review deadline. Title 5 text (accessed 2026-08-17).
Source links
Every statute quoted above, linked, with the date we checked it.
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