Small Claims Court Dollar Limits in Indiana
At a glance
| Governing law | IC 33-29-2-4 (jurisdiction of the small claims docket in the 91 counties' Circuit/Superior Courts); IC 33-34-3-2 (jurisdiction of Marion County's township Small Claims Courts); Indiana Small Claims Rule 1(A) (these rules govern small claims proceedings in every Indiana court, Marion County included) |
|---|---|
| Dollar limit | $10,000 statewide, the same figure in both court systems: IC 33-29-2-4(b)(1) ('not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000)') for the 91-county docket and IC 33-34-3-2 ('does not exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000)') for Marion County township courts, both current since a 2021 amendment (P.L.125-2021) harmonized what used to be separate, lower county-by-county figures. A plaintiff may waive the excess over $10,000 to stay within small claims jurisdiction (IC 33-29-2-4(b)(1); Ind. S.C.R. 2(A)(2)) |
| Limit for businesses/entities | Same $10,000 limit as an individual: no separate lower or higher figure for a business plaintiff. Both governing sections state the ceiling without regard to plaintiff type, and Ind. S.C.R. 2(A)(2) applies the same excess-waiver rule to any plaintiff |
| Court name and where to file | Indiana splits by geography, not by plaintiff type. In 91 of the state's 92 counties, small claims is simply a docket of the county's Circuit or Superior Court (IC 33-29-2). Marion County (Indianapolis) is the sole exception: it has nine separate, independently-run township Small Claims Courts, each with its own elected judge, established under IC 33-34: not a division of the circuit or superior court |
| Can you bring a lawyer? | A natural person may represent themselves or hire counsel (Ind. S.C.R. 8(C)(1)). Effective January 1, 2025, a Supreme Court rule amendment (In re: Order Amending Rules for Small Claims, Cause No. 24S-MS-1) removed a prior $6,000 dollar cap on non-attorney business representation: a sole proprietorship or partnership (S.C.R. 8(C)(2)) and a corporate entity, LLC, LLP, or trust (S.C.R. 8(C)(3)) may now be represented by its owner or a designated full-time employee for ANY claim within the small claims jurisdictional limit, not just claims under the old $6,000 threshold: a designated employee must still be authorized by a filed corporate resolution or sworn statement (S.C.R. 8(C)(4)-(5)). Many older county court forms and secondary sources still describe the superseded $1,500 or $6,000 caps; the current rule has no such lower cap |
| Limit on how many claims you can file | None found in Ind. Small Claims Rules 1-16 (read in full) or IC 33-29-2 / IC 33-34-3: no limit on how many claims a single plaintiff may file in a given period |
| Can you appeal? | Symmetric, either party may appeal. Per the Indiana Office of Court Services' own Small Claims Manual (2026 edition): 'If one or both parties are not satisfied with the court's decision and judgment, an appeal of the decision may be taken to the Indiana Court of Appeals,' and the appealing party must act within thirty (30) days of judgment. Unlike states that give a losing party a full new trial in a higher trial court, Indiana's small claims appeal goes directly to the state's intermediate appellate court, a genuine appellate review, not a retrial |
| What you can sue for | Primarily money damages: personal injury, property damage, money owed, and recovery of wrongfully taken property or money paid for faulty work, all capped at $10,000. Landlord-tenant possessory actions (including emergency ones under IC 32-31-6) are also within jurisdiction if the rent due doesn't exceed $10,000. IC 33-34-3-5 (Marion County) affirmatively excludes injunctive relief, partition of real estate, enforcing any lien (other than a judgment lien), appointment of a receiver, and divorce or marriage annulment from small claims jurisdiction regardless of dollar amount |
Requirements one by one
Dollar limit
IC 33-29-2-4 gives the standard small-claims docket jurisdiction over civil actions seeking no more than ten thousand dollars and lets a claimant waive the excess. IC 33-34-3-2 sets the same ceiling for Marion County contract and tort claims, excluding interest and attorney fees.
Can you bring a lawyer?
Current Small Claims Rule 8(C) allows a natural person to self-represent or use counsel. It permits a sole proprietorship, partnership, corporate entity, LLC, LLP, or trust to use counsel, an owner, or a designated full-time employee or trustee. The entity is bound by the representative's acts and agreements.
Can you appeal?
Indiana Appellate Rule 9(A)(1) requires notice of appeal within thirty days after entry of final judgment is noted in the Chronological Case Summary. For a Marion County judgment entered after June 30, 2018, IC 33-34-3-15.1 sends the appeal to the Court of Appeals in the same manner as a Circuit or Superior Court judgment.
What you can sue for
IC 33-29-2-4 covers civil claims for money or property and specified landlord- tenant possessory actions. For Marion County, IC 33-34-3-5 excludes injunctions, real-estate partition, most lien enforcement, receiverships, and marriage dissolution or annulment.
What trips people up
Older forms may still show a lower business-representation threshold. Current Rule 8(C), effective January 1, 2025, contains no separate dollar ceiling for an owner or properly designated employee.
Marion County uses township Small Claims Courts under IC 33-34, while the standard small-claims docket is governed by IC 33-29-2. The ceiling is the same, but the court structure and some procedural statutes differ.
Assigned or purchased claims have a separate representation rule: Rule 8(C) requires the third-party holder to be represented by counsel.
Common questions
Does a designated employee bind the business?
Yes. Rule 8(C)(4) makes the entity responsible for the employee's or trustee's agreements and acts relating to the proceeding.
Can a plaintiff preserve the amount above the ceiling for another suit?
No. IC 33-29-2-4 permits waiver of the excess to enter small claims, and Small Claims Rule 2(A)(2) provides that the plaintiff may not later sue separately for the remainder.
Is discovery automatic?
No. Small Claims Rule 6 permits discovery only with court approval, on notice and good cause, and subject to limits the court specifies.
Statutes and sources
- IC 33-29-2-4 and IC 33-34-3-2, -5, and -15.1 — statewide ceilings, Marion County exclusions, and current appeal route. Official 2026 standard docket chapter and Marion County chapter (accessed through the required fallback 2026-08-17).
- Indiana Small Claims Rules 1-16, especially Rule 8(C) — statewide scope, procedure, and representation. Official complete rules PDF (accessed through the required fallback 2026-08-17).
- Indiana Appellate Rule 9(A)(1) — notice deadline. Official current rule (accessed through the required fallback 2026-08-17).
- Order Amending Rules for Small Claims, No. 24S-MS-1 — January 1, 2025 effective date. Official order (accessed 2026-08-17).
Source links
Every statute quoted above, linked, with the date we checked it.
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