A landlord kept your deposit, a contractor walked off the job, a dry cleaner ruined your coat. In Indiana you can sue for up to $10,000 in the Small Claims Docket of the Circuit or Superior Court (Township Small Claims Courts in Marion County), without hiring a lawyer. Check your case below, then follow six steps.
Answer a few questions. The result updates as you type.
Indiana doesn't require a demand before you file, but a written request for payment is good evidence and may settle the matter. A short, dated demand letter is the best proof. Use the generator below and keep a copy.
The county where the transaction or incident happened, where the obligation was made or to be performed, or where the defendant lives or works. In Marion County, file in the right township small claims court; rent and eviction cases go to the township where the property is.
Small Claims Notice of Claim (also serves as the summons). The court sets the trial date when you file; how soon depends on the county's calendar. Be ready to try the case at the first setting.
Costs are set by county and include the filing fee and service. For example, Hancock County charges $97 with certified-mail service or $125 with sheriff service for one defendant, plus $10 for each extra defendant. If you can't afford it, ask for a fee waiver: Ask the court to let you file without paying costs (indigency or fee waiver request); the clerk can tell you the local form..
The clerk can send the Notice of Claim by certified mail, or the sheriff can deliver it. It can also be left at the defendant's home with a copy mailed first-class. In Marion County you can also use a constable. The defendant should be served at least 10 days before the trial date.
Bring receipts, photos, texts, the contract and your demand letter, with three copies of each. The court doesn't collect for you. If they don't pay, file proceedings supplemental to make the debtor come to court and answer about their income and property. That can lead to wage garnishment or a bank levy.
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. Written contracts for the payment of money (like loans or accounts) have a 6-year deadline. Damage to land has 6 years.
| Type of claim | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Broken written contract (lease, invoice, signed agreement) | 10 years |
| Broken verbal agreement | 6 years |
| Damaged property | 2 years |
| Personal injury | 2 years |
| Fraud | 6 years |
| Libel or slander | 2 years |
| Claims against a government agency | Before suing a city, county or other local government, you must give written notice within 180 days; for the State of Indiana, within 270 days. |
Optional. People can represent themselves. A business can send an owner, partner or a designated full-time employee, who must file a certificate in each case. Collectors of bought or assigned debts must use a lawyer.
You can sue for up to $10,000, not counting interest and attorney fees. The same limit applies in the Marion County township courts. If you're owed more, you can give up the extra to stay in small claims. Otherwise, you can give up the amount above the limit, or file a regular civil case where the rules are stricter.
Either side can appeal to the Indiana Court of Appeals by filing a notice of appeal within 30 days of the judgment. The appeal reviews the record; it isn't a new trial. Most people hire a lawyer for this.
Tell the clerk before your trial that you need an interpreter, and the court will arrange one.