A landlord kept your deposit, a contractor walked off the job, a dry cleaner ruined your coat. In Kansas you can sue for up to $10,000 in the Small Claims in the Kansas District Court, without hiring a lawyer. Check your case below, then follow six steps.
Answer a few questions. The result updates as you type.
Kansas 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 district court of a county where the defendant lives, where you live (if the defendant is served there), where the defendant works (if served there), where the property is, or where the claim arose while the defendant lived there. Corporations and out-of-state defendants have extra options.
Small Claims Petition (Kansas Judicial Council form). The clerk gives you a hearing date when you file, to put on the summons. Ask the clerk how far out your county schedules hearings.
$47.50 for claims up to $500 and $67.50 above that (a $35 or $55 docket fee plus a $12.50 surcharge). Some counties charge a little more; Sedgwick County charges $49.50 and $69.50. Sheriff service in Kansas costs $15 per defendant. If you can't afford it, ask for a fee waiver: Poverty Affidavit (Kansas Judicial Council form).
The sheriff can serve the papers ($15 in Kansas), or use certified mail or a private process server. The clerk has a service packet that explains each option. The defendant must be served before the hearing date on the summons. If they weren't served in time, ask the court to move the date.
Bring receipts, photos, texts, the contract and your demand letter, with three copies of each. The court doesn't collect for you. Within 14 days after judgment, mail the debtor the Statement of Assets form; they must return it within 30 days. Then you can garnish wages or a bank account.
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. Fraud deadlines start when the fraud was discovered.
| Type of claim | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Broken written contract (lease, invoice, signed agreement) | 5 years |
| Broken verbal agreement | 3 years |
| Damaged property | 2 years |
| Personal injury | 2 years |
| Fraud | 2 years |
| Libel or slander | 1 year |
| Claims against a government agency | Before suing a Kansas city or county for money damages, you must file a written notice of claim with it first. |
Not before judgment. Neither side can have a lawyer at the trial, unless the other side is a lawyer. A business can send a full-time employee or officer who isn't a lawyer. Lawyers can help with appeals and collection.
You can sue for up to $10,000, not counting interest and costs. The limit rose from $4,000 on July 1, 2024. You can file no more than 20 small claims in the same court per calendar year. Assigned claims and claims bought from someone else aren't allowed. 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 within 14 days after judgment. A different district judge hears the whole case again. Lawyers are allowed, and if the side that won the first trial wins again, the court must award them reasonable attorney fees.
Ask the clerk before your hearing if you need an interpreter.