State guide
Alaska
This is general information, not legal advice. Alaska hears simplified money and personal-property cases in district court when the parties use the small claims procedure. The court system's information sheet SC-95 says the case is for money or personal property worth $10,000 or less. If the claim is larger, the sheet says you may still use small claims only by giving up the excess, while interest and court costs can sit on top of an award. Every party must agree to the simplified procedure. The sheet cites AS 22.15.040 and District Court Civil Rules 8 through 22. A lawyer is allowed and is not required. Local clerks hand out the handbook and the forms.
Checked against official sources on October 11, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.
- Which court hears it
- District court, using the small claims procedure
- Dollar limit we could verify
- The court information sheet says a small claims case is for money or personal property worth $10,000 or less. A larger claim can proceed only if you give up the amount above $10,000. Interest and court costs may be added.
- Statute or court page
- Official page →
- Filing or self-help page
- Official page →
The information sheet draws a bright line around what small claims cannot do. It excludes fights over title to land or buildings, actions to recover possession of real property, evictions, claims against the State of Alaska or the United States, requests for an injunction, and actions to foreclose or enforce a statutory, common-law, or possessory lien. Those disputes belong in a formal civil case. The sheet also compares procedures: small claims has no jury and does not use the formal rules of evidence, while a formal civil case in district court can go higher and can include a jury if one is requested.
Agreement matters in Alaska in a way many states do not copy. The sheet says small claims can be used only if all parties agree to the simplified procedure. A defendant who wants the formal rules can push the case onto the ordinary district-court track. District Court Civil Rule 8, in the rules pamphlet published by the court system, also says a person with a claim above the small-claims maximum may file a written waiver of the excess and proceed under the small-claims rules. The rules note states that the maximum under AS 22.15.040 is $10,000.
Service and who may file are spelled out in the court's small claims materials. The information sheet points readers to the handbook and to https://courts.alaska.gov/shc/sc/index.htm for the longer explanation. The handbook discusses who may file, including adults, minors through a parent or guardian, and partnerships, associations, limited liability companies, and corporations doing business in Alaska. It also explains that a magistrate judge's authority to hear a case served outside Alaska is narrower than a district judge's authority. If the person you need to serve is outside the state, ask the clerk which judicial officer can hear the case before you pay to serve papers that the court cannot use.
Official resources in Alaska
Court form stating the $10,000 figure, the waiver of any excess, and the list of excluded case types.
Small claims rules, including the note that the statutory maximum is $10,000.
Court home page for clerk offices, forms, and self-help links.
Official statutes, including AS 22.15.040, which the court forms cite.
Key facts for Alaska
- Alaska small claims are a procedure inside district court, available when the parties agree to use it.
- Court form SC-95 states a $10,000 ceiling for money or personal property, with a waiver required for any excess.
- The same form says interest and court costs may be recovered above that ceiling.
- Title disputes, evictions, injunctions, lien foreclosures, and claims against the state or the United States are excluded.
- There is no jury on the small claims track.
- The district court rules note repeats the $10,000 figure under AS 22.15.040.
What to do next
- If your loss is over $10,000, decide in writing whether you will waive the excess before you file.
- Check the exclusion list on SC-95 if the dispute is about land, an eviction, or a government defendant.
- Ask whether every defendant will accept small claims procedure, because the track depends on agreement.
- If a defendant must be served outside Alaska, ask which judge is allowed to hear that case.
Looking for your city or county in Alaska?
We haven't found official court-level pages for Alaska we can verify yet, so we don't show local numbers here rather than guess. Here's what to use instead, in order:
- General Start with the statewide information above. It applies across Alaska, but cities and counties can add their own steps, fees or deadlines.
- Call to confirm Ask the official office. They have the current local rule, fee and form.Alaska Court System
Website →Phone not shown: use the contact page on the official website above.Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the Alaska page on USA.gov can point you to the right office. - Know the current info? Tell us and include a link to the official page. We check every tip before it goes up.
Helpful guides
- What small claims court is
- How dollar limits work
- Who can sue and be sued
- A demand letter before you file