State guide
Arizona
This is general information, not legal advice. Arizona's small claims division sits inside justice court and shares original jurisdiction with the rest of that court. Arizona Revised Statutes section 22-503 states the dollar line in plain terms: the debt, damage, tort, injury, or value of personal property claimed by either side must not exceed $5,000, exclusive of interest and costs. The same ceiling applies when a party asks the court to disaffirm, avoid, or rescind a contract, or asks for equitable relief, if the amount at issue does not exceed $5,000. Justice court is a local court. The statute sets the statewide ceiling, and the clerk of the justice court where you file explains 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
- Small claims division of justice court
- Dollar limit we could verify
- Arizona Revised Statutes section 22-503 says the small claims division hears civil claims that do not exceed $5,000, exclusive of interest and costs, and certain contract or equitable claims when the amount at issue does not exceed $5,000.
- Statute or court page
- Official page →
Section 22-503 also lists what the small claims division does not hear. The excluded list covers matters already outside justice-court jurisdiction under section 22-201, defamation by libel or slander, forcible entry, forcible detainer, and unlawful detainer. Specific performance is out. So are class actions, requests for prejudgment remedies, requests for injunctive relief, traffic cases and other criminal matters, and actions against the state, a political subdivision, or an officer or employee sued in an official capacity. If your dispute is an eviction, a request that someone be ordered to perform a contract, or a claim against a public body, read that list before you choose the small claims division.
The statute gives the division concurrent jurisdiction with the rest of justice court. Concurrent means the same dispute might also fit on the regular justice-court civil calendar, which has its own procedures. Choosing the small claims division is a choice about procedure, not a way to expand the $5,000 line. Interest and costs sit outside the $5,000 figure the statute uses. Attorney fees are not given the same exclusion in the sentence that sets the cap, so ask a lawyer or the clerk how a fee demand is counted before you assume it is extra. The statute is short.
Because the division is part of justice court, venue is a local question the statute section on jurisdiction does not answer by itself. People usually file where the events happened or where the person sued can be brought into that precinct's cases. Confirm the correct precinct with the justice court clerk, and ask how the court serves the summons. Bring the papers that show the debt, the damage, or the contract you want undone. If the other side's claim, including a counterclaim, pushes the amount above $5,000, the statute's ceiling applies to claims by either the plaintiff or the defendant.
Official resources in Arizona
Statute stating the $5,000 small-claims ceiling and the list of excluded case types.
Official statutes, including the justice-court title that surrounds section 22-503.
Statewide court site for justice-court information and self-help links.
Key facts for Arizona
- Arizona small claims are a division of justice court.
- A.R.S. § 22-503 sets a $5,000 ceiling, exclusive of interest and costs.
- The same $5,000 line applies to certain requests to undo a contract or to obtain equitable relief.
- The statute excludes evictions, defamation, class actions, injunctions, and claims against public bodies.
- The ceiling applies to the amount claimed by either the plaintiff or the defendant.
- Traffic and other criminal matters are outside the division.
What to do next
- Read A.R.S. § 22-503's exclusion list if the case is an eviction or a claim against a government office.
- Treat $5,000 as the line for the claim itself, and ask how attorney fees are counted.
- Confirm which justice-court precinct is the right place to file.
- If a counterclaim exceeds $5,000, ask the clerk whether the case must leave the small claims division.
Looking for your city or county in Arizona?
We haven't found official court-level pages for Arizona 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 Arizona, 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.Arizona Judicial Branch
Website →Phone not shown: use the contact page on the official website above.Your city or county office: Local governments →Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the Arizona 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