State guide
Minnesota
This is general information, not legal advice. Minnesota calls its small-claims court conciliation court. Minnesota Statutes section 491A.01 says that court hears, conciliates, tries, and determines civil claims if the amount of money or property does not exceed $20,000, or $4,000 if the claim involves a consumer credit transaction. The statute defines a consumer credit transaction for that lower line. The $4,000 limit is not a footnote. A creditor suing on a consumer credit account uses the lower figure. Other civil claims use $20,000. Conciliation court is part of the district court in each county. The Revisor of Statutes publishes the official text.
Checked against official sources on October 11, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.
- Which court hears it
- Conciliation court
- Dollar limit we could verify
- Minnesota Statutes section 491A.01 says conciliation court hears civil claims if the money or property does not exceed $20,000, or $4,000 if the claim involves a consumer credit transaction.
- Statute or court page
- Official page →
- Filing or self-help page
- Official page →
Section 491A.01 also says what conciliation court does not do. The statute excludes particular subjects in later subdivisions, including matters the legislature has placed elsewhere. Read the subdivisions on jurisdiction before you file an eviction, a defamation case, or a case about title to real estate, and follow whatever exclusion the section states. The $20,000 and $4,000 lines are the dollar rules this directory reports because they appear in subdivision 3a of the section that was retrieved. Interest and costs are addressed in the statute's own words. Use those words on the claim form rather than a rounded guess.
Service is part of the same section. The Revisor's text says that if the amount of money or property exceeds $2,500, the plaintiff must serve the summons by certified mail, and it addresses service on nonresidents. A smaller claim may be served by the court administrator by first-class mail, as the statute provides. The $2,500 service line is not the jurisdictional cap. It is a service rule. Missing certified mail on a claim over $2,500 can delay a hearing that otherwise fits under $20,000. Read the service paragraphs that match the amount you wrote on the form.
Conciliation court can order the payment of money and can deal with personal property within the statute's terms, including an order a sheriff can enforce when the statute allows it. It is still a limited court. If your claim exceeds $20,000, or exceeds $4,000 on a consumer credit transaction, file a civil action in district court. The territorial rule is generally the county where the court sits, with the statute's exceptions for where a summons may be served. Landlord-tenant property-damage disputes may have a venue tied to the rental, as the section provides.
Official resources in Minnesota
Statute stating the $20,000 conciliation limit and the $4,000 consumer-credit limit.
Official statute library for chapter 491A.
Chapter index for conciliation-court procedure beyond the jurisdiction section.
Key facts for Minnesota
- Minnesota's small-claims court is called conciliation court.
- Section 491A.01 sets a $20,000 limit for civil claims about money or property.
- Consumer credit transactions use a $4,000 limit.
- Claims over $2,500 have a certified-mail service rule in the same statute.
- The court is part of the district court.
- A claim above the applicable limit is filed as an ordinary civil action.
What to do next
- Use $4,000, not $20,000, if the claim is a consumer credit transaction.
- Serve by certified mail when the amount exceeds $2,500.
- Read the statute's exclusions before filing an eviction or a title case.
- Confirm venue with the court administrator.
Looking for your city or county in Minnesota?
We haven't found official court-level pages for Minnesota 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 Minnesota, 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.Minnesota Revisor of Statutes
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 Minnesota 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