State guide
New Hampshire
This is general information, not legal advice. New Hampshire defines a small claim in RSA 503:1. A small claim is any right of action not involving title to real estate in which the debt or damages, exclusive of interest and costs, does not exceed $10,000. The procedure is used in the district division of the circuit court. Title disputes are outside the definition no matter how small the dollars look. Any person may file unless a jury is claimed at the threshold the statute describes. The statute is the authority for the $10,000 line. Court clerks explain the form. Interest and costs are outside the debt or damages figure.
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 procedure in the circuit court district division
- Dollar limit we could verify
- RSA 503:1 says a small claim is any right of action not involving title to real estate in which the debt or damages, exclusive of interest and costs, does not exceed $10,000.
- Statute or court page
- Official page →
- Filing or self-help page
- Official page →
Jury practice is written into the definition section. If the plaintiff wants a jury and the debt or damages exceed $1,500, the case is not filed as a small claim. When the debt or damages exceed $1,500, the defendant may claim a jury by a written request within 5 business days of the filing under RSA 503:3, or within added time the court allows for good cause. If that request is filed, the case transfers at once to superior court and is tried as if it began there.
Paragraph IV addresses claims over $5,000 when nobody has asked for a jury. The parties must participate in a mediation program in the district courts, as the statute provides. Five thousand dollars is not a second jurisdictional cap. The cap is $10,000. The $5,000 line is a mediation requirement, and the $1,500 line is a jury-request threshold. Read all four paragraphs before you assume every case under $10,000 is a simple hearing with no extra step. Title to real estate remains excluded at every amount. If the fight is about who owns land, RSA 503:1 says it is not a small claim.
File the application and statement the statute contemplates, with the debt or damages stated at or under $10,000 before interest and costs. Bring the documents to the hearing if the case stays in the district division. If it transfers to superior court, the procedure becomes the superior court's procedure, which is more formal. This directory does not restate a filing fee beyond what section 503:1 itself says about fees shifting as costs. Ask the clerk for the current schedule. A claim above $10,000 is filed as an ordinary civil action.
Official resources in New Hampshire
Statute defining a small claim as debt or damages not exceeding $10,000.
Official revised statutes.
Official RSA pages, including Title LI on courts.
Key facts for New Hampshire
- RSA 503:1 caps small claims at $10,000, exclusive of interest and costs.
- Cases involving title to real estate are excluded.
- A plaintiff who wants a jury on a claim over $1,500 does not use this procedure.
- A defendant may request a jury within 5 business days when the claim exceeds $1,500.
- A jury request transfers the case to superior court.
- Claims over $5,000 require mediation when no jury has been requested.
What to do next
- Keep debt or damages at or under $10,000 before interest and costs.
- Leave land-title disputes out of the small-claims application.
- If you are the defendant and want a jury, file the written request within 5 business days.
- Plan on mediation if the claim exceeds $5,000 and nobody requests a jury.
Looking for your city or county in New Hampshire?
We haven't found official court-level pages for New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire, 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.New Hampshire General Court
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 New Hampshire 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