State guide
New Jersey
This is general information, not legal advice. New Jersey hears small claims in the Special Civil Part of the Superior Court. The Judiciary's self-help page is titled for lawsuits of $5,000 or less and says small claims are lawsuits for $5,000 or less. It gives the same $5,000 line for a renter's suit to recover a security deposit. The page lists typical claims: a broken contract, a down payment you want back, property damage, a product that does not work, unfinished work, pay for work you did, a bad check, and back rent. A separate self-help track covers lawsuits of $20,000 or less in the Special Civil Part, which is not the small-claims section. Over that, the Law Division is the next step the court site describes.
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 section of the Special Civil Part
- Dollar limit we could verify
- The New Jersey Courts self-help page says small claims are lawsuits for $5,000 or less, including a suit to recover a residential security deposit of $5,000 or less.
- Statute or court page
- Official page →
- Filing or self-help page
- Official page →
Where you file is part of the same page. A complaint is filed in the Special Civil Part of the county where at least one defendant lives or where the defendant's business is located. A business defendant is located where it actually does business or where its registered office is. If there are several defendants, the page says you may file in a county where any one of them lives or is located. If none of them is in New Jersey, you file in the county where the cause of the complaint occurred. That last rule matters for out-of-state companies.
The $5,000 small-claims line and the $20,000 Special Civil Part line are different products. A $12,000 contract claim is not forced into small claims, and it is not forced into the Law Division, if it fits the Special Civil Part track the court describes for lawsuits of $20,000 or less. Read the page that matches the amount. Security-deposit cases stay in small claims only when the deposit claim is $5,000 or less, which the page states expressly. Bring the lease, the move-out photos, and the letters about the deposit. The page says the court has forms and a list of Special Civil Part offices with addresses.
Special Civil Part is still Superior Court. Judgments can be enforced with the information subpoenas and writs the court describes in its collection materials. This directory does not copy a fee schedule. Use the fee the self-help page or the filing counter states on the day you file. If you need more than money, or more than $20,000, read the Law Division instructions. The small-claims page is written for people without lawyers, and lawyers are allowed. Arrive with three copies of anything you want the judge to see. The page's examples are illustrations, not a complete list of every legal theory the section can hear.
Official resources in New Jersey
Judiciary page stating that small claims are lawsuits for $5,000 or less.
Official statutes and the court-organization laws.
State portal. The judiciary self-help page is the source of the $5,000 figure.
Key facts for New Jersey
- New Jersey small claims are part of the Special Civil Part.
- The courts' page says small claims are for $5,000 or less.
- Security-deposit claims in small claims are also stated at $5,000 or less.
- The Special Civil Part has a separate track for lawsuits of $20,000 or less.
- Venue follows where a defendant lives or does business, or where the cause arose if no defendant is in New Jersey.
- The page lists contract, property-damage, consumer, wage, bad-check, and back-rent examples.
What to do next
- Use the small-claims section only when the lawsuit is for $5,000 or less.
- Use the Special Civil Part's other track for a larger claim that still fits within $20,000.
- Pick the county using the page's venue rules.
- Keep security-deposit claims at or under $5,000 if you want the small-claims section.
Looking for your city or county in New Jersey?
We haven't found official court-level pages for New Jersey 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 Jersey, 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 Jersey Legislature
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 Jersey 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