Small Claims Plainly

State guide

North Carolina

This is general information, not legal advice. North Carolina's small claims are a class of district-court cases that a magistrate can hear. General Statute 7A-210, in the legislature's official PDF of Article 19, says a small claim is a civil action in which the amount in controversy, computed under G.S. 7A-243, does not exceed $10,000. The principal relief must be money, recovery of specific personal property, summary ejectment, or a combination of those in properly joined claims. The plaintiff must request assignment to a magistrate. The history line shows the $10,000 amount coming from a 2013 amendment. Summary ejectment is the statute's name for many eviction cases. The clerk of superior court is where these filings are made.

Checked against official sources on October 11, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.

Try a ZIP like 30303, “Travis County” or “Columbus, OH”
Which court hears it
Small claim heard by a magistrate in district court
Dollar limit we could verify
G.S. 7A-210 says a small claim is a civil action in which the amount in controversy does not exceed $10,000, the principal relief is money, recovery of specific personal property, or summary ejectment, or a combination of those, and the plaintiff asks that a magistrate hear it.
Statute or court page
Official page →
Filing or self-help page
Official page →

Assignment is not automatic in the sense that the plaintiff must ask for it. Section 7A-211 says the chief district judge may assign a small claim to a magistrate of the district if the defendant, or one of several defendants, resides in the county where that magistrate was appointed. A case can meet the $10,000 test and still fail the residency test for magistrate assignment. Ask the clerk how assignment works in that county. Claim and delivery, and a clerk's order about property subject to a lien under G.S. 44A-4, do not by themselves knock an otherwise qualifying case out of the small-claim definition.

The $10,000 figure is the amount in controversy computed under G.S. 7A-243. Read that section before you add claims together. A demand for money plus a demand for personal property plus a summary-ejectment claim can be joined when the statute's computation still does not exceed $10,000. If a counterclaim would push the amount over the jurisdictional line, Article 19 addresses how that pleading is handled. Read the counterclaim section in the same PDF rather than assuming the whole case stays with the magistrate. Eviction cases move on a fast calendar. Use the summary-ejectment form, not a generic complaint, when possession is what you need.

Magistrates hear these cases under procedures that are shorter than a district-court trial before a judge. You may speak for yourself. Bring the lease, the photos, and a ledger. A judgment can be appealed to district court under the appeal statute in Article 19. This directory does not state the number of days, because the dollar-limit section is the section relied on here. Read the appeal section in the PDF and the notice the clerk gives you. If the amount in controversy exceeds $10,000, or the relief is an injunction or a title decree, file a regular civil action. The legislature's PDF is the text.

Official resources in North Carolina

G.S. Chapter 7A, Article 19

Official PDF defining a small claim as not exceeding $10,000 and including summary ejectment.

North Carolina General Assembly

Official statutes and the enacted-legislation library.

North Carolina General Assembly statute lookup

Chapter 7A entry point for related court statutes.

Key facts for North Carolina

What to do next

  1. Request magistrate assignment on the form the clerk uses.
  2. Use the summary-ejectment process if you need possession of real property.
  3. Compute the amount in controversy the way G.S. 7A-243 describes.
  4. Read the counterclaim section if the defendant may claim more than $10,000.

Looking for your city or county in North Carolina?

We haven't found official court-level pages for North Carolina we can verify yet, so we don't show local numbers here rather than guess. Here's what to use instead, in order:

  1. General Start with the statewide information above. It applies across North Carolina, but cities and counties can add their own steps, fees or deadlines.
  2. Call to confirm Ask the official office. They have the current local rule, fee and form.
    North Carolina General Assembly
    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 North Carolina page on USA.gov can point you to the right office.
  3. Know the current info? Tell us and include a link to the official page. We check every tip before it goes up.

Helpful guides

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