Small Claims Plainly

State guide

Tennessee

This is general information, not legal advice. Tennessee's usual court for smaller civil disputes is general sessions court. Every county has this court of limited jurisdiction. It hears civil cases and criminal cases. Civil authority comes from state statutes and, in many counties, from private acts that the legislature passed for that county. This directory does not state a dollar amount. The current text of Tennessee Code Annotated section 16-15-501 could not be retrieved from an official code page that this research could open. Bills and fiscal notes on the legislative site discuss that section, and a bill is not the enacted code. Ask the general sessions clerk in the county where you would file what civil amount that court is using, and ask whether a private act changes it.

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
General sessions court
Dollar limit we could verify
Not published by an official source we could verify. Ask the office.
Statute or court page
Official page →

General sessions judges are elected and also sit as juvenile judges in counties that do not have a separate juvenile court. Criminal jurisdiction includes misdemeanor cases and preliminary hearings in felony cases. Civil jurisdiction is the part that matters for a debt, a property-damage claim, or a detainer. Detainer cases, which include many eviction filings, are a large share of the civil docket and have their own forms and timelines. Do not file an eviction on a generic civil warrant if the clerk issues a detainer warrant. The clerk's office in that county is the authority for the form, the fee, and the civil maximum.

Because private acts can change a particular county's court, a number you hear from another county may be wrong for yours. That is a structural feature of Tennessee courts, and it is why this entry refuses to print a single statewide cap from a bill or a fiscal note. A fiscal note may describe the law as the analyst understood it on the day the note was written. It is not a substitute for the code. The General Assembly's website is where acts are posted. Until you are looking at the current code section or the clerk's written instruction, treat any dollar figure in a secondary article as unverified.

A general sessions judgment is a judgment of a court of limited jurisdiction. Appeals and collection follow the statutes and rules that apply to that court, which the judgment or the clerk can identify. This directory does not state a fee or a number of days. If your claim is above the civil amount the clerk states, circuit court or chancery court is where larger civil cases are filed, depending on the relief. Name the defendant correctly, including a business's name as registered. Bring the contract and a clear calculation. The absence of a dollar figure in this entry is intentional.

Official resources in Tennessee

Tennessee General Assembly

Legislature site. The current code section on general sessions jurisdiction was not opened here.

Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury

State office whose materials discuss county government, including courts.

About the General Assembly

Legislature about page. Bills are not a substitute for the current code.

Key facts for Tennessee

What to do next

  1. Ask the general sessions clerk in your county for the civil maximum and the fee.
  2. Do not copy a dollar figure from a bill or a fiscal note.
  3. Use a detainer warrant, not a generic claim, if you need possession of property.
  4. Confirm whether a private act applies to that county.

Looking for your city or county in Tennessee?

We haven't found official court-level pages for Tennessee 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 Tennessee, 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.
    Tennessee 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 Tennessee 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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