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Small claims in Martin County covers money disputes up to $8,000 and runs on simplified procedures built for people without a lawyer.
Here you will find the claim limit that applies in Martin County, what filing costs, where the case is heard, how the defendant is served, the deadlines, and the order of steps. Squabble can take the preparation and filing off your hands.
One courthouse takes small claims for Martin County, shown below. The court checks the location against the defendant's address and the place of the dispute.
Tap a courthouse to see its details in the list below.
Check the filing location first. The court's small-claims page lists where papers are taken today, and Squabble confirms it for your case as part of filing.
The nearest counties to Martin County are St. Lucie County and Okeechobee County. Small claims filings from Martin County are handled at Martin County Small Claims Court in Stuart.
You can open a small claims case here online, without travelling to the courthouse to hand the papers in.
Some small claims hearings are eligible for remote appearance; availability varies by court and case type.
Copies of the evidence go to the judge and to the other party, and some courts allow it to be sent in electronically beforehand.
Residents of Martin County, Florida, who wish to file a small claims case can do so through the Martin County Small Claims Court, located at 100 SE Ocean Blvd STE 3 in Stuart, 34994. The court operates as part of the Florida County Court system and handles claims up to $8,000. Martin County has a population of 165,666 and includes the communities of Hobe Sound, Indiantown, Jensen Beach, Palm City, Port Salerno, and Stuart, along with ZIP codes such as 33455, 34957, 34990, and 34997. The county lies near St. Lucie County, Okeechobee County, and Palm Beach County. Electronic filing is available for small claims cases. The clerk's office can be reached by telephone at (772) 288-5979, and further information about small claims procedures is published at https://www.martinclerk.com/200/Small-Claims. Court staff process filings and maintain case records, though they do not provide legal advice about individual disputes.
These 6 places sit inside Martin County:
Hobe Sound, Indiantown, Jensen Beach, Palm City, Port Salerno, Stuart.
ZIP codes:
Martin County is the 33rd most populous of Florida's 67 counties, with about 165,666 residents. From Stuart, Martin County Small Claims Court is roughly 6 miles from the St. Lucie County courthouse in Port St. Lucie and 18 miles from the Okeechobee County courthouse in Okeechobee.
If the other side lives just over the county line, the case may belong next door:
Everyday disputes over money belong in the small claims division, where the rules are simplified, and the sum in question has an upper bound.
Maximum claim
Either the place the dispute arose or the place the other party lives will usually work.
Courts do not allow one dispute to be filed as several in order to beat the maximum.
Judgments take the form of money owed; other kinds of relief are heard elsewhere.
Florida permits lawyers at the hearing without requiring them. Everything is built around people presenting their own case.
Minors take part through a guardian appointed by the court.
This state requires notarized filing documents. Squabble prepares them notarization-ready.
This state expects your supporting evidence to be submitted with the filing, not just brought to the hearing.
Over the limit? You can lower your claim to fit and stay in small claims, or file the full amount in regular civil court. Lowering usually means giving up the excess, so weigh it carefully.
Martin County is under the same limits as nearby St. Lucie County and Okeechobee County. These are the limits for Martin County, population about 165,666.
Small claims exists for money owed, up to $8,000. The categories below come up more than any others.
Martin County has about 165,666 residents. Martin County Small Claims Court is the Martin County courthouse listed below.
It's built to be navigable without a lawyer. Here's the shape of a case from start to finish.
Prepare the claim form, work out which court covers it, and pay the court's charge.
Formal notice reaches the other party, who then has a window to respond or resolve it.
The hearing is informal and quick, sometimes by video, and the judge decides on the spot or sends the outcome later.
Everything below applies to a case filed in Martin County, at the Stuart courthouse. Martin County Small Claims Court lists (772) 288-5979 as its number.
A filed case still has to reach the defendant. Formal notice, known as service of process, does that, and delivering it personally is generally not allowed. Courts in Florida generally rely on personal delivery by an approved server, email service where the court allows it, the sheriff or constable or delivery arranged by the court.
The options usually include a sheriff or constable, a licensed process server, certified mail sent by the clerk, or any adult with no stake in the case. What is allowed, and what it costs, differs from county to county.
How long before the hearing notice must be given is set by the court. That deadline arrives with your hearing date.
The person who delivered the papers signs a proof of service. That document goes to the court ahead of the hearing.
Service is where many self-filed cases stall. Squabble can coordinate professional Service of Process so it's done correctly and on time.
A Martin County address carries one of its 12 ZIP codes, 33455, 33475 and 34956 among them. St. Lucie County and Okeechobee County are the counties nearest to Martin County.
Claims do not stay open indefinitely. Time runs from the events themselves, and a filing made afterwards may be shut out.
| Claim type | Time limit to file |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 5 years |
| Oral contract | 4 years |
| Property damage | 4 years |
| Personal injury | 2 years |
The same periods apply in Martin County as in nearby St. Lucie County and Okeechobee County, which are in the same state. Martin County, population about 165,666, is covered by the table above.
In Florida, prejudgment interest follows a statutory formula rather than a fixed rate (Fla. Stat. §55.03).
A running total including interest can be worked out with the Squabble interest calculator.
Martin County is under the same state rate as nearby St. Lucie County and Okeechobee County. The rate above is the one for Martin County, population about 165,666.
Confirm the sum sits under the cap and that the time limit for this kind of claim has not run out.
State the party's full legal name, explain the events, and set out the calculation.
File with the Martin County small-claims court, or e-file, and pay the $55–$300 fee (or request a waiver if you qualify).
Once the court fixes a date, have the papers served and return the proof of service to the file.
Put the evidence in order, with exhibits marked, so the account is easy to follow.
Appear in person or, where available, remotely, present your case, and receive the court's decision.
Go through the events with Eleanor. The documents are prepared, Triple-Checked™ for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and filed for you.
Start for FREE →Claim form starts the case · Proof of service shows the defendant was notified · Fee waiver if you qualify. Exact form names vary by court; Squabble prepares the right ones for your courthouse.
Martin County has a population of about 165,666. Hobe Sound, Indiantown and Jensen Beach are among the places in Martin County that filings come from.
The hearing is brief and informal. The judge asks the questions, and most people speak for themselves.
Hearings in Martin County cases are listed at Martin County Small Claims Court in Stuart. Hobe Sound, Indiantown and Jensen Beach are among the Martin County places a hearing can draw parties from.
The decision settles who owes what. Turning it into money is a separate stage, and the tools the court makes available differ by state.
Where state law allows it, a portion of the debtor's earnings can be redirected to pay what the court ordered.
Money in the debtor's bank account can be seized under a levy the court orders.
Lodging the judgment with the county can create a lien over property the debtor owns.
You may also apply for an order compelling the debtor to attend and disclose income and assets on oath. Interest generally continues at the rate the state sets until the debt is met.
Hobe Sound, Indiantown and Jensen Beach are among the Martin County places a judgment debtor may live in. St. Lucie County and Okeechobee County are the counties nearest to Martin County.
Checked August 2026. Because courts revise fees, limits and procedures, confirm the current position before filing.
Talk with Eleanor about what happened. Squabble prepares your demand letter and court-ready documents, Triple-Checks them for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and files your Martin County case for you.
