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Money disputes up to $20,000 are settled in the Clearwater County small-claims court, which runs on simplified procedures built for people without a lawyer.
Read on for the claim ceiling, the fees, the courthouse serving Clearwater County, the way the other side is notified, the cut-off dates, and each filing step. Squabble prepares the paperwork and files it on your behalf.
These cases are heard at the single courthouse below. Clearwater County confirms the venue from the defendant's address or where the events happened.
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.
Small claims filings from Clearwater County are handled at Clearwater County Conciliation Court in Bagley. About 8,630 people live in Clearwater County.
Electronic filing is accepted for small claims at this court, so the opening papers need not be delivered in person.
The small claims list is heard in person, at the courthouse itself.
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 Clearwater County, Minnesota, bring small claims cases through the Minnesota Conciliation Court, which handles disputes up to $20000. The Clearwater County Conciliation Court sits in Bagley, at 213 Main Ave North, and serves a county of about 8,630 people, including the communities of Bagley, Clearbrook, Gonvick, Leonard, and Shevlin, and ZIP codes such as 56621, 56634, 56644, 56652, and 56676. The courthouse is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM and is closed Saturday and Sunday. The court also accepts electronic filing. General information about the court is available at https://www.mncourts.gov/Find-Courts/clearwater.aspx, and court staff can be reached by telephone at (218) 694-6177. Clearwater County lies near Mahnomen County, Beltrami County, and Red Lake County, each of which has its own conciliation court for matters arising there. The conciliation court receives claims, schedules hearings, and issues decisions in the cases filed with it.
Clearwater County covers these 5 towns and cities:
Bagley, Clearbrook, Gonvick, Leonard, Shevlin.
ZIP codes:
With about 8,630 residents, Clearwater County ranks 74th by population among the 87 counties of Minnesota. Clearwater County Conciliation Court sits about 12 miles from the Beltrami County courthouse in Bemidji.
Neighbouring counties and the courts that serve them:
This is the part of the court built for ordinary money arguments. The procedure is stripped back, and there is a ceiling on the amount at stake.
Maximum claim
The county where it happened and the county where they live are both generally available.
You can't divide one dispute into several smaller cases to get around the limit.
The court decides who pays whom and how much. Anything beyond money goes to a higher court.
Minnesota conciliation court rules allow a party to be represented by a lawyer admitted to practice in Minnesota, and the judge decides the extent and manner in which the lawyer participates at the trial (Minn. Gen. R. Prac. 512(d), as amended effective July 1, 2026). Corporations, LLCs, partnerships, and similar entities may instead appear through an officer, manager, partner, or authorized employee under Minn. Stat. 491A.02, subd. 4.
Minors take part through a guardian appointed by the court.
Over the limit? A claim above the ceiling can be trimmed to fit, or filed in full in the ordinary civil court. Trimming generally means writing off the remainder.
These are the limits for Clearwater County, population about 8,630. They are the same across all 5 Clearwater County ZIP codes, from 56621 onward.
If someone owes you money, up to $20,000, small claims is built for it. These are the disputes residents bring most often.
Clearwater County takes in Bagley, Clearbrook and Gonvick and the rest of the county. Clearwater County Conciliation Court is the Clearwater County courthouse listed below.
It's built to be navigable without a lawyer. Here's the shape of a case from start to finish.
Set out the claim on the court's form, identify the correct courthouse, and pay the fee.
The other side is formally served and has the chance to respond, or to settle before the hearing.
The hearing itself is short and informal. Some courts allow video. The ruling comes then or later in writing.
Everything below applies to a case filed in Clearwater County, at the Bagley courthouse. Clearwater County Conciliation Court lists (218) 935-4020 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.
A sheriff, a constable, a professional server, the court clerk using certified mail, or an uninvolved adult can all serve papers, depending on local rules. Fees and permitted methods vary.
Courts set their own cut-off for how many days before the hearing notice must land. The clerk gives you that date along with the hearing date.
Service is proved on paper. The server completes and signs a form, and it is filed before the matter is heard.
Service is where many self-filed cases stall. Squabble can coordinate professional Service of Process so it's done correctly and on time.
Addresses in Clearwater County include places such as Bagley, Clearbrook and Gonvick. Mahnomen County and Beltrami County are the counties nearest to Clearwater County.
Filing is only possible for a set time after the events. Beyond it, the other side can have the claim thrown out.
| Type of claim | Time limit to file |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 6 years |
| Oral contract | 6 years |
| Property damage | 6 years |
| Personal injury | 6 years |
Clearwater County, population about 8,630, is covered by the table above. They do not change from one Clearwater County ZIP code to another, 56621 included.
In Minnesota, prejudgment interest follows a statutory formula rather than a fixed rate (Minn. Stat. §549.09).
Want to estimate what interest adds to your claim? Use the Squabble interest calculator to see the running total before you file.
It is the same rate across all 5 Clearwater County ZIP codes. Clearwater County is under the same state rate as nearby Mahnomen County and Beltrami County.
Verify the figure is inside the limit and that you are still within the deadline for this claim type.
Get the defendant's legal name right, set out the events, and break down how the figure is reached.
File with the Clearwater County small-claims court, or e-file, and pay the $35–$75 fee (or request a waiver if you qualify).
Service comes after the date is set. File the server's proof once the papers have been delivered.
Arrange your evidence and number the exhibits so nothing has to be searched for on the day.
Attend the hearing, in person or by video if that is offered, make your case, and receive the outcome.
Go through the events with Eleanor. The documents are prepared, Triple-Checked™ for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and filed for you.
Start for FREE →You will meet a claim form, a proof of service, and possibly a fee waiver. What each is called depends on the court, and Squabble matches them to your courthouse.
Clearwater County takes in filings from 5 ZIP codes, 56621 first in the list. Clearwater County has a population of about 8,630.
Hearings are short and plainly run. Questions come from the judge, and most parties appear without help.
Bagley, Clearbrook and Gonvick are among the Clearwater County places a hearing can draw parties from. Clearwater County has about 8,630 residents.
The decision settles who owes what. Turning it into money is a separate stage, and the tools the court makes available differ by state.
Wage garnishment, where the state permits it, sends part of the debtor's pay toward the judgment.
Funds can be collected directly from the debtor's bank account through a court-ordered levy.
Lodging the judgment with the county can create a lien over property the debtor owns.
There is also an examination procedure: the debtor is ordered to attend and give sworn answers about earnings and assets. Interest normally accrues at the statutory rate until payment.
Bagley, Clearbrook and Gonvick are among the Clearwater County places a judgment debtor may live in. Mahnomen County and Beltrami County are the counties nearest to Clearwater County.
Last reviewed August 2026. Court fees, limits, and procedures change. Verify current details with the court 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 Clearwater County case for you.
