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In Brunswick County, money disputes up to $10,000 go to the small-claims court: simplified procedures built for people without a lawyer.
Here you will find the claim limit that applies in Brunswick 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.
Small claims in Brunswick County are heard at the courthouse below. When you file, the court confirms the right location for your case based on where the defendant lives or where your dispute happened.
Tap a courthouse to see its details in the list below.
Locations change. The court publishes its current small-claims address on its own page; Squabble confirms the courthouse for your case when you file.
About 167,112 people live in Brunswick County. Brunswick County Courthouse, in Bolivia, is the courthouse listed for Brunswick County.
This court takes small-claims filings electronically, so the case can be started from home.
Small claims are heard at the courthouse, in person.
Bring copies of your evidence for the judge and the other side; some courts also accept electronic submission ahead of the hearing.
Residents of Brunswick County, North Carolina, which has a population of 167,112, can bring small claims cases through the North Carolina Small Claims Court, which handles claims up to $10,000. Cases from the county are heard at the Brunswick County Courthouse in Bolivia, located at 310 Government Center Dr NE, 28422, and the courthouse can be reached at (910) 253-3900. The courthouse is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM and is closed on Saturday and Sunday. Further information is available at https://www.nccourts.gov/locations/brunswick-county/brunswick-county-courthouse. The county covers communities including Leland, Shallotte, Southport, Oak Island, Calabash, Supply, and Winnabow, along with ZIP codes such as 28451, 28459, 28461, and 28470. Brunswick County lies near Columbus County, New Hanover County, and Pender County. Electronic filing is available in this county, in addition to filings made at the courthouse during its regular business hours.
Brunswick County covers these 12 towns and cities:
Ash, Bolivia, Calabash, Leland, Longwood, Oak Island, Ocean Isle Beach, Shallotte, Southport, Sunset Beach, Supply, Winnabow.
ZIP codes:
Brunswick County is the 18th most populous of North Carolina's 100 counties, with about 167,112 residents. Brunswick County Courthouse, in Bolivia, is about 18 miles from the Columbus County courthouse in Whiteville and 9 miles from the New Hanover County courthouse in Wilmington.
Neighbouring counties and the courts that serve them:
Small claims handles money owed between ordinary people and businesses. Procedure is kept light, and claims are capped.
Maximum claim
Where the dispute arose does not set venue in this state; where they live does.
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.
North Carolina permits lawyers at the hearing without requiring them. Everything is built around people presenting their own case.
Under-18s are represented by a guardian the court appoints.
Over the limit? Two routes exist: reduce the claim to the cap and stay here, or take the full sum to regular civil court. Reducing it normally forfeits the difference.
Brunswick County is under the same limits as nearby Columbus County and New Hanover County. They are the same across all 13 Brunswick County ZIP codes, from 28420 onward.
Small claims exists for money owed, up to $10,000. The categories below come up more than any others.
Brunswick County Courthouse is the Brunswick County courthouse listed below. Brunswick County has about 167,112 residents.
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.
Service puts the papers in the defendant's hands and starts their time to answer or settle.
A brief, informal hearing, in person or, where the court offers it, by video. The judge rules at the hearing or sends the decision after.
Brunswick County Courthouse publishes its counter hours; they are listed on this page. This is the route a Brunswick County case takes, whether it starts in 28420 or anywhere else among the county ZIP codes.
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. delivery arranged by the court, email service where the court allows it or the sheriff or constable is what courts in North Carolina normally accept.
Courts accept service by a sheriff or constable, a professional server, the clerk via certified mail, or an adult who is not party to the case. Permitted methods and charges change by county.
Every court fixes a minimum number of days between service and the hearing. The clerk will tell you what it is for your case. Service must be completed within 5 days of hearing. NC has close hearing dates.
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.
A Brunswick County address carries one of its 13 ZIP codes, 28420, 28422 and 28451 among them. Columbus County and New Hanover County are the counties nearest to Brunswick County.
The right to bring a claim expires. The period is measured from the moment the dispute arose, and once it has run the court can refuse the case.
| What the claim is about | Deadline to file |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 3 years |
| Oral contract | 3 years |
| Property damage | 3 years |
| Personal injury | 3 years |
Brunswick County, population about 167,112, is covered by the table above. The same periods apply in Brunswick County as in nearby Columbus County and New Hanover County, which are in the same state.
Money owed under a contract in North Carolina generally accrues interest at 8% per year before judgment (N.C. Gen. Stat. §24-1, §24-5).
Interest can be calculated before filing using the Squabble interest calculator.
The rate above is the one for Brunswick County, population about 167,112. Brunswick County is under the same state rate as nearby Columbus County and New Hanover County.
Check that the amount is within the limit and that you're inside the statute of limitations for your claim type.
State the party's full legal name, explain the events, and set out the calculation.
File with the Brunswick County small-claims court, or e-file, and pay the $30–$96 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.
Organize documents and exhibits so you can present them clearly at the hearing.
Appear in person or, where available, remotely, present your case, and receive the court's decision.
Describe the dispute to Eleanor. Squabble drafts the paperwork, puts it through a Triple-Check™ for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and lodges it with the court.
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.
Ash, Bolivia and Calabash are among the places in Brunswick County that filings come from. Brunswick County takes in filings from 13 ZIP codes, 28420 first in the list.
Small claims hearings are short and informal, and the judge asks questions directly. Most people present their own case.
Brunswick County Courthouse sits at the 28422 address shown above. Ash, Bolivia and Calabash are among the Brunswick County places a hearing can draw parties from.
A judgment says what is owed. Getting hold of the money is the next stage, and the enforcement options open to you depend on the 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.
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.
The judgment in a Brunswick County case comes from Brunswick County Courthouse in Bolivia. Ash, Bolivia and Calabash are among the Brunswick County places a judgment debtor may live in.
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 Brunswick County case for you.
