squabbleapp.com is now squabble.ai. Your account and any active cases are unchanged.
Bergen County resolves money disputes up to $5,000 in the small-claims court: simplified procedures built for people without a lawyer.
This page sets out the ceiling on claims, what the court charges, the courthouse that covers Bergen County, how notice reaches the other party, the time limits, and the filing steps. Squabble can prepare and lodge the paperwork when you decide to go ahead.
Small claims in Bergen 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.
The nearest counties to Bergen County are Passaic County and Essex County. Small claims filings from Bergen County are handled at Superior Court of New Jersey: Bergen County Courthouse Special Civil Part (Small Claims) in Hackensack.
This court accepts electronic filing for small claims, so a case can be started without a courthouse trip.
Parts of the small claims list can be heard remotely, though it varies with the court and the case.
Two sets of evidence are needed, one for the judge and one for the other side, and some courts also take it electronically in advance.
Residents of Bergen County, New Jersey, which has a population of 978,641, can bring small claims cases through the New Jersey Small Claims Court. These matters are heard at the Superior Court of New Jersey: Bergen County Courthouse Special Civil Part (Small Claims), located at 10 Main Street in Hackensack, 07601. The claim limit in this court is $5,000. The courthouse is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, and is closed Saturday and Sunday. Court staff can be reached by telephone at (201) 221-0700, and information is published at https://www.njcourts.gov/courts/civil. Electronic filing is available. The county includes municipalities such as Englewood, Fort Lee, Fair Lawn, Garfield, Bergenfield, Cliffside Park and Hasbrouck Heights, along with ZIP codes including 07024, 07026, 07410 and 07450. Bergen County lies near Passaic County, Essex County and Hudson County.
Bergen County covers these 66 towns and cities:
Allendale, Alpine, Bergenfield, Bogota, Carlstadt, Cliffside Park, Closter, Cresskill, Demarest, Dumont, East Rutherford, Edgewater, Elmwood Park, Emerson, Englewood, Englewood Cliffs, Fair Lawn, Fairview, Fort Lee, Franklin Lakes, Garfield, Glen Rock, Hackensack, Harrington Park, Hasbrouck Heights, Haworth, Hillsdale, Ho Ho Kus, Leonia, Little Ferry, Lodi, Lyndhurst, Mahwah, Maywood, Midland Park, Montvale, Moonachie, New Milford, North Arlington, Northvale, Norwood, Oakland, Oradell, Palisades Park, Paramus, Park Ridge, Ramsey, Ridgefield, Ridgefield Park, Ridgewood, River Edge, Rochelle Park, Rutherford, Saddle Brook, Saddle River, South Hackensack, Teaneck, Tenafly, Teterboro, Township Of Washington, Waldwick, Wallington, Westwood, Wood Ridge, Woodcliff Lake, Wyckoff.
Bergen County is the 1st most populous of New Jersey's 21 counties, with about 978,641 residents. From Hackensack, Superior Court of New Jersey: Bergen County Courthouse Special Civil Part (Small Claims) is roughly 4 miles from the Passaic County courthouse in Paterson and 6 miles from the Essex County courthouse in Newark.
Counties nearest to this one:
Small claims handles money owed between ordinary people and businesses. Procedure is kept light, and claims are capped.
Maximum claim
You generally file where the other party lives, not where the dispute happened.
A single argument stays a single case; it cannot be carved up to fit the limit.
A small-claims judge generally orders one side to pay money; other kinds of orders belong in higher courts.
An attorney may appear at the hearing in New Jersey, though nobody has to have one. The process assumes you will speak for yourself.
Under-18s are represented by a guardian the court appoints.
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.
Superior Court of New Jersey: Bergen County Courthouse Special Civil Part (Small Claims) is the courthouse listed for Bergen County. They are the same across all 71 Bergen County ZIP codes, from 07010 onward.
If someone owes you money, up to $5,000, small claims is built for it. These are the disputes residents bring most often.
Bergen County has about 978,641 residents. Bergen County takes in Allendale, Alpine and Bergenfield and the rest of the county.
It's built to be navigable without a lawyer. Here's the shape of a case from start to finish.
Write up what is owed on the claim form, select the courthouse, and settle the filing fee.
Papers are delivered to the defendant, who may answer them or settle the matter first.
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 Bergen County, at the Hackensack courthouse. Superior Court of New Jersey: Bergen County Courthouse Special Civil Part (Small Claims) lists (201) 221-0700 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. In New Jersey, courts typically use delivery arranged by the court, email service where the court allows it, certified mail or the sheriff or constable.
Depending on the court: the sheriff or constable, a professional process server, the clerk by certified mail, or another adult who isn't part of the case. Methods and costs vary 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.
A completed proof of service records who delivered the papers and when, and it is filed with the court beforehand.
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 Bergen County include places such as Allendale, Alpine and Bergenfield. Passaic County and Essex County are the counties nearest to Bergen County.
A claim has to be filed inside a set period that starts when the dispute arose. After that point the court may decline to hear it.
| Kind of claim | How long you have |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 6 years |
| Oral contract | 6 years |
| Property damage | 6 years |
| Personal injury | 2 years |
Bergen County, population about 978,641, is covered by the table above. They do not change from one Bergen County ZIP code to another, 07010 included.
In New Jersey, prejudgment interest follows a statutory formula rather than a fixed rate (N.J. Ct. R. 4:42-11).
Interest can be calculated before filing using the Squabble interest calculator.
The rate above is the one for Bergen County, population about 978,641. It is the same rate across all 71 Bergen County ZIP codes.
Check that the amount is within the limit and that you're inside the statute of limitations for your claim type.
Get the defendant's legal name right, set out the events, and break down how the figure is reached.
File with the Bergen County small-claims court, or e-file, and pay the $35 fee (or request a waiver if you qualify).
With a hearing date in hand, organise service and lodge the completed proof with the court.
Organize documents and exhibits so you can present them clearly at the hearing.
Come to the hearing in person or remotely where permitted, present the facts, and get the ruling.
Tell Eleanor what happened and Squabble builds the filing, Triple-Checks™ it for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and files it on your behalf.
Start for FREE →A claim form opens the case, a proof of service records that notice was given, and a fee waiver applies where you qualify. Titles differ between courts, and Squabble uses the ones your courthouse expects.
Bergen County has a population of about 978,641. Allendale, Alpine and Bergenfield are among the places in Bergen County that filings come from.
The hearing is brief and informal. The judge asks the questions, and most people speak for themselves.
Bergen County has about 978,641 residents. Allendale, Alpine and Bergenfield are among the Bergen County places a hearing can draw parties from.
Winning and being paid are two different things. The judgment records what is owed; collecting it is its own process, backed by court remedies that vary from state to state.
Some states permit part of the debtor's wages to be diverted to the judgment until it is cleared.
A levy lets the court reach money sitting in the debtor's bank account.
Recording the judgment with the county can place a lien on the debtor's real property.
Courts can also summon the debtor to answer questions about income and property under oath. Until the balance is paid, interest usually continues to run at the statutory rate.
Allendale, Alpine and Bergenfield are among the Bergen County places a judgment debtor may live in. The judgment in a Bergen County case comes from Superior Court of New Jersey: Bergen County Courthouse Special Civil Part (Small Claims) in Hackensack.
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 Bergen County case for you.
