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Small claims in Clinton County covers money disputes up to $5,000 and runs on simplified procedures built for people without a lawyer.
Here you will find the claim limit that applies in Clinton 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 Clinton 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.
Unsure where to file? The court publishes a locator that turns a ZIP code into a courthouse, and Squabble handles that step for you. Coverage is updated periodically, so verify before filing.
The nearest counties to Clinton County are Franklin County and Essex County. Plattsburgh City Court, in Plattsburgh, is the courthouse listed for Clinton County.
Electronic filing is accepted for small claims at this court, so the opening papers need not be delivered in person.
Small claims are heard at the courthouse, in person.
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.
Clinton County, New York, has a population of 77,871 and handles small claims matters through its City, Town and Village Courts, where the claim limit is $5,000. The Plattsburgh City Court sits at 24 U.S. Oval in Plattsburgh, ZIP code 12903, and can be reached at (518) 536-3870. Its counter is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 3:45 PM and is closed Saturday and Sunday. Information about the court is posted at https://ww2.nycourts.gov/courts/4jd/Clinton/index.shtml. Electronic filing is available. The county covers communities including Altona, Champlain, Chazy, Dannemora, Keeseville, Mooers, Morrisonville, Peru, Rouses Point, Saranac, Schuyler Falls and West Chazy, along with ZIP codes such as 12901, 12919, 12924, 12958, 12962, 12972 and 12992. Clinton County lies near Franklin County, Essex County and St. Lawrence County. Town and village courts operate in addition to the city court, so a small claims case in Clinton County may be heard in the court serving the relevant community.
These 22 places sit inside Clinton County:
Altona, Au Sable Forks, Cadyville, Champlain, Chazy, Churubusco, Dannemora, Ellenburg, Ellenburg Center, Ellenburg Depot, Keeseville, Lyon Mountain, Mooers, Mooers Forks, Morrisonville, Peru, Plattsburgh, Redford, Rouses Point, Saranac, Schuyler Falls, West Chazy.
ZIP codes:
Clinton County holds about 77,871 people, 34th of the 62 counties in New York. Plattsburgh City Court, in Plattsburgh, is about 22 miles from the Franklin County courthouse in Malone and 10 miles from the Essex County courthouse in Au Sable Forks.
If the other side lives just over the county line, the case may belong next door:
Small claims is the court's track for everyday money disputes: simplified rules, and limits on how much you can sue for.
Maximum claim
Venue follows the defendant: their county, not the county of the dispute.
Splitting a single claim across multiple filings to dodge the ceiling is not permitted.
The remedy here is money. Orders telling someone to do or stop something sit with higher courts.
New York 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.
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.
Clinton County is under the same limits as nearby Franklin County and Essex County. These are the limits for Clinton County, population about 77,871.
Debts up to $5,000 belong in this court. These are the arguments people bring most frequently.
Clinton County has about 77,871 residents. Clinton County takes in Altona, Au Sable Forks and Cadyville 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.
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.
The hearing is informal and quick, sometimes by video, and the judge decides on the spot or sends the outcome later.
Plattsburgh City Court lists (518) 536-3870 as its number. This is the route a Clinton County case takes, whether it starts in 12901 or anywhere else among the county ZIP codes.
After you file, the other party must be formally notified. This is called service of process. You generally cannot serve the papers yourself. Courts in New York generally rely on personal delivery by an approved server, the sheriff or constable, delivery arranged by the court, email service where the court allows it or certified mail.
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.
Each court sets how far before the hearing the defendant must be served. The clerk confirms your deadline when the hearing date is set. Service 8 days before hearing. Court handles Proof of service since they do service.
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 Clinton County include places such as Altona, Au Sable Forks and Cadyville. A Clinton County address carries one of its 25 ZIP codes, 12901, 12903 and 12910 among them.
Filing is only possible for a set time after the events. Beyond it, the other side can have the claim thrown out.
| Claim type | How long you have |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 6 years |
| Oral contract | 6 years |
| Property damage | 3 years |
| Personal injury | 3 years |
They do not change from one Clinton County ZIP code to another, 12901 included. The same periods apply in Clinton County as in nearby Franklin County and Essex County, which are in the same state.
Money owed under a contract in New York generally accrues interest at 9% per year before judgment (N.Y. CPLR §5001-5004).
To see what interest has added so far, the Squabble interest calculator works out the running total.
Clinton County is under the same state rate as nearby Franklin County and Essex County. It is the same rate across all 25 Clinton County ZIP codes.
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 Clinton County small-claims court, or e-file, and pay the $15–$20 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.
Sort the documents and exhibits in advance so they can be handed up in order.
Turn up on the day, in person or remotely where offered, present what happened, and take the 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.
Altona, Au Sable Forks and Cadyville are among the places in Clinton County that filings come from. Clinton County papers go to Plattsburgh City Court in Plattsburgh.
The hearing is brief and informal. The judge asks the questions, and most people speak for themselves.
Clinton County has about 77,871 residents. Hearings in Clinton County cases are listed at Plattsburgh City Court in Plattsburgh.
A judgment is the court's decision. Collecting it is a separate step, with court-backed tools if the other side doesn't pay. Which tools are available depends on state law.
Where state law allows it, a portion of the debtor's earnings can be redirected to pay what the court ordered.
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.
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.
The judgment in a Clinton County case comes from Plattsburgh City Court in Plattsburgh. Altona, Au Sable Forks and Cadyville are among the Clinton County places a judgment debtor may live in.
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 Clinton County case for you.
