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In New York County, money disputes up to $10,000 go to 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 New York 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.
These cases are heard at the single courthouse below. New York 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.
Which courthouse takes your case? The court's own locator maps a ZIP code to the right building, and Squabble works it out for you as part of filing. Locations are revised from time to time, so check before you go.
The nearest counties to New York County are Bronx County and Kings County. About 1,660,664 people live in New York 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.
Copies of the evidence go to the judge and to the other party, and some courts allow it to be sent in electronically beforehand.
New York County, New York, has a population of 1,660,664 and is served by the City, Town and Village Courts system, which handles small claims matters with a claim limit of $5,000. Cases in this county are heard at the New York City Civil Court: New York County, located at 111 Centre Street, Room 322, in New York, 10013. The clerk's office operates Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM and is closed Saturday and Sunday. The court can be reached by phone at 646-386-5484 or (646) 386-5750, and information is posted at https://www.nycourts.gov/. Electronic filing is available. The county covers New York and includes ZIP codes such as 10001, 10002, 10007, 10011, 10016, 10019, and 10025, among others. It lies near Bronx County, Kings County, and Queens County. The small claims part of the court receives filings, schedules hearings, and resolves disputes within the monetary limit set for this court system.
New York County covers:
New York.
New York County holds about 1,660,664 people, 3rd of the 62 counties in New York. New York City Civil Court: New York County in New York lies around 4 miles from the Bronx County courthouse in Bronx and 5 miles from the Queens County courthouse in Queens.
If the other side lives just over the county line, the case may belong next door:
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
You generally file where the other party lives, not where the dispute happened.
You can't divide one dispute into several smaller cases to get around the limit.
The remedy here is money. Orders telling someone to do or stop something sit with higher courts.
New York allows attorneys at the hearing, but none is required. The procedures are designed for self-representation.
Under-18s are represented by a guardian the court appoints.
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.
New York County is under the same limits as nearby Bronx County and Kings County. They are the same across all 164 New York County ZIP codes, from 10001 onward.
Small claims exists for money owed, up to $10,000. The categories below come up more than any others.
New York City Civil Court: New York County is the New York County courthouse listed below. New York County has about 1,660,664 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.
The defendant receives the papers through formal service and can reply or negotiate an end to 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 New York County, at the New York courthouse. New York City Civil Court: New York County lists (646) 386-5750 as its number.
The defendant must be given formal notice after filing. This is service of process, and as a rule you are not permitted to serve the papers yourself. The usual route in New York is 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.
Who may serve depends on the court: law enforcement, a paid process server, the clerk by certified mail, or a disinterested adult. Costs and rules are local.
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 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.
A New York County address carries one of its 164 ZIP codes, 10001, 10002 and 10003 among them. Bronx County and Kings County are the counties nearest to New York County.
You have a limited window to file, measured from when the dispute arose. File after it closes and your claim can be barred.
| What the claim is about | Filing deadline |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 6 years |
| Oral contract | 6 years |
| Property damage | 3 years |
| Personal injury | 3 years |
The same periods apply in New York County as in nearby Bronx County and Kings County, which are in the same state. They do not change from one New York County ZIP code to another, 10001 included.
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.
It is the same rate across all 164 New York County ZIP codes. New York County is under the same state rate as nearby Bronx County and Kings County.
Two checks first: the amount must fall within the ceiling, and the claim must still be in time.
Name the correct party, describe what happened, and show how the amount is calculated.
File with the New York County small-claims court, or e-file, and pay the $15–$20 fee (or request a waiver if you qualify).
With a hearing date in hand, organise service and lodge the completed proof with the court.
Put the evidence in order, with exhibits marked, so the account is easy to follow.
Attend the hearing, in person or by video if that is offered, make your case, and receive the outcome.
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 →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.
New York County has a population of about 1,660,664. New York County papers go to New York City Civil Court: New York County in New York.
Small claims hearings are short and informal, and the judge asks questions directly. Most people present their own case.
Hearings in New York County cases are listed at New York City Civil Court: New York County in New York. New York County has about 1,660,664 residents.
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.
With a bank levy, the court reaches funds held in the debtor's account directly.
Filing the judgment with the county can attach a lien to land or buildings 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.
New York are among the New York County places a judgment debtor may live in. Bronx County and Kings County are the counties nearest to New York County.
Reviewed August 2026. Fees, limits and procedures are revised from time to time, so confirm them with the court before you file.
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 New York County case for you.
