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The small-claims court in Ontario County handles money disputes up to $5,000, with simplified procedures built for people without a lawyer.
This page sets out the ceiling on claims, what the court charges, the courthouse that covers Ontario 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 Ontario 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.
Not sure which courthouse? Use the court's official court locator to match your ZIP code to the correct location, or let Squabble identify it for you automatically. Hub courthouses can change; confirm before you file.
Ontario County Courthouse, in Canandaigua, is the courthouse listed for Ontario County. About 113,012 people live in Ontario 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.
Ontario County, New York, with a population of 113,012, handles small claims matters through its City, Town and Village Courts, where the claim limit is $5,000. The Ontario County Courthouse is located in Canandaigua at 27 North Main Street, ZIP code 14424, and it is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, closed Saturday and Sunday. The courthouse can be reached at 585-412-5300, and additional information is posted at https://ww2.nycourts.gov/courts/7jd/ontario/Family/index.shtml. Electronic filing is available. The county includes communities such as Canandaigua, Geneva, Victor, Farmington, Phelps, Naples, Manchester, Shortsville, Clifton Springs, Honeoye, and Bloomfield, along with ZIP codes including 14425, 14432, 14456, 14532, 14561, and 14564. Ontario County lies near Yates County, Livingston County, and Seneca County. Because the small claims system operates through city, town, and village courts, cases are heard in the local courts serving these municipalities throughout the county.
Ontario County covers these 22 towns and cities:
Bloomfield, Canandaigua, Clifton Springs, East Bloomfield, Farmington, Fishers, Geneva, Gorham, Hall, Hemlock, Honeoye, Ionia, Manchester, Naples, Oaks Corners, Phelps, Port Gibson, Seneca Castle, Shortsville, Stanley, Victor, West Bloomfield.
ZIP codes:
Of New York's 62 counties, Ontario County is 26th by population at roughly 113,012 people. Ontario County Courthouse, in Canandaigua, is about 10 miles from the Yates County courthouse in Naples and 12 miles from the Livingston County courthouse in Conesus.
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
Where the dispute arose does not set venue in this state; where they live does.
A single argument stays a single case; it cannot be carved up to fit the limit.
The remedy here is money. Orders telling someone to do or stop something sit with higher courts.
An attorney may appear at the hearing in New York, 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? Claims over the cap can go two ways: cut to the limit and stay, or move to regular civil court at full value. Cutting it normally waives the excess.
These are the limits for Ontario County, population about 113,012. Ontario County Courthouse is the courthouse listed for Ontario County.
This court handles money claims to a ceiling of $5,000. Below are the kinds of case filed most often.
Ontario County takes in Bloomfield, Canandaigua and Clifton Springs and the rest of the county. Ontario County Courthouse is the Ontario County courthouse listed below.
It's built to be navigable without a lawyer. Here's the shape of a case from start to finish.
Complete the claim form, choose the right court, and pay the filing fee.
Formal notice reaches the other party, who then has a window to respond or resolve it.
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.
Ontario County Courthouse lists (585) 412-5299 as its number. Everything below applies to a case filed in Ontario County, at the Canandaigua courthouse.
After you file, the other party must be formally notified. This is called service of process. You generally cannot serve the papers yourself. In New York, courts typically use 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.
The options usually include a sheriff or constable, a licensed process server, certified mail sent by the clerk, or any adult with no stake in the case. What is allowed, and what it costs, differs from county to 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.
The person who delivered the papers signs a proof of service. That document goes to the court ahead of the hearing.
Service is where many self-filed cases stall. Squabble can coordinate professional Service of Process so it's done correctly and on time.
Yates County and Livingston County are the counties nearest to Ontario County. An Ontario County address carries one of its 22 ZIP codes, 14424, 14425 and 14432 among them.
Claims do not stay open indefinitely. Time runs from the events themselves, and a filing made afterwards may be shut out.
| Kind of claim | Deadline to file |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 6 years |
| Oral contract | 6 years |
| Property damage | 3 years |
| Personal injury | 3 years |
The same periods apply in Ontario County as in nearby Yates County and Livingston County, which are in the same state. They do not change from one Ontario County ZIP code to another, 14424 included.
Money owed under a contract in New York generally accrues interest at 9% per year before judgment (N.Y. CPLR §5001-5004).
A running total including interest can be worked out with the Squabble interest calculator.
Ontario County is under the same state rate as nearby Yates County and Livingston County. The rate above is the one for Ontario County, population about 113,012.
Verify the figure is inside the limit and that you are still within the deadline for this claim type.
Identify the party precisely, lay out what occurred, and show the arithmetic behind the total.
File with the Ontario County small-claims court, or e-file, and pay the $15–$20 fee (or request a waiver if you qualify).
Arrange service once your hearing date is set and file the proof of service with the court.
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.
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 →Claim form starts the case · Proof of service shows the defendant was notified · Fee waiver if you qualify. Exact form names vary by court; Squabble prepares the right ones for your courthouse.
Bloomfield, Canandaigua and Clifton Springs are among the places in Ontario County that filings come from. Ontario County takes in filings from 22 ZIP codes, 14424 first in the list.
Expect a short, informal hearing in which the judge asks the questions. Most people present their own case.
Ontario County has about 113,012 residents. Bloomfield, Canandaigua and Clifton Springs are among the Ontario 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.
Where state law allows it, a portion of the debtor's earnings can be redirected to pay what the court ordered.
Money in the debtor's bank account can be seized under a levy the court orders.
Recording the judgment locally can place a lien against real property in the debtor's name.
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.
Yates County and Livingston County are the counties nearest to Ontario County. Bloomfield, Canandaigua and Clifton Springs are among the Ontario 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 Ontario County case for you.
