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Adams County resolves money disputes up to $12,000 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 Adams 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.
Adams County hears small claims at the courthouse listed here, with the venue confirmed at filing from the defendant's address or the location of the dispute.
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 Adams County are Cumberland County and York County. Adams County covers 18 ZIP codes, including the Abbottstown, Arendtsville and Aspers areas.
This court takes small-claims filings on paper, in person or by mail. Squabble prepares everything so your packet arrives filing-ready.
The small claims list is heard in person, at the courthouse itself.
Copies of the evidence go to the judge and to the other party, and some courts allow it to be sent in electronically beforehand.
Residents of Adams County, Pennsylvania who wish to file a small claim do so through the Pennsylvania Magisterial District Court system, which handles civil claims up to $12000. Magisterial District Court 51-3-02, located at 45D West Hanover Street, 17325, in Bonneauville, accepts filings in person and can be reached at (717) 334-7810. The office is open Monday through Thursday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM and on Friday from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM, and it is closed Saturday and Sunday. Electronic filing is not available. The county has a population of 107,914 and covers communities including Gettysburg, New Oxford, Littlestown, East Berlin, Biglerville, and Fairfield, along with ZIP codes such as 17325, 17340, 17350, and 17372. Adams County lies near Cumberland County, York County, and Franklin County. Cases involving parties or property in nearby counties fall outside the scope of the information provided here, and questions about filing procedures are answered by the court office during its posted hours.
Adams County covers these 17 towns and cities:
Abbottstown, Arendtsville, Aspers, Bendersville, Biglerville, Cashtown, East Berlin, Fairfield, Gettysburg, Idaville, Littlestown, Mc Knightstown, Mc Sherrystown, New Oxford, Orrtanna, Peach Glen, York Springs.
ZIP codes:
Adams County is the 31st most populous of Pennsylvania's 67 counties, with about 107,914 residents. Magisterial District Court 51-3-02 sits about 13 miles from the Cumberland County courthouse in Carlisle and 13 miles from the York County courthouse in York.
Neighbouring counties and the courts that serve them:
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
The county where it happened and the county where they live are both generally available.
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.
Lawyers are allowed at a Pennsylvania hearing but are not needed. The procedure is written for self-representation.
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.
Magisterial District Court 51-3-02 is the courthouse listed for Adams County. Adams County is under the same limits as nearby Cumberland County and York County.
Where money is owed and the sum is no more than $12,000, this is the right court. The following disputes are the common ones.
Magisterial District Court 51-3-02 is the Adams County courthouse listed below. Adams County has about 107,914 residents.
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.
Formal notice reaches the other party, who then has a window to respond or resolve 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 Adams County, at the Bonneauville courthouse. Magisterial District Court 51-3-02 lists (717) 334-7810 as its number.
Filing is only half of it. The defendant has to receive formal notice, a step called service of process, and in most cases you cannot hand over the papers yourself. The usual route in Pennsylvania is delivery arranged by the court, email service where the court allows it, certified mail, the sheriff or constable or personal delivery by an approved server.
A sheriff, a constable, a professional server, the court clerk using certified mail, or an uninvolved adult can all serve papers, depending on local rules. Fees and permitted methods vary.
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 must be at least 10 days before hearing. With exception of Philadelphia, all counties do certified mail.
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.
Cumberland County and York County are the counties nearest to Adams County. Addresses in Adams County include places such as Abbottstown, Arendtsville and Aspers.
Every claim carries a filing window that opens when the dispute happens. Once it closes, the court can turn the case away.
| Kind of claim | Filing deadline |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 4 years |
| Oral contract | 4 years |
| Property damage | 2 years |
| Personal injury | 2 years |
They do not change from one Adams County ZIP code to another, 17301 included. The same periods apply in Adams County as in nearby Cumberland County and York County, which are in the same state.
Money owed under a contract in Pennsylvania generally accrues interest at 6% per year before judgment (41 P.S. §202).
To see what interest has added so far, the Squabble interest calculator works out the running total.
Adams County is under the same state rate as nearby Cumberland County and York County. The rate above is the one for Adams County, population about 107,914.
Check that the amount is within the limit and that you're inside the statute of limitations for your claim type.
Use the other side's correct legal name, describe the dispute, and show how the money adds up.
File with the Adams County small-claims court on paper, by mail or at the counter, and pay the $30–$100 fee (or request a waiver if you qualify).
After the hearing date is issued, arrange delivery of the papers and file the proof with the court.
Put the evidence in order, with exhibits marked, so the account is easy to follow.
Come to the hearing in person or remotely where permitted, present the facts, and get the ruling.
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 →Three documents recur: the claim form that begins it, the proof of service confirming delivery, and a fee waiver if eligible. Names vary locally; Squabble selects the correct versions.
Adams County takes in filings from 18 ZIP codes, 17301 first in the list. Adams County papers go to Magisterial District Court 51-3-02 in Bonneauville.
Small claims hearings are short and informal, and the judge asks questions directly. Most people present their own case.
Magisterial District Court 51-3-02 sits at the 17325 address shown above. Abbottstown, Arendtsville and Aspers are among the Adams 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.
Part of the debtor's earnings may be redirected toward the judgment where state law provides for it.
Funds can be collected directly from the debtor's bank account through a court-ordered levy.
Registering the judgment at county level can fix a lien on real estate the debtor holds.
The court can additionally require the debtor to appear and answer under oath about what they earn and own. An unsatisfied judgment usually carries statutory interest until it is paid.
Abbottstown, Arendtsville and Aspers are among the Adams County places a judgment debtor may live in. Cumberland County and York County are the counties nearest to Adams County.
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 Adams County case for you.
