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Money disputes up to $12,000 are settled in the Allegheny County small-claims court, which runs on simplified procedures built for people without a lawyer.
What follows covers the maximum you can claim in Allegheny County, court fees, the right courthouse, serving the defendant, the deadlines that apply, and the filing process itself. Squabble handles the documents and the filing if you want that.
Allegheny County hears small claims at several hub courthouses. The right one depends on where the defendant lives or where your dispute happened. The court matches your ZIP code to a courthouse.
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.
Allegheny County has 9 courthouses listed above; Allegheny County Magisterial District Court 05-2-31 is one of them. Allegheny County covers 144 ZIP codes, including the Allison Park, Bairdford and Bakerstown areas.
This court accepts electronic filing for small claims, so a case can be started without a courthouse trip.
The small claims list is heard in person, at the courthouse itself.
Bring copies of your evidence for the judge and the other side; some courts also accept electronic submission ahead of the hearing.
Residents of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, which has a population of 1,231,814, can file small claims cases through the Pennsylvania Magisterial District Court system, where the claim limit is $12,000. One location is the Jeffrey L. Herbst Magisterial District 05-2-07: Parkway Building in Monroeville, at 339 Old Haymaker Road Suite 1500, 15146, reachable at (412) 372-1125 and open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM and closed Saturday and Sunday. Another is Magisterial District Court 05-2-36: Judge James J. Hanley, Jr. in Pittsburgh, at 4301 Murray Avenue, 15217, reachable at (412) 521-7782 and open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM and closed Saturday and Sunday. A third, Allegheny County Magisterial District Court 05-2-31, sits at 5815 Bryant Street in Pittsburgh, 15206. The county includes communities such as Bethel Park, Carnegie, Coraopolis, Duquesne and Gibsonia, along with ZIP codes including 15017, 15025 and 15044. It lies near Washington County, Beaver County and Westmoreland County. Electronic filing is not available. Court information is posted at http://www.alleghenycourts.us/.
More than one location takes small claims here. The court matches a case to a location by address.
A case filed here usually comes from one of these 61 communities:
Allison Park, Bairdford, Bakerstown, Bethel Park, Brackenridge, Braddock, Bradfordwoods, Bridgeville, Buena Vista, Bunola, Carnegie, Cheswick, Clairton, Coraopolis, Coulters, Creighton, Crescent, Cuddy, Curtisville, Dravosburg, Duquesne, East Mc Keesport, East Pittsburgh, Elizabeth, Gibsonia, Glassport, Glenshaw, Greenock, Harwick, Homestead, Imperial, Indianola, Ingomar, Leetsdale, Mc Donald, Mc Kees Rocks, Mckeesport, Monroeville, Morgan, Natrona Heights, North Versailles, Oakdale, Oakmont, Pitcairn, Pittsburgh, Presto, Rural Ridge, Russellton, Sewickley, South Park, Springdale, Sturgeon, Tarentum, Turtle Creek, Verona, Warrendale, West Elizabeth, West Mifflin, Wexford, Wildwood, Wilmerding.
Of Pennsylvania's 67 counties, Allegheny County is 2nd by population at roughly 1,231,814 people. Allegheny County Magisterial District Court 05-2-31 sits about 16 miles from the Washington County courthouse in Washington and 13 miles from the Beaver County courthouse in Beaver.
Counties nearest to this one:
Everyday disputes over money belong in the small claims division, where the rules are simplified, and the sum in question has an upper bound.
Maximum claim
The county where it happened and the county where they live are both generally available.
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.
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? 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.
These are the limits for Allegheny County, population about 1,231,814. Allegheny County has 9 courthouses listed on this page.
Small claims exists for money owed, up to $12,000. The categories below come up more than any others.
Allegheny County has about 1,231,814 residents. Allegheny County takes in Allison Park, Bairdford and Bakerstown 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.
Fill in the claim, pick the courthouse that covers the dispute, and pay what the court charges.
The other side is formally served and has the chance to respond, or to settle before the hearing.
A short hearing, held in the courtroom or remotely where that is offered. A decision follows on the day or shortly afterwards.
This is the route an Allegheny County case takes, whether it starts in 15006 or anywhere else among the county ZIP codes. Allegheny County Magisterial District Court 05-2-31 lists (412 404-5914 as its number.
After you file, the other party must be formally notified. This is called service of process. You generally cannot serve the papers yourself. Pennsylvania courts usually take delivery by 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.
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.
There is a deadline, counted backwards from the hearing, by which the defendant must have the papers. Ask the clerk for it when the date is assigned. 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.
An Allegheny County address carries one of its 144 ZIP codes, 15006, 15007 and 15014 among them. Addresses in Allegheny County include places such as Allison Park, Bairdford and Bakerstown.
There is a cut-off for bringing a case, counted from when the dispute began. Miss it and the claim can be barred entirely.
| Type of claim | Deadline to file |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 4 years |
| Oral contract | 4 years |
| Property damage | 2 years |
| Personal injury | 2 years |
The same periods apply in Allegheny County as in nearby Washington County and Beaver County, which are in the same state. Allegheny County, population about 1,231,814, is covered by the table above.
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.
The rate above is the one for Allegheny County, population about 1,231,814. It is the same rate across all 144 Allegheny County ZIP codes.
Confirm the sum sits under the cap and that the time limit for this kind of claim has not run out.
Name the correct party, describe what happened, and show how the amount is calculated.
File at the Allegheny County hub courthouse for your dispute's ZIP code, or e-file, and pay the $30–$100 fee (or request a waiver if you qualify).
With a hearing date in hand, organise service and lodge the completed proof with the court.
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 →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.
Allegheny County has a population of about 1,231,814. Allison Park, Bairdford and Bakerstown are among the places in Allegheny County that filings come from.
Expect a short, informal hearing in which the judge asks the questions. Most people present their own case.
Allison Park, Bairdford and Bakerstown are among the Allegheny County places a hearing can draw parties from. Allegheny County has about 1,231,814 residents.
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 the law allows, an employer can be directed to send part of the debtor's pay to the court.
With a bank levy, the court reaches funds held in the debtor's account directly.
Recording the judgment with the county can place a lien on the debtor's real property.
You may also apply for an order compelling the debtor to attend and disclose income and assets on oath. Interest generally continues at the rate the state sets until the debt is met.
Allison Park, Bairdford and Bakerstown are among the Allegheny County places a judgment debtor may live in. An Allegheny County judgment comes from one of its 9 listed courthouses.
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 Allegheny County case for you.
