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Money disputes up to $12,000 are settled in the Lehigh County small-claims court, which runs on simplified procedures built for people without a lawyer.
This page sets out the ceiling on claims, what the court charges, the courthouse that covers Lehigh 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.
Lehigh 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.
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.
About 385,655 people live in Lehigh County. The nearest counties to Lehigh County are Northampton County and Carbon County.
You can open a small claims case here online, without travelling to the courthouse to hand the papers in.
Small claims are heard at the courthouse, in person.
Evidence is copied for the judge and for the opposing side; electronic submission ahead of time is accepted at some courts.
Small claims cases in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, are heard through the Pennsylvania Magisterial District Court system, which handles civil claims up to $12000. The county has a population of 385,655 and includes communities such as Allentown, Emmaus, Macungie, Whitehall, Slatington, and Coopersburg, along with ZIP codes including 18101, 18103, 18036, 18049, and 18052. Filings are made in person, as electronic filing is not available in this county. Magisterial District Court: 31-1-02 is located at 1101 West Hamilton Street in Allentown, 18101, and can be reached at 610-432-8700. Magisterial District Court: 31-2-02 sits at 3900 Hamilton Boulevard in Allentown, 18103, with a phone number of 610-434-2070. Lehigh County Magisterial District Court 31-3-03 is at 21 N Main St in Coopersburg, 18036, and its phone number is (610) 282-1555. A listing of magisterial district courts is posted at http://www.lccpa.org/mdjinfo/mdjlisting. Lehigh County lies near Northampton County, Carbon County, and Berks County.
More than one location takes small claims here. The court matches a case to a location by address.
Lehigh County covers these 26 towns and cities:
Alburtis, Allentown, Bethlehem, Breinigsville, Catasauqua, Center Valley, Coopersburg, Coplay, East Texas, Emmaus, Fogelsville, Germansville, Laurys Station, Lehigh Valley, Limeport, Macungie, Neffs, New Tripoli, Old Zionsville, Orefield, Schnecksville, Slatedale, Slatington, Trexlertown, Whitehall, Zionsville.
Lehigh County is the 10th most populous of Pennsylvania's 67 counties, with about 385,655 residents. Lehigh County Magisterial District Court 31-3-03, in Coopersburg, is about 7 miles from the Northampton County courthouse in Easton and 15 miles from the Carbon County courthouse in Jim Thorpe.
Counties nearest to this one:
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
Filing is generally possible in the county of the events or the county of the defendant.
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.
An attorney may appear at the hearing in Pennsylvania, though nobody has to have one. The process assumes you will speak for yourself.
Where a party is under 18, the court appoints a guardian to act.
Over the limit? A claim above the ceiling can be trimmed to fit, or filed in full in the ordinary civil court. Trimming generally means writing off the remainder.
Lehigh County is under the same limits as nearby Northampton County and Carbon County. They are the same across all 39 Lehigh County ZIP codes, from 18001 onward.
If someone owes you money, up to $12,000, small claims is built for it. These are the disputes residents bring most often.
Lehigh County has about 385,655 residents. Lehigh County takes in Alburtis, Allentown and Bethlehem 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.
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.
This is the route a Lehigh County case takes, whether it starts in 18001 or anywhere else among the county ZIP codes. Lehigh County Magisterial District Court 31-3-03 lists (610) 282-1555 as its number.
A filed case still has to reach the defendant. Formal notice, known as service of process, does that, and delivering it personally is generally not allowed. In Pennsylvania, courts typically use 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.
Courts accept service by a sheriff or constable, a professional server, the clerk via certified mail, or an adult who is not party to the case. Permitted methods and charges change by county.
How long before the hearing notice must be given is set by the court. That deadline arrives with your hearing date. Service must be at least 10 days before hearing. With exception of Philadelphia, all counties do certified mail.
Whoever serves the papers completes a proof of service, which is filed with the court before 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.
Northampton County and Carbon County are the counties nearest to Lehigh County. Addresses in Lehigh County include places such as Alburtis, Allentown and Bethlehem.
The law fixes how long you have, counted from the dispute itself. A case brought later can be refused outright.
| What the claim is about | How long you have |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 4 years |
| Oral contract | 4 years |
| Property damage | 2 years |
| Personal injury | 2 years |
They do not change from one Lehigh County ZIP code to another, 18001 included. The same periods apply in Lehigh County as in nearby Northampton County and Carbon 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.
It is the same rate across all 39 Lehigh County ZIP codes. The rate above is the one for Lehigh County, population about 385,655.
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 at the Lehigh 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).
Service comes after the date is set. File the server's proof once the papers have been delivered.
Arrange your evidence and number the exhibits so nothing has to be searched for on the day.
Come to the hearing in person or remotely where permitted, present the facts, and get the ruling.
Talk with Eleanor about what happened. Squabble prepares the documents, runs a Triple-Check™ for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and files your case for you.
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.
Lehigh County takes in filings from 39 ZIP codes, 18001 first in the list. Alburtis, Allentown and Bethlehem are among the places in Lehigh County that filings come from.
Expect a short, informal hearing in which the judge asks the questions. Most people present their own case.
Alburtis, Allentown and Bethlehem are among the Lehigh County places a hearing can draw parties from. Lehigh County has about 385,655 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.
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.
Filing the judgment with the county can attach a lien to land or buildings the debtor owns.
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.
Northampton County and Carbon County are the counties nearest to Lehigh County. A Lehigh County judgment comes from one of its 3 listed courthouses.
Information reviewed August 2026. Courts change fees, limits and procedures, so check the current details 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 Lehigh County case for you.
