Maricopa County Justice Courts, Small Claims Division
Maricopa County Justice Courts, Small Claims Division
620 W. Jackson Street, Phoenix, AZ 85003
602-372-6300
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday-Friday (excluding holidays)
- In person at the justice court precinct with proper venue
- By mail to that justice court precinct
- Small claims cases cannot be electronically filed in the Maricopa County Justice Courts; AZTurboCourt only prepares limited-jurisdiction forms to print and file on paper
Walk-in filing is available at 16 locations: Encanto (Downtown Justice Center), El Centro (Downtown Justice Center), West McDowell (Downtown Justice Center), Arcadia Biltmore, South Mountain, Dreamy Draw (Phoenix), Desert Ridge (Phoenix), Agua Fria (Avondale), Arrowhead (Surprise), Country Meadows (Avondale), Highland (Mesa), East Mesa, Kyrene (Chandler), San Marcos (Chandler), San Tan (Chandler), 26 precincts total — see justicecourts.maricopa.gov/about-us/court-locations.
- Filing locations
- 16
- Hours
- 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday-Friday (excluding holidays)
- Filing fee
- $58
- File without going in
- Yes, by mail
Every location that takes a small claims filing
Maricopa County accepts small claims filings at:
- Encanto (Downtown Justice Center)
- El Centro (Downtown Justice Center)
- West McDowell (Downtown Justice Center)
- Arcadia Biltmore
- South Mountain
- Dreamy Draw (Phoenix)
- Desert Ridge (Phoenix)
- Agua Fria (Avondale)
- Arrowhead (Surprise)
- Country Meadows (Avondale)
- Highland (Mesa)
- East Mesa
- Kyrene (Chandler)
- San Marcos (Chandler)
- San Tan (Chandler)
- 26 precincts total — see justicecourts.maricopa.gov/about-us/court-locations
Maricopa County has 26 justice court precincts, each its own courthouse and small claims division, so there is no single central filing office. Venue determines which precinct hears the case (A.R.S. §§22-201, 22-202 and the Arizona Rules of Small Claims Procedure): file where the defendant resides or does business, or where the transaction, agreement, or event giving rise to the claim occurred. Filing in the wrong precinct lets the defendant move for a change of venue, and the plaintiff then pays any extra fees.
Is Maricopa County the right court for your case?
Which court may hear a small claims case turns on where the dispute belongs, not on where it is convenient for you to go. It is normally:
- Where the defendant lives — or, for a business, where it has its place of business.
- Where the events you are suing about actually happened.
- Where a contract was to be performed, where the claim is about an agreement.
Maricopa County has 26 justice court precincts, each its own courthouse and small claims division, so there is no single central filing office. Venue determines which precinct hears the case (A.R.S. §§22-201, 22-202 and the Arizona Rules of Small Claims Procedure): file where the defendant resides or does business, or where the transaction, agreement, or event giving rise to the claim occurred. Filing in the wrong precinct lets the defendant move for a change of venue, and the plaintiff then pays any extra fees.
We cannot advise you which venue to choose. Where two courts would both be proper, either is a valid filing.
Going to Maricopa County Justice Courts, Small Claims Division in person
If you are filing at the counter rather than by mail or online, this is the shape of the visit.
- Go during filing hours, not court hours. The counter is open 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday-Friday (excluding holidays). Clerks stop accepting new filings before closing, so arriving in the last half hour is how people end up coming back.
- Bring the completed claim form and your copies. Bring a copy for the court, one for each defendant, and one for yourself.
- Bring the fee, in a form this clerk takes. The filing fee is $58. Maricopa County Justice Courts, Small Claims Division accepts 4 forms of payment — cash is not always one of them, and cards are not always one either.
- Know the defendant's exact legal name and address. The clerk will not look it up for you, and a judgment against a trade name that is not the legal entity is difficult to collect on afterwards.
- Expect the date to follow. Maricopa County sets the first date after the defendant has been served, so the date follows by post rather than being handed to you.
Court staff can explain procedure and check a form is complete. They cannot tell you what to write in your claim, or whether to bring it at all.
Ways to file without standing in line
Maricopa County Justice Courts, Small Claims Division accepts a filing:
- In person at the justice court precinct with proper venue
- By mail to that justice court precinct
- Small claims cases cannot be electronically filed in the Maricopa County Justice Courts; AZTurboCourt only prepares limited-jurisdiction forms to print and file on paper
Free help at the courthouse
Maricopa County runs a self-help center for people filing without a lawyer. It can:
- Point you at the right form for your case type
- Check a form is complete before you hand it in
- The court and its staff cannot give legal advice. The Arizona Judicial Branch Self-Service Center and AZCourtHelp (a Judicial Branch partner) explain the small claims process; attorneys may not represent a party unless all parties agree in writing (A.R.S. §22-512) or the case is transferred to the civil division.
Court staff can explain procedure. They cannot tell you what to write in your claim, or whether you should file at all — that is the line they are not allowed to cross, and it is the part most people actually need.
Common questions
Where is small claims court in Maricopa County?
Maricopa County Justice Courts, Small Claims Division, 620 W. Jackson Street, Phoenix, AZ 85003.
What are the Maricopa County small claims court hours?
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday-Friday (excluding holidays). Confirm before travelling — court hours change around holidays.
Do I have to go to the courthouse to file in Maricopa County?
Not necessarily. Maricopa County accepts a filing in person at the justice court precinct with proper venue; by mail to that justice court precinct; small claims cases cannot be electronically filed in the maricopa county justice courts; azturbocourt only prepares limited-jurisdiction forms to print and file on paper.
Which Maricopa County location do I file at?
Maricopa County has 26 justice court precincts, each its own courthouse and small claims division, so there is no single central filing office. Venue determines which precinct hears the case (A.R.S. §§22-201, 22-202 and the Arizona Rules of Small Claims Procedure): file where the defendant resides or does business, or where the transaction, agreement, or event giving rise to the claim occurred. Filing in the wrong precinct lets the defendant move for a change of venue, and the plaintiff then pays any extra fees.
The Maricopa County filing packet — $49
Everything above, assembled and filled in with your facts:
- Your Maricopa County forms, completed with your claim
- A filing checklist with the address, hours and fee for Maricopa County Justice Courts, Small Claims Division
- A demand letter built from the same facts
- What to bring on the day
Answer a few questions first. See your claim written out before you pay anything.
Reviewed by Small Claims Desk · Last reviewed 2026-08-20 · Sourced from justicecourts.maricopa.gov (Maricopa County Justice Courts) and azleg.gov (A.R.S. Title 22, Small Claims) and A.R.S. Title 22, Ch. 5, Art. 2 — Small Claims (§§ 22-501 to 22-524); §22-503 sets the $5,000 limit exclusive of interest and costs. See how we verify.