- Claim limit
- $15,000
- Court
- Magistrate Court
- File online
- Yes (statewide)
- Appeal window
- 30 days
Common questions
Step 1 — Which court do I file in?
Georgia small claims cases go to Magistrate Court in the county where the defendant lives or where the dispute arose. Pick your county below.
Step 2 — What form do I file?
Your county's claim form (Statement of Claim, Complaint, or Petition). We complete it with your claim in the language the court expects.
Step 3 — What does it cost?
A filing fee set by your county, plus a small service fee. Your county page shows the current amounts.
Step 4 — How is the defendant served?
The plaintiff selects and pays for the method of service after filing; the county marshal, sheriff, or constable (terminology varies by county) executes it, or the plaintiff may use a court-approved private process server. Clerks do not perform physical service themselves.
Step 5 — What happens at the hearing?
Georgia uses a Trial. Bring your documents and be ready to explain what happened. We give you a checklist of what to bring.
Serving the defendant
The plaintiff selects and pays for the method of service after filing; the county marshal, sheriff, or constable (terminology varies by county) executes it, or the plaintiff may use a court-approved private process server. Clerks do not perform physical service themselves.
- County marshal, sheriff, or constable (fee-based; fee varies by county)
- Court-approved private process server
- Court-appointed special agent for service, where the plaintiff/attorney cannot otherwise effect service (e.g., Gwinnett MAG 10-05/10-06/10-07)
- Second original for a defendant residing outside the filing county (O.C.G.A. § 9-10-72)
- Defendant's signed waiver of service (O.C.G.A. § 9-11-4), which extends the answer deadline from 30 to 60 days from when the notice was sent
If the defendant signs a waiver of service, the 30-day answer window becomes 60 days — build that into any hearing-date expectations. Service outside the filing county requires a second original under O.C.G.A. § 9-10-72; using the wrong method can void a later default judgment on petition for review.
Pick your county to start
Small claims is filed at the county level. Pick your county for its court, fee, and forms — or start your claim and we'll ask where you'd sue.
Start my claimYour small claims filing packet — $49
Everything above, assembled and filled in with your facts:
- Your court's own forms, with your claim written in the language the court expects
- A demand letter built from the same facts
- A filing checklist with your court's address, hours, and fee
- What to bring to your hearing
Answer a few questions first. See your claim written out before you pay anything.
Reviewed by Small Claims Desk · Last reviewed 2026-08-23 · Sourced from Georgia judiciary self-help resources and each county's clerk of court and O.C.G.A. § 15-10-2 (General jurisdiction; authority of magistrate to act — sets the $15,000 civil jurisdictional limit). See how we verify.