Oakland County Small Claims Court Locations

50th District Court

• By mail (affidavit plus check or money order)
• In person at the 50th District Court Civil Division

Walk-in filing is available at 12 locations: 43rd District Court (Ferndale/Hazel Park/Madison Heights), 44th District Court (Royal Oak), 45th District Court (Oak Park/Berkley), 46th District Court (Southfield), 47th District Court (Farmington/Farmington Hills), 48th District Court (Bloomfield Hills/Bloomfield Township/Bingham Farms/Franklin), 50th District Court (Pontiac), 51st District Court (Waterford), 52-1 District Court (Novi/Northville/South Lyon/Milford/Highland/Lyon Twp.), 52-2 District Court (Clarkston/Independence Twp./Springfield Twp./White Lake), 52-3 District Court (Rochester/Rochester Hills/Oakland Twp./Addison Twp./Orion Twp.), 52-4 District Court (Troy).

Filing locations

12

Hours

Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. (closed for lunch 12:00-1:00 p.m.)

Filing fee

$30–$70

File without going in

Yes, by mail

Every location that takes a small claims filing

Oakland County accepts small claims filings at:

• 43rd District Court (Ferndale/Hazel Park/Madison Heights)
• 44th District Court (Royal Oak)
• 45th District Court (Oak Park/Berkley)
• 46th District Court (Southfield)
• 47th District Court (Farmington/Farmington Hills)
• 48th District Court (Bloomfield Hills/Bloomfield Township/Bingham Farms/Franklin)
• 50th District Court (Pontiac)
• 51st District Court (Waterford)
• 52-1 District Court (Novi/Northville/South Lyon/Milford/Highland/Lyon Twp.)
• 52-2 District Court (Clarkston/Independence Twp./Springfield Twp./White Lake)
• 52-3 District Court (Rochester/Rochester Hills/Oakland Twp./Addison Twp./Orion Twp.)
• 52-4 District Court (Troy)

Oakland County has 12 separate district courts across 14 court locations (no single countywide small claims court), each with small claims jurisdiction over specific cities/townships: 43rd District (Ferndale, Hazel Park, Madison Heights -- 3 divisions), 44th (Royal Oak), 45th (Oak Park/Berkley), 46th (Southfield), 47th (Farmington/Farmington Hills), 48th (Bloomfield Hills/Bloomfield Township/Bingham Farms/Franklin), 50th (Pontiac), 51st (Waterford), 52-1 (Novi/Northville/South Lyon/Milford/Highland/Lyon Twp.), 52-2 (Clarkston/Independence Twp./Springfield Twp./White Lake), 52-3 (Rochester/Rochester Hills/Oakland Twp./Addison Twp./Orion Twp.), 52-4 (Troy). Venue is governed by MCL 600.8312 (applying MCL 600.1621 et seq.) -- generally the district where the defendant resides, has a place of business, or where the claim arose.

Is Oakland 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.

Oakland County has 12 separate district courts across 14 court locations (no single countywide small claims court), each with small claims jurisdiction over specific cities/townships: 43rd District (Ferndale, Hazel Park, Madison Heights -- 3 divisions), 44th (Royal Oak), 45th (Oak Park/Berkley), 46th (Southfield), 47th (Farmington/Farmington Hills), 48th (Bloomfield Hills/Bloomfield Township/Bingham Farms/Franklin), 50th (Pontiac), 51st (Waterford), 52-1 (Novi/Northville/South Lyon/Milford/Highland/Lyon Twp.), 52-2 (Clarkston/Independence Twp./Springfield Twp./White Lake), 52-3 (Rochester/Rochester Hills/Oakland Twp./Addison Twp./Orion Twp.), 52-4 (Troy). Venue is governed by MCL 600.8312 (applying MCL 600.1621 et seq.) -- generally the district where the defendant resides, has a place of business, or where the claim arose.

We cannot advise you which venue to choose. Where two courts would both be proper, either is a valid filing.

Going to 50th District Court in person

If you are filing at the counter rather than by mail or online, this is the shape of the visit.

1. Go during filing hours, not court hours. The counter is open Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. (closed for lunch 12:00-1:00 p.m.). Clerks stop accepting new filings before closing, so arriving in the last half hour is how people end up coming back.
2. Bring the completed claim form and your copies. Bring a copy for the court, one for each defendant, and one for yourself.
3. Bring the fee, in a form this clerk takes. The filing fee is $30–$70. 50th District Court accepts 1 form of payment — cash is not always one of them, and cards are not always one either. Service is a further $10 per defendant.
4. 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.
5. Leave with your court date. Oakland County sets the first court date at filing, so you leave the counter knowing when to come back.

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

50th District Court accepts a filing:

• By mail (affidavit plus check or money order)
• In person at the 50th District Court Civil Division

Free help at the courthouse

Oakland 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 50th District Court's website references a general self-help/legal-assistance resource and links to Michigan Legal Help's e-filing tool kit for other case types; no small-claims-specific self-help center location was confirmed.

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 Oakland County?

50th District Court, 70 N. Saginaw Street, Pontiac, MI 48342.

What are the Oakland County small claims court hours?

Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. (closed for lunch 12:00-1:00 p.m.). Confirm before travelling — court hours change around holidays.

Do I have to go to the courthouse to file in Oakland County?

Not necessarily. Oakland County accepts a filing by mail (affidavit plus check or money order); in person at the 50th district court civil division.

Which Oakland County location do I file at?

Oakland County has 12 separate district courts across 14 court locations (no single countywide small claims court), each with small claims jurisdiction over specific cities/townships: 43rd District (Ferndale, Hazel Park, Madison Heights -- 3 divisions), 44th (Royal Oak), 45th (Oak Park/Berkley), 46th (Southfield), 47th (Farmington/Farmington Hills), 48th (Bloomfield Hills/Bloomfield Township/Bingham Farms/Franklin), 50th (Pontiac), 51st (Waterford), 52-1 (Novi/Northville/South Lyon/Milford/Highland/Lyon Twp.), 52-2 (Clarkston/Independence Twp./Springfield Twp./White Lake), 52-3 (Rochester/Rochester Hills/Oakland Twp./Addison Twp./Orion Twp.), 52-4 (Troy). Venue is governed by MCL 600.8312 (applying MCL 600.1621 et seq.) -- generally the district where the defendant resides, has a place of business, or where the claim arose.