36th District Court
36th District Court
421 Madison Street, Detroit, MI 48226
313-965-2200
8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday (excluding court holidays)
- In person at the Civil/Landlord-Tenant Division counter, 2nd floor, 421 Madison Street, Detroit
- By mail to the Civil Division
Walk-in filing is available at 17 locations: 16th District Court (Livonia), 17th District Court (Redford Township), 19th District Court (Dearborn), 20th District Court (Dearborn Heights), 21st District Court (Garden City), 22nd District Court (Inkster), 23rd District Court (Taylor), 25th District Court (Lincoln Park/Melvindale), 27th District Court (Wyandotte), 29th District Court (Wayne), 30th District Court (Highland Park), 31st District Court (Hamtramck), 32A District Court (Harper Woods), 33rd District Court (Woodhaven/Brownstown/Flat Rock/Rockwood/Gibraltar), 34th District Court (Romulus/Belleville/Van Buren/Huron/Sumpter/New Boston/Grosse Ile), 35th District Court (Plymouth/Canton/Northville), 36th District Court (Detroit).
- Filing locations
- 17
- Hours
- 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday (excluding court holidays)
- Filing fee
- $30–$70
- File without going in
- Yes, by mail
Every location that takes a small claims filing
Wayne County accepts small claims filings at:
- 16th District Court (Livonia)
- 17th District Court (Redford Township)
- 19th District Court (Dearborn)
- 20th District Court (Dearborn Heights)
- 21st District Court (Garden City)
- 22nd District Court (Inkster)
- 23rd District Court (Taylor)
- 25th District Court (Lincoln Park/Melvindale)
- 27th District Court (Wyandotte)
- 29th District Court (Wayne)
- 30th District Court (Highland Park)
- 31st District Court (Hamtramck)
- 32A District Court (Harper Woods)
- 33rd District Court (Woodhaven/Brownstown/Flat Rock/Rockwood/Gibraltar)
- 34th District Court (Romulus/Belleville/Van Buren/Huron/Sumpter/New Boston/Grosse Ile)
- 35th District Court (Plymouth/Canton/Northville)
- 36th District Court (Detroit)
Wayne County has many separate district courts, each with its own small claims division, covering different cities/townships (for example the 16th District in Livonia, 19th in Dearborn, 34th in Romulus/Belleville/Van Buren/Huron/Sumpter, 35th in Plymouth/Canton/Northville). 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. The 36th District Court hears cases only for the City of Detroit.
Is Wayne 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.
Wayne County has many separate district courts, each with its own small claims division, covering different cities/townships (for example the 16th District in Livonia, 19th in Dearborn, 34th in Romulus/Belleville/Van Buren/Huron/Sumpter, 35th in Plymouth/Canton/Northville). 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. The 36th District Court hears cases only for the City of Detroit.
We cannot advise you which venue to choose. Where two courts would both be proper, either is a valid filing.
Going to 36th District Court 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. - 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday (excluding court 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 $30–$70. 36th District Court accepts 2 forms of payment — cash is not always one of them, and cards are not always one either. Service is a further $16 per defendant.
- 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.
- Leave with your court date. Wayne 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
36th District Court accepts a filing:
- In person at the Civil/Landlord-Tenant Division counter, 2nd floor, 421 Madison Street, Detroit
- By mail to the Civil Division
Free help at the courthouse
Wayne 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 36th District Court maintains an on-site Legal Self-Help Center; the court's own small claims FAQ also directs self-represented filers to Michigan Legal Help.
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 Wayne County?
36th District Court, 421 Madison Street, Detroit, MI 48226.
What are the Wayne County small claims court hours?
8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday (excluding court holidays). Confirm before travelling — court hours change around holidays.
Do I have to go to the courthouse to file in Wayne County?
Not necessarily. Wayne County accepts a filing in person at the civil/landlord-tenant division counter, 2nd floor, 421 madison street, detroit; by mail to the civil division.
Which Wayne County location do I file at?
Wayne County has many separate district courts, each with its own small claims division, covering different cities/townships (for example the 16th District in Livonia, 19th in Dearborn, 34th in Romulus/Belleville/Van Buren/Huron/Sumpter, 35th in Plymouth/Canton/Northville). 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. The 36th District Court hears cases only for the City of Detroit.
The Wayne County filing packet — $49
Everything above, assembled and filled in with your facts:
- Your Wayne County forms, completed with your claim
- A filing checklist with the address, hours and fee for 36th District Court
- 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 2026-08-23 · Sourced from 36thdistrictcourtmi.gov (36th District Court, Detroit), courts.michigan.gov (SCAO DC 84/84n form), legislature.mi.gov (MCL 600.8401, 600.8412, 600.8420, 600.8427) and MCL 600.8401 (Small Claims Division; $7,000 limit effective January 1, 2024, up from $6,500 in 2021, $6,000 in 2018, $5,500 in 2015, $5,000 in 2012). See how we verify.