Harnett County Clerk of Superior Court — Magistrates (Small Claims)
Harnett County Clerk of Superior Court — Magistrates (Small Claims)
301 W. Cornelius Harnett Blvd, Suite 100, Lillington, NC 27546
910-814-4400
8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday-Friday (clerk closed 12:30-1:30 p.m.)
- File & Serve (eCourts e-filing) — mandatory for attorneys, optional for self-represented filers
- Filing locations
- 1
- Hours
- 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday-Friday (clerk closed 12:30-1:30 p.m.)
- Filing fee
- $96
- File without going in
- Yes, online
Is Harnett 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.
If Harnett County fits one of those, Harnett County Clerk of Superior Court — Magistrates (Small Claims) can hear it. If none of them fits, the case belongs in another county's court and filing here costs you the fee and the time before it is transferred or dismissed.
We cannot advise you which venue to choose. Where two courts would both be proper, either is a valid filing.
Going to Harnett County Clerk of Superior Court — Magistrates (Small Claims) 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 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday-Friday (clerk closed 12:30-1:30 p.m.). 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. If your claim is based on a written agreement, a copy must be attached to the form. 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 $96. Harnett County Clerk of Superior Court — Magistrates (Small Claims) accepts 5 forms of payment — cash is not always one of them, and cards are not always one either. Service is a further $30 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. Harnett 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
Harnett County Clerk of Superior Court — Magistrates (Small Claims) accepts a filing:
- File & Serve (eCourts e-filing) — mandatory for attorneys, optional for self-represented filers
Common questions
Where is small claims court in Harnett County?
Harnett County Clerk of Superior Court — Magistrates (Small Claims), 301 W. Cornelius Harnett Blvd, Suite 100, Lillington, NC 27546.
What are the Harnett County small claims court hours?
8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday-Friday (clerk closed 12:30-1:30 p.m.). Confirm before travelling — court hours change around holidays.
Do I have to go to the courthouse to file in Harnett County?
Not necessarily. Harnett County accepts a filing file & serve (ecourts e-filing) — mandatory for attorneys, optional for self-represented filers.
The Harnett County filing packet — $49
Everything above, assembled and filled in with your facts:
- Your Harnett County forms, completed with your claim
- A filing checklist with the address, hours and fee for Harnett County Clerk of Superior Court — Magistrates (Small Claims)
- 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 2026-08-31 · Sourced from nccourts.gov (Harnett County courthouse location page and county contact directory), NC General Statutes Chapter 7A (ncleg.gov), and the statewide Civil Court Costs and Fees Chart (fetched and read directly) and N.C.G.S. §7A-210 (small claim action defined; $10,000 amount-in-controversy ceiling). See how we verify.