Everything from the first letter to getting paid, in the order you'll do it. Tick each step as you go; your progress is saved in this browser.
1–3 weeks before filing
D.C. doesn't require a demand before you file, but a written request for payment is good evidence and may settle the case.
Use the free demand letter generator, give them 10–14 days, and keep a copy with proof of the date you sent it.
In District of Columbia you can sue for up to $10,000 in the Small Claims and Conciliation Branch of the D.C. Superior Court.
Run the 60-second case check to see the last day you can file.
Serve a company through its registered agent. Use the exact legal name on file, not a trade name.
1–2 evenings
Statement of Claim: Small Claims Statement of Claim (with verification and notice). Get the form.
The Statement of Claim must be verified, meaning you sign it under oath that it is true.
Bring the original and an exact copy for each defendant, plus one for yourself.
Filing day
Choose how you'll file:
There is one small claims court for all of D.C., at 510 4th Street NW, Building B. The defendant must live or do business in D.C., or the problem must have happened there.
$5 for claims of $500 or less, $10 up to $2,500, and $45 above that. Certified mail service through the clerk costs extra, and a jury demand costs $75. Can't afford it? Ask for a fee waiver: Fee waiver application; a judge can waive prepayment of costs if you can't afford them.
The clerk gives you a case number and an initial hearing date, usually 21 to 30 days away. Then arrange service: the clerk can mail the papers by certified mail, or an adult who isn't part of the case can deliver them.
Right after filing
Any adult who isn't part of the case can deliver the papers, or the clerk can send them by certified mail. You can't serve them yourself. To sue the D.C. government, serve both the Mayor and the Attorney General.
Proof of service must reach the clerk at least 7 days before the first court date, and service must be done within 60 days of filing.
Affidavit of service, or the green certified-mail return receipt
File it with the clerk at least 7 days before the initial hearing. If the clerk mailed the papers, check that the green card came back in time.
Don't wait until the hearing. Ask the clerk right away for a new hearing date and try another method, such as personal delivery instead of mail, or a different address.
1–4 weeks before
The defendant doesn't have to file a written answer, except to make a counterclaim or set-off. To ask for a jury, the defendant must file a sworn answer and pay $75.
Most settlements happen in mediation on the hearing day; the mediator writes up the agreement for both sides to sign. If you settle earlier, file a written notice (praecipe) dismissing the case.
Get any settlement in writing, signed by both sides, with the amount and payment date.
A witness who saw what happened is stronger than a written statement; some judges won't accept letters.
Ask the clerk to issue a subpoena for a witness or documents; it must be served like other court papers.
Hearing day
Speak to the judge, not the other side. Stay calm, answer the question asked, and don't interrupt.
If the defendant was properly served and doesn't come, the judge can enter a default judgment for you. If you don't come, your case can be dismissed.
Weeks to months
There's no automatic right to appeal. Within 3 days of an Associate Judge's decision, you can ask the D.C. Court of Appeals for permission to appeal ($10 fee). If a magistrate judge decided, first ask an Associate Judge to review it within 10 days. These requests are rarely granted.
The court doesn't collect for you. If they don't pay, you can ask for a writ to garnish wages or a bank account, or have the U.S. Marshal seize property. A judge can also set up installment payments.
Keep proof of every payment. When you're paid in full, tell the court; some courts require a satisfaction-of-judgment form.
Small Claims Resource Center (free legal information, D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center)