New Jersey Small Claims Court Kit: the $5,000 Limit, Filing Guide, Demand Letter, Evidence and Hearing Prep, and a Claim Calculator

Who it is for

People and small businesses with a money claim in New Jersey that may fit under $5,000, and people who have been sued there and want the same organized record. A person 18 or older; a parent or guardian files for a minor.

Not the right fit if

Your claim is outside New Jersey, over its small claims limit, or needs a lawyer (an injury, a dispute over land, a family case). Not a form preparation or legal service.

Why it is different

• Built only from our New Jersey small claims data file, checked November 2026 against New Jersey Courts: Small Claims FAQ (CN 11482, rev. 07/01/2022); New Jersey Courts: How do I file a case in Small Claims Court? (by upload to JEDS, by mail or in person); New Jersey Courts: Special Civil Part FAQ (CN 11481, rev. 07/01/2022).
• All 10 New Jersey facts in the kit are confirmed on an official page.
• Official forms are linked, not copied, so you always file the court's current version.

What is inside

• Start here and is small claims right?. How to use the kit, the 10 confirmed New Jersey facts at a glance and a yes/no checklist: is the amount under $5,000, is it the right court, is there someone to serve and something to collect from.
• New Jersey filing guide. Where and how to file, from the official pages: The Special Civil Part office in the county where at least one defendant lives; if no defendant is in New Jersey, the county where the claim arose. Fees: one defendant: $35; each additional defendant: $5; service by certified and regular mail, per defendant: $7. From the Judiciary's Small Claims FAQ (CN 11482, rev. 07/01/2022). Personal service by a court officer has its own fees; fees may be waived for people who qualify as indigent. Online filing: https://njcourts.gov/faq/how-do-i-file-case-small-claims-court
• Service, the hearing and after in New Jersey. Service: Certified and regular mail, or personal service by a Special Civil Part Officer. Lawyers are allowed. Appeal: To the Appellate Division within 45 days of the final decision: $250 filing fee, $300 deposit within 30 days, and a transcript.
• Demand letter and response tracker. A neutral demand letter to fill in (what happened, the amount, a reply-by date, how to pay), a log of every reply and offer, and a short checklist before sending.
• Evidence organizer and hearing prep. An exhibit list numbered for the judge, a timeline, witness notes, a three-minute opening outline and a hearing-day packing list.
• New Jersey small claims workbook (Excel). A claim calculator that adds up your items and compares the total with $5,000 and $5,000 (security deposit claims), a costs sheet with the New Jersey fee list, a deadline sheet in business days that skips weekends and federal holidays, and a collection tracker with the balance owed.