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Small claims court in Louisiana (2026)

In Louisiana you can sue for up to $5,000 in small claims. Court: Small claims division of a city court (justice of the peace courts hear the same size claims). Lawyers: allowed. Appeal: no appeal. For a broken written agreement you generally have 10 years to sue. Last checked .

Louisiana small claims at a glance

Most you can sue for
$5,000
Court
Small claims division of a city court (justice of the peace courts hear the same size claims)
Filing fee
$35
Lawyers
Allowed
Appeal
No appeal

Can you sue in Louisiana small claims?

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Louisiana small claims limit

$5,000

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The rule: Up to $5,000, not counting interest, court costs, attorney fees or penalties. No more than 10 plaintiffs may join in one case and no class actions. Filing in small claims gives up any part of the claim above $5,000. Justice of the peace courts also have a $5,000 limit (C.C.P. art. 4911). In the City Court of East St. Tammany the small claims limit equals the justice of the peace limit.

Deadline to sue (general rule)

10 years for this kind of claim in Louisiana. Enter the date it happened to see the last day.

Contract claims are personal actions with a 10-year prescription unless another law sets a different period. Open accounts, money lent, unpaid rent and pay for services: 3 years. Delictual (tort) actions, including injury and property damage: 2 years from the day of the injury or damage (Art. 3493.1, eff. July 1, 2024; the former one-year rule in Art. 3492 was repealed the same day, so check which rule covers older events).

Lawyers: Lawyers may represent either side.

Appeal: No appeal from a city court small claims judgment: the plaintiff waives appeal by filing, and the defendant waives it unless the case is removed to the regular docket within the time to answer. A motion for new trial must be filed within 3 days after the judgment is signed (or notice is mailed). Variant: a justice of the peace court judgment may be appealed by either side for a new trial (de novo) in parish or district court within 15 days of the judgment or notice of judgment.

Filing fee: The statute sets a $35 filing fee for each defendant named, plus only the costs required by R.S. 13:10.3; up to $20 more for each added service or subpoena. Fees can be waived for indigent parties. Actual totals charged by local courts may differ, so check with the clerk.

The deadline shown is the general statute of limitations counted from the date you entered. The real deadline can be later (for example when the problem was discovered later or the other side left the state) or earlier (a contract can shorten it, and claims against a government agency often need a written notice first, on a much shorter clock). If you are close to it, file now or ask a legal aid office. This is legal information, not legal advice.

All Louisiana small claims rules →Write a demand letter →

Where to file and how much

  • Court. Each city court may set up a small claims division by court rule; a plaintiff may file there instead of on the regular city court docket. Justice of the peace courts separately have civil jurisdiction, concurrent with the district court, over claims up to $5,000. Venue follows Code of Civil Procedure Articles 41-45 and 71-79 (usually where the defendant lives or does business); for justice of the peace courts 'parish' means the justice's territorial jurisdiction.
  • Limit. Up to $5,000, not counting interest, court costs, attorney fees or penalties. No more than 10 plaintiffs may join in one case and no class actions. Filing in small claims gives up any part of the claim above $5,000. Justice of the peace courts also have a $5,000 limit (C.C.P. art. 4911). In the City Court of East St. Tammany the small claims limit equals the justice of the peace limit.
  • Filing fee. The statute sets a $35 filing fee for each defendant named, plus only the costs required by R.S. 13:10.3; up to $20 more for each added service or subpoena. Fees can be waived for indigent parties. Actual totals charged by local courts may differ, so check with the clerk.

Who can sue and who can speak in court

  • Individuals may sue on their own or with a lawyer; each court may limit the role of attorneys by local rule. By statute a partnership, corporation or other entity may assert or defend its own claim of $5,000 or less in a court of limited jurisdiction through a duly authorized partner, shareholder, officer, employee or agent, but not a claim assigned to it or on behalf of another entity. Some local courts are narrower (Shreveport City Court's guide allows non-lawyer filing only on open accounts or promissory notes), so check the local court. A minor sues through a parent or guardian. State agencies may not use small claims.
  • Before you file. The small claims statutes do not require a demand before filing.
  • Jury and moving the case. No jury in the small claims division. The defendant may transfer the case to the regular civil docket by filing a written notice and paying a transfer fee within 10 days of service; a defendant with a counterclaim over $5,000 may also have the case transferred.

How long you have to sue in Louisiana

The general statute of limitations, counted from the day the agreement was broken or the damage happened. Contract claims are personal actions with a 10-year prescription unless another law sets a different period. Open accounts, money lent, unpaid rent and pay for services: 3 years. Delictual (tort) actions, including injury and property damage: 2 years from the day of the injury or damage (Art. 3493.1, eff. July 1, 2024; the former one-year rule in Art. 3492 was repealed the same day, so check which rule covers older events).

Kind of claimTime to sue
Written contract10 years
Oral (spoken) agreement10 years
Damage to property2 years
Personal injury2 years

Law: La. C.C. arts. 3499, 3494, 3493.1

After the hearing: appeals and collecting

Who can appeal
Neither side can appeal a small claims judgment.
Deadline
No appeal from a city court small claims judgment: the plaintiff waives appeal by filing, and the defendant waives it unless the case is removed to the regular docket within the time to answer. A motion for new trial must be filed within 3 days after the judgment is signed (or notice is mailed). Variant: a justice of the peace court judgment may be appealed by either side for a new trial (de novo) in parish or district court within 15 days of the judgment or notice of judgment.
Collecting the money
A small claims judgment becomes final 3 days after signing; the judge may order installment payments. The winner may then use the Code of Civil Procedure remedies such as judgment debtor examination, wage garnishment and seizure and sale. A money judgment prescribes 10 years after signing unless revived.

Good to know in Louisiana

  • There is no single statewide small claims court; forms and local fees come from each city court or justice of the peace court clerk.
  • Every citation must warn the defendant that there is no right to appeal and that the case can be transferred to regular court within 10 days.
  • A party may ask for binding arbitration by an attorney; any party can block it by filing a written objection within 10 days of notice.
  • No depositions, interrogatories or other discovery in small claims.
  • City Court of East St. Tammany small claims cases go through an Online Dispute Resolution pilot program.
  • Acts 2026, No. 127 amended R.S. 13:5206 (counterclaim transfer threshold now matches the $5,000 limit).
  • LouisianaLawHelp.org (state legal aid) is behind a bot check and was not read for this record.

Official help and forms

Sources

Court information, not legal advice. Limits and fees change — confirm with the court before you file. How we check: methodology.

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