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Small claims court in Tennessee (2026)

In Tennessee you can sue for up to $25,000 in small claims. Court: General Sessions Court (civil). Lawyers: allowed. Appeal: either side, 10 days. For a broken written agreement you generally have 6 years to sue. Last checked .

Tennessee small claims at a glance

Most you can sue for
$25,000
Court
General Sessions Court (civil)
Filing fee
Set by each court
Lawyers
Allowed
Appeal
Either side, 10 days
Ask for payment first
Not required by law

Can you sue in Tennessee small claims?

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Tennessee small claims limit

$25,000

Enter the amount to compare it with the limit.

The rule: General Sessions civil jurisdiction is up to $25,000. Actions to recover personal property may award possession or an alternative money judgment up to $25,000. Detainer (eviction) warrants have no limit.

Deadline to sue (general rule)

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

Contracts: 6 years. Injury to personal or real property: 3 years. Personal injury: 1 year, extended to 2 years in some cases where criminal charges are brought over the same conduct. These figures come from the General Assembly's official bill summaries describing present law, not from the code text.

Lawyers: Lawyers may represent either side.

Before you file: No pre-suit demand requirement was found. Legal aid advises writing the other person first (ideally by certified mail) and keeping a copy to show the court you tried.

Appeal: A losing party has an automatic right to appeal by filing a notice of appeal within 10 days of entry of judgment. The 10 days start the day after judgment is entered; the notice is due by close of business on the 10th day, or the next business day if that day is a weekend or legal holiday. The case is heard over again, usually in Circuit Court, as if the first trial did not happen. An appeal bond is generally required (Davidson County's Appeal and Cost Bond is $284.50); a party who cannot pay may file an affidavit of indigency.

Filing fee: Filing fees are set county by county. Example: Davidson County General Sessions Civil (effective July 12, 2026) charges $50 clerk fee + $43.75 litigation tax for a civil warrant, plus $52 sheriff service per defendant ($145.75 total). The litigation tax must be paid at filing even if a pauper's oath (affidavit of indigency) is approved.

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 Tennessee small claims rules →Write a demand letter →

Where to file and how much

  • Court. Tennessee has no separate small claims court; each county's General Sessions Court handles small civil claims (in Knox County it is called Civil Sessions Court). You start a case by filing a civil warrant with the clerk; the people or property involved must have some contact with the county where you file.
  • Limit. General Sessions civil jurisdiction is up to $25,000. Actions to recover personal property may award possession or an alternative money judgment up to $25,000. Detainer (eviction) warrants have no limit.
  • Filing fee. Filing fees are set county by county. Example: Davidson County General Sessions Civil (effective July 12, 2026) charges $50 clerk fee + $43.75 litigation tax for a civil warrant, plus $52 sheriff service per defendant ($145.75 total). The litigation tax must be paid at filing even if a pauper's oath (affidavit of indigency) is approved.

Who can sue and who can speak in court

  • You do not need a lawyer and may hire one. A non-lawyer can represent only themselves, their spouse or their child. The Tennessee Attorney General (Op. 05-036, citing Old Hickory Eng'g v. Henry, Tenn. 1996) says a non-lawyer agent may not represent a corporation or LLC in Sessions court, because that is the practice of law. No accessible official source says whether assignees are barred.
  • A corporation or LLC must appear through a lawyer in Tennessee small claims.
  • Before you file. No pre-suit demand requirement was found. Legal aid advises writing the other person first (ideally by certified mail) and keeping a copy to show the court you tried.
  • Jury and moving the case. The General Sessions judge hears and decides the case. A losing party may appeal for a completely new trial in Circuit Court, and the official notice of appeal form lets the appellant demand a jury for that trial.

How long you have to sue in Tennessee

The general statute of limitations, counted from the day the agreement was broken or the damage happened. Contracts: 6 years. Injury to personal or real property: 3 years. Personal injury: 1 year, extended to 2 years in some cases where criminal charges are brought over the same conduct. These figures come from the General Assembly's official bill summaries describing present law, not from the code text.

Kind of claimTime to sue
Written contract6 years
Oral (spoken) agreement6 years
Damage to property3 years
Personal injury1 year

Law: Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 28-3-109, 28-3-105, 28-3-104, as summarized in General Assembly bill summaries for SB1156 (110th GA) and SB1362 (112th GA)

After the hearing: appeals and collecting

Who can appeal
Either side can appeal.
Kind of appeal
A new trial in a higher court
Deadline
A losing party has an automatic right to appeal by filing a notice of appeal within 10 days of entry of judgment. The 10 days start the day after judgment is entered; the notice is due by close of business on the 10th day, or the next business day if that day is a weekend or legal holiday. The case is heard over again, usually in Circuit Court, as if the first trial did not happen. An appeal bond is generally required (Davidson County's Appeal and Cost Bond is $284.50); a party who cannot pay may file an affidavit of indigency.
Collecting the money
The court does not collect for you. Using forms from the clerk's office, the winner may garnish the debtor's wages or have nonexempt property seized and sold by a deputy. Debtors may claim exempt property (legal aid cites $10,000 of personal property) and ask for a stay of garnishment and a slow-pay plan.

Good to know in Tennessee

  • The official Tennessee Code is published online only behind a LexisNexis terms-of-use gate, and tncourts.gov blocked automated access, so statute facts here rely on county court sites, General Assembly bill summaries and legal aid.
  • Fees, local rules and docket practice (some counties hold a docket call first) vary by county.
  • whoCanSue.businessNeedsLawyer and assigneesBarred: no accessible official source; left null.
  • collect: how long a judgment lasts was not confirmed from an accessible official source and is omitted.

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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