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A Small Claim

N.D.C.C. § 27-08.1-01 — claims up to $15,000 in an informal hearing, with no appeal

Small claims court hears claims for money, or to cancel an agreement involving fraud or false promise, when the amount does not exceed $15,000. The hearing is informal, and both sides may appear without a lawyer.

  • N.D.C.C. § 27-08.1-01
  • N.D.C.C. § 27-08.1-03
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  • A defendant's counterclaim, up to $15,000, is served on the plaintiff no later than forty-eight hours before the hearing.
  • Choosing small claims is irrevocable for the plaintiff and gives up any appeal.
  • The defendant may instead remove the case to district court, where a winning plaintiff gets attorney's fees.
  • Judgment is entered even if a party does not appear, and it is enforced like a district court judgment.
Sources for this section (4)
  1. N.D.C.C. § 27-08.1-01 — Small claims court - Jurisdictional limits - Venue
  2. N.D.C.C. § 27-08.1-03 — Informal hearing - Answer and counterclaim - Filing and service fees - Examination of debtor
  3. N.D.C.C. § 27-08.1-04 — Election to proceed in small claims court irrevocable
  4. N.D.C.C. § 27-08.1-05 — Judgment

Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed North Dakota attorney.

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