Small Claims Court
42 Pa.C.S. 1515 — the magisterial district judge, and claims up to $12,000
In Pennsylvania, the court most people mean by small claims is the magisterial district judge. It hears civil claims where the sum demanded is not more than $12,000, not counting interest and costs, in claims in assumpsit, which covers contracts, claims in trespass, which covers wrongs to a person or property, and claims for fines and penalties by a government agency.
A larger claim can be cut down to fit, and the cut can come undone. A plaintiff may waive the part of a claim over $12,000 to bring it within the limit. The waiver is revoked automatically if the defendant appeals the final order or the judgment is set aside on certiorari.
Excluded are claims against a Commonwealth party, and contract cases where title to real estate may be in question. The same judges also hear the landlord and tenant matters the Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951 places with them, and summary offenses.
Sources for this section (1)
- 42 Pa.C.S. 1515 — Jurisdiction and venue
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Pennsylvania attorney.