Almost every small claims court expects you to have asked the other side to pay first, in writing, with a clear deadline (usually 10 days). Keep a copy — you'll attach it to your claim. ComplaintCA's AI drafting tool can help you write this letter in the right format for your province.
Limits elsewhere: Nova Scotia $25,000; New Brunswick $20,000; PEI $16,000; Newfoundland & Labrador $25,000; Yukon $25,000; NWT under $35,000. In Nunavut, small claims are heard by the Nunavut Court of Justice — confirm the current limit with its registry. If your claim is above your province's limit, you can still file for the maximum and abandon the excess, or proceed in a higher court.
ComplaintCA doesn't file the claim for you, but it can help you draft the demand letter that most courts require first, and Asya can tell you whether your situation is better suited to a free ombudsman route (already covered in our other guides) before you pay a filing fee.
Not sure if small claims is your next step? Ask Asya first.
Start with Asya Now →$50,000 as of October 1, 2025 (up from $35,000), not including interest and costs.
Up to $5,000 via the online Civil Resolution Tribunal; $5,001–$35,000 via BC Provincial Court Small Claims.
$100,000 — the highest in Canada — through the Alberta Court of Justice, Civil Claims.
$15,000 (principal only) through the Court of Québec's Small Claims Division. Lawyers can't represent you at the hearing.
No — it's designed for self-represented people. In Quebec, lawyers aren't permitted to represent you at the hearing at all.
Try the free ombudsman/regulator route first. Small claims makes sense once that's exhausted, or for disputes with no dedicated ombudsman.
First send the other side a written demand letter with a clear deadline (usually 10 days) and keep a copy. If they don't pay, file your claim with your province's small claims court — the official filing site for each province is linked on this page. In BC, claims up to $5,000 are filed online with the Civil Resolution Tribunal.
A Canadian civic platform that routes you to the correct authority, drafts complaints and demand letters with AI in 7 languages, and helps identify your best next step.
Use Canada VRS (free sign-language video relay, available 24/7) or dial 711 for a text-based relay operator — both let you place a real phone call to any number listed on this page.
This guide is maintained by ComplaintCA and checked against the official sources linked throughout, including:
Learn more about how ComplaintCA verifies information on our About page.
