Alaska Small Claims Court: $10,000 Limit, Fees and How to File

Alaska's small claims limit is $10,000, not counting costs, interest and attorney fees. Under Alaska Statutes (AS) 22.15.040(a), the district court hears a claim of that size as a small claim, and the District Court Rules of Civil Procedure (Rules 8 through 22) set out how the case runs; the note to Rule 8 stating the $10,000 maximum was updated by court order effective September 14, 2004.

Small claims in Alaska is not a separate court. It is a simpler procedure inside the district court, heard by a district judge or a magistrate judge, and you choose it when you file. This guide walks through an Alaska small claims case in the order you will live it. For other states, see our guide to small claims court by state.

Information last verified on 2026-10-07. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This article covers small claims in the Alaska district court under AS 22.15.040 and Part II (Rules 8 through 22) of the Alaska District Court Rules of Civil Procedure, with the court fee schedule in Administrative Rule 9. It does not cover evictions, lien foreclosures, formal district court or superior court civil cases, or small claims in other states.

Alaska small claims limit: $10,000

AS 22.15.040(a) lets the district court hear a case as a small claim "when a claim for relief does not exceed $10,000, exclusive of costs, interest, and attorney fees." Under the same section, the district judge or magistrate "shall hear the action as a small claim unless important or unusual points of law are involved or the state is a defendant."

The $20,000 figure is only for wage-payment actions the Department of Labor and Workforce Development brings on a worker's behalf. A worker suing an employer on their own is held to $10,000. For the rules on when final wages are due, see our Alaska final paycheck laws guide.

A magistrate judge can preside over small claims up to the $10,000 limit, but not when the defendant was served outside Alaska. Those cases go to a district judge.

The statute printed on the Legislature's site on October 7, 2026 still reads $10,000. We did not run the Legislature's own bill search for 2025-2026 bills, so confirm the limit with the clerk if you file after a legislative session.

Claims over $10,000: waiving the excess

District Court Civil Rule 8(b) lets a claimant with a larger claim "waive the right to recover the excess amount and elect to proceed under this Part II, by filing a written waiver of the excess amount." The waiver is permanent: you give up the right to recover anything over $10,000.

If you would rather pursue the full amount, the district court's formal civil procedure handles claims up to $100,000 per defendant (AS 22.15.030(a)(1)). That is a regular civil case with formal rules, not small claims.

Rule 14(e) lets you join any number of claims against one opposing party "so long as the total amount of the claims does not exceed the small claim jurisdictional limitation." We did not find a rule addressing whether one dispute can be split into several small claims cases, so do not count on splitting a large claim to fit under the limit.

We found no limit on how many small claims a person or business can file in a year.

Every claim also has a filing deadline. Our Alaska statute of limitations guide explains how long you have.

What you can and cannot sue for

Small claims handles money disputes: an unpaid loan or invoice, property damage, work that was paid for and not done, or a landlord who kept a security deposit (see our Alaska landlord-tenant laws guide for the deposit rules).

Some cases cannot be brought as small claims:

• Liens and real property. District Court Civil Rule 8(c): "Actions to foreclose or enforce statutory, common law or possessory liens and actions for recovery of real property may not be brought as small claims actions."
• Title to land and equitable claims. AS 22.15.050 keeps actions over title to real property and equitable actions out of the district court.
• Claims against the State of Alaska, and cases with important or unusual points of law, are not heard as small claims (AS 22.15.040(a)).

Who can sue. Under Rule 14(a), "Minors and other persons under legal disability may appear only through guardians, guardians ad litem, or conservators."

Debt collection cases. Since an October 15, 2024 rule change, a debt-collection complaint must name a person authorized to discuss the case, with a phone number, mailing address and email (Rule 10(a)). A non-attorney who sues on an assigned claim, such as a collection agency, must be represented by a lawyer or legal intern, or the court dismisses the case (Rule 15(c)).

Filing fees

The fee depends on the amount in dispute. These figures come from Administrative Rule 9 and the court's self-help fee table (labelled effective May 1, 2023).

No additional filing fee is due when a small claims case is removed to district or superior court. If you hire a private process server, Administrative Rule 11 caps the service cost you can recover from the other side at $45 per person served.

Fee waiver. If you cannot afford the fees, file form TF-920, Request for Exemption from Payment of Fees, when you file your case. Administrative Rule 10 sets the standard.

The prevailing party gets costs (such as the filing fee, service and witness fees) as a matter of course.

Do you need a lawyer?

No, but you can have one. Rule 15(b) says: "Any party to a small claims action may be represented at any stage of the proceedings by an attorney at law or a legal intern."

• Businesses and organizations may be represented by an officer or employee who is authorized in writing, even though Alaska's general rule (AS 22.20.040) otherwise limits who may practice law.
• Assignees (people or companies suing on a claim someone else assigned to them) must use a lawyer or legal intern if they are not lawyers themselves.
• Help with forms. Under Rule 21, clerks and magistrates may help you prepare the forms, though they cannot give legal advice.

Attorney fees are capped. Under Rule 20(c), an award of attorney fees to the winning party in small claims cannot exceed $1,000. On a default judgment, the award is 10% of the judgment or the reasonable actual fees, whichever is less.

Where to file

Rule 12 tells you where to file. You can file:

• At the court nearest to where an individual defendant lives or works,
• Where the defendant's wrongful conduct caused personal injury or property damage, or
• Where the defendant does or solicits business.

The location must also be one that will not cause the defendant unnecessary expense or inconvenience. A defendant who wants the trial moved asks for a change of place of trial in the answer, and the plaintiff has 20 days after service of the answer to oppose.

Starting the case and serving the defendant

Your complaint must state that you elect the small claims procedure and waive a jury trial and formal proceedings. The summons and complaint are then served under Civil Rule 4 (Rule 11). The summons must include instructions on getting the Small Claims Handbook, and a blank answer form is served with the complaint.

Service by the court through certified mail costs $5 plus postage. A defendant outside Alaska can be served only under AS 34.03.340, AS 09.05.020 or as Civil Rule 4 allows, and a magistrate cannot hear a small claim served out of state.

We did not open Civil Rule 4 itself, so ask the clerk which service methods fit your defendant.

We found no requirement to send a demand letter before you file. Under AS 22.15.040(b), people bringing small claims must be told whether mediation, conciliation or arbitration is available, so ask the clerk about those options.

If you are the defendant

Answer within 20 days. Rule 13(a): "A defendant shall file or state an answer within 20 days after service of the summons and complaint upon the defendant." Use the court's answer form, sign it and serve it on the plaintiff.

Counterclaims. A counterclaim arising from the same transaction goes in your answer. A plaintiff who is hit with a counterclaim has 10 days after it is mailed to withdraw the small claims election; otherwise the plaintiff waives a jury trial on the counterclaim. We did not find what happens when a counterclaim exceeds $10,000.

Formal proceedings. A defendant may ask for the case to proceed under the formal district court rules instead of small claims.

Default. If you do not answer within 20 days or do not come to trial, you can lose by default. Before a default judgment, the plaintiff must file an affidavit stating that you are not a minor or incompetent and stating your military status, and must give sworn proof of every essential element of the claim. The clerk may enter judgment if the damages are a fixed sum, but a default may not be entered less than 7 days after the motion is served (Rule 17(a)). After a default but before judgment, the court may allow a late answer for good cause (Rule 17(a)).

Military defendants. Federal law requires the same military-status step. Under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, when a defendant does not appear, the court must require the plaintiff's affidavit on military service before entering judgment (50 U.S.C. § 3931(b)(1)).

Debt collection suits. A debt collector suing a consumer may sue only where the consumer signed the contract or lives when the case starts (15 U.S.C. § 1692i(a)(2)). The Federal Trade Commission's advice is to respond by the date in the court papers and not ignore the lawsuit.

Setting aside a judgment. Rule 19: "Civil Rule 60 applies to motions for relief from judgment in small claim actions." Under Civil Rule 60(b), the motion must be made within a reasonable time, and when it is based on mistake, inadvertence, surprise or excusable neglect, newly discovered evidence, or fraud, no more than one year after the date of notice of the judgment. Act quickly: a motion filed months later can be denied as unreasonably late even inside that year.

The hearing

The judge or magistrate decides the case without a jury, and the judge may not be peremptorily challenged. Under Rule 16(f), "The date set for trial shall be not less than 15 days from the date the court mails notice of the trial date to the parties."

The trial is informal. Under Rule 16, any relevant and material evidence may be admitted even if formal evidence rules would exclude it. Testimony is under oath and may be given in narrative form. The court may take an active role, investigate in the parties' presence and urge the parties to compromise.

Witnesses can be subpoenaed under Civil Rule 45; in small claims, the fee you tender need only cover mileage and a half day of attendance if the witness's attendance, including travel, takes no more than three consecutive hours (Rule 11(d)). Bring your contract, receipts, photos, messages, estimates and any witnesses.

If you are the plaintiff and miss the trial, you are in default, and the court may dismiss your claim with prejudice, which means you cannot bring it again (Rule 17(c)).

Appeals: 30 days to superior court

Either party can appeal (District Court Civil Rule 18). Under Appellate Rule 602(a)(1), "An appeal may be taken to the superior court from the district court within 30 days from the date shown in the clerk's certificate of distribution on the judgment." Venue is the superior court location in the same judicial district that best serves the parties.

• New trial or review of the record. The superior court grants a trial de novo (a new trial) if the district court proceedings were not recorded; otherwise it reviews the record.
• What to file. The notice of appeal is filed with the superior court and must come with a statement of points on appeal, the filing fee, any required cost bond, a copy of the judgment and proof of service. The points you list are the only grounds the superior court will review, and the clerk will refuse a notice of appeal that does not conform (Appellate Rule 602(c)).
• Cost. The small claims appeal fee is $100. Unless you are exempt, you must also file a cost bond, normally $750, with the notice of appeal; a supersedeas bond (below) takes its place, and you may deposit cash instead (Appellate Rules 602(e)-(g) and 204(c)(1)).
• Stopping collection. The automatic stay of execution after judgment lasts only 2 days (Rule 24(a)). To keep the winner from collecting during the appeal, you need a supersedeas bond of 125% of the judgment (Appellate Rule 603(a)).
• Defaults. Rule 18 also lets either party appeal an order refusing to relieve a party from a default.

Collecting an Alaska small claims judgment

Winning a judgment does not guarantee payment, and the court does not collect the money for you. The court's self-help page says: "In a small claims case, you must wait 48 hours from the distribution date of the judgment." The same page says confession or default judgments can be executed immediately. There is no attachment or garnishment before judgment in small claims.

The court publishes forms for each collection step:

• Judgment debtor hearing: a motion and order requiring the debtor to appear and answer questions about income and assets (CIV-540).
• Writ of execution: the creditor's booklet is CIV-550 and the debtor's booklet is CIV-511.
• Earnings garnishment: CIV-507.
• Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD) execution: CIV-503 and CIV-506.

Installments. The court or clerk may order installment payments by agreement of the parties and stay execution while they are made; installment judgments bear interest (Rule 17(k)).

Interest. Under AS 09.30.070(a), post-judgment interest is 3 percentage points above the 12th Federal Reserve District discount rate in effect on January 2 of the year the judgment is entered. If a written contract sets a rate and the judgment says so, that rate applies. We did not confirm the current numeric rate from a court source.

How long a judgment lasts. An action on a judgment must be started within 10 years (AS 09.10.040). If 5 years pass without a writ of execution being issued, you need a court order to execute (AS 09.35.020).

When the debt is paid. The judgment creditor must file an acknowledgment of satisfaction with the court (Rule 20(e)).

Exemptions. Alaska law (AS 09.38) protects some property and earnings from collection; our Alaska debt collection laws guide covers those protections. Federal benefits are protected too: Social Security benefits are not subject to "execution, levy, attachment, garnishment, or other legal process" (42 U.S.C. § 407(a)), and VA benefits are exempt from creditors' claims (38 U.S.C. § 5301(a)(1)).

Claims against the federal government

A claim against a federal agency, or a federal employee acting on the job, is not an Alaska small claims case. The claim must first be presented to the agency, and a lawsuit can follow only after the agency finally denies it in writing (28 U.S.C. § 2675(a)). The written claim is due within two years (28 U.S.C. § 2401(b)), and federal district courts have exclusive jurisdiction over these tort claims (28 U.S.C. § 1346(b)(1)).

Official forms and resources

• Alaska Court System Self-Help: Small Claims
• Court fees and fee waiver (TF-920)
• Collecting a judgment (self-help center)
• District Court Rules of Civil Procedure (small claims are Rules 8 through 22)
• Administrative Rules (fee schedule in Rule 9)
• AS 22.15.040 (the $10,000 limit)

Related

• Small claims court by state
• Alaska statute of limitations
• Alaska landlord-tenant laws
• Alaska debt collection laws
• Alaska final paycheck laws

Disclaimer: This article provides general legal information about small claims in Alaska under AS 22.15.040, the Alaska District Court Rules of Civil Procedure, and the other Alaska and federal laws cited above, verified on 2026-10-07. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. For help with your situation, contact the Alaska Court System's self-help center, a legal aid office, or a lawyer licensed in Alaska.

Last updated: 2026-10-07.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the small claims limit in Alaska?

$10,000, not counting costs, interest and attorney fees, under AS 22.15.040(a). The Department of Labor and Workforce Development may bring wage claims as small claims up to $20,000.

Can I sue for more than $10,000 in Alaska small claims?

Only by filing a written waiver of the amount over $10,000, which gives up your right to recover it (Dist. Ct. Civ. R. 8(b)). Otherwise use a formal district court case, which handles claims up to $100,000 per defendant (AS 22.15.030(a)(1)).

How much does it cost to file small claims in Alaska?

$50 if the dispute is $2,500 or less and $100 if it is more, under Administrative Rule 9. Service by the court by certified mail is $5 plus postage.

Can a lawyer represent me in Alaska small claims court?

Yes. Rule 15(b) lets any party be represented by an attorney or legal intern at any stage, though none is required. Attorney fee awards in small claims are capped at $1,000 (Rule 20(c)).

Can a business appear in Alaska small claims without a lawyer?

Yes. A corporation or other organization may be represented by an officer or employee authorized in writing. A non-attorney suing on an assigned claim, such as a collection agency, must use a lawyer or legal intern (Rule 15(c)).

How long do I have to answer an Alaska small claims complaint?

20 days after you are served with the summons and complaint (Dist. Ct. Civ. R. 13(a)). If you do not answer or do not come to trial, you can lose by default.

How long do I have to appeal an Alaska small claims judgment?

30 days from the date shown in the clerk's certificate of distribution on the judgment (Dist. Ct. Civ. R. 18; App. R. 602(a)(1)). The appeal goes to the superior court, and the small claims appeal fee is $100.

When can I start collecting an Alaska small claims judgment?

The court's self-help page says you must wait 48 hours from the distribution date of the judgment, though confession or default judgments can be executed immediately.

How long is an Alaska judgment good for?

An action on a judgment must be started within 10 years (AS 09.10.040), and executing after 5 years without a writ requires a court order (AS 09.35.020).