Utah Small Claims Court: $20,000 Limit, Fees and How to File

In Utah, you can sue for up to $20,000 in small claims court, a limit that includes attorney fees but not court costs or interest. Utah Code 78A-8-102 sets that figure for cases filed "on or after January 1, 2025, through December 31, 2029," and schedules a rise to $25,000 on January 1, 2030. Nearly all small claims cases are filed in a justice court.

This guide walks through a Utah small claims case from filing to collecting the money. 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 Utah small claims court under Utah Code Title 78A, Chapter 8, with the related fee statute (78A-2-301), judgment interest (15-1-4) and judgment duration (78B-2-311) rules, and the Utah Courts self-help guidance. It does not cover evictions, regular district court civil cases, or small claims in other states.

Utah small claims limit: $20,000 now, $25,000 in 2030

The limit is set by date, under Utah Code 78A-8-102(1)(a)(i):

The current amount is "$20,000 including attorney fees but exclusive of court costs and interest." The schedule comes from a 2022 law (HB 107, Chapter 210, 2022 General Session), and the version of 78A-8-102 in force is that 2022 amendment. Some guides still show $11,000 or $15,000; both are out of date.

A small claims judgment may not exceed the limit (Utah Code 78A-8-102(3)). Interpleader cases under Rule 22 of the Utah Rules of Civil Procedure use the same limit (78A-8-102(1)(b)).

Car accidents. Utah has a specific rule for vehicle damage: "A claim involving property damage from a motor vehicle accident may be maintained in a small claims action, and any removal or appeal of the small claims action, without limiting the ability of a plaintiff to make a claim for bodily injury against the same defendant in a separate legal action" (78A-8-102(5)). The same subsection says you cannot later add another property damage claim in the injury case.

Over the limit. The sources we reviewed do not say whether you can give up the part of a claim above $20,000 to fit in small claims, or what happens to that excess. Because a judgment cannot exceed the limit, ask the clerk or a lawyer before filing a larger claim in small claims.

Many claims at once. A person or corporation (other than a municipality or political subdivision) that files several small claims in one court is not barred, but "the clerk or judge of the court may remove all but the initial claim from the court's calendar in order to dispose of all other small claims matters."

What you can sue for and who can file

Utah small claims is for money only; the court cannot order someone to do something. The Utah Courts self-help page names two other limits: "You cannot sue a government agency or sue to evict someone."

No assignees. Utah Code 78A-8-103 says: "A claim may not be filed or prosecuted in small claims court by any assignee of a claim." A debt buyer or collection agency suing on a debt it bought or was assigned cannot use small claims.

Every claim also has a filing deadline. Check the Utah statute of limitations for your type of claim, or estimate it with our statute of limitations calculator. If your dispute is over a rental deposit, Utah landlord-tenant laws explains the underlying rules; evictions themselves cannot go through small claims.

Which court: justice court or district court

Utah Code 78A-8-101 says: "There is created a limited jurisdiction division of the district and justice courts designated small claims court." In practice, according to the Utah Courts self-help page, nearly every case goes to a justice court:

• File in the city or town justice court if there is one where you are filing.
• Otherwise, file in the county justice court.
• Use district court only where there is no county-wide justice court. Cache County is the one county without one, so district court is used there when no remaining justice court has jurisdiction.

Some cities and counties share another jurisdiction's justice court; the self-help page has a table and a court directory.

Where. The self-help page says: "You have two options for where to file: where the defendant lives, or where the events happened." The statute puts it as a case where "the defendant resides or the action of indebtedness was incurred within the jurisdiction of the court" (78A-8-102(1)(a)(ii)).

How much it costs to file

Utah Code 78A-2-301 (version effective May 6, 2026) sets small claims fees by the amount claimed, not counting court costs, interest and attorney fees. Justice courts charge the same fees as Section 78A-2-301 (Utah Code 78A-8-105(1)).

A second version of 78A-2-301 takes effect January 1, 2027; the small claims filing, counterclaim and trial de novo fees are the same in both versions. The self-help page tells filers to check the cover sheet for the amount, and adds: "If you cannot afford the fee you can ask for a fee waiver."

Lawyers and business representation

You can bring a lawyer, or not. Utah law provides: "With or without counsel, persons or corporations may litigate actions on behalf of themselves: (i) in person; or (ii) through authorized employees." A business can send an authorized employee. Representation by someone who is neither an employee nor a licensed lawyer is allowed only as the Utah Rules of Small Claims Procedure permit.

Online Dispute Resolution (ODR)

Many Utah justice courts now run small claims through Online Dispute Resolution under Utah Supreme Court Standing Order No. 13; the self-help page lists the courts. In an ODR case:

• The plaintiff must log into the ODR system within 7 days of filing, using the link and password the court emails, or the case will be dismissed (Utah Courts self-help).
• The defendant must register. "You must register within 14 days or you will lose automatically."
• A facilitator works with both sides during a 14-day window to settle, which can be extended.
• Mediation by video can replace ODR if everyone agrees.
• If the case does not settle, it goes to trial, which the self-help page says happens about 7 to 21 days after the settlement window.

Serving the defendant

After you file, the clerk returns your stamped papers with a case number, and you must have them served on the defendant by someone permitted under Utah Rule of Civil Procedure 4. Then file proof of service with the court.

The deadline depends on whether your court uses ODR. The self-help page says: "If your case is not using ODR, you must have the defendant served at least 30 days before the trial. For cases using ODR, you must have the defendant served within 120 days of filing the case." The official sources we reviewed do not give a statewide service fee.

If you are the defendant

Respond on time. In an ODR court, register within 14 days of receiving the affidavit and summons, or the plaintiff may ask for a default judgment. In a court not using ODR, follow the instructions and deadline on your summons. As the Federal Trade Commission warns, "Don't ignore a lawsuit, or you might lose the chance to fight a court order." Before any default judgment, federal law also requires the court to have the plaintiff file an affidavit stating whether the defendant is in military service (50 U.S.C. § 3931).

Counterclaims. You can file a counter affidavit if your claim arises out of the same transaction or occurrence as the plaintiff's. Do it in the small claims case: "A counter claim may not be raised for the first time in the trial de novo of the small claims action."

Moving a district court case to small claims. If you are sued in district court on a claim within the small claims limit, you can move it to a small claims court in the same district if the plaintiff agrees, by giving the district court notice (with the small claims filing number) within your time to file a responsive pleading and paying the small claims filing fee (Utah Code 78A-8-102(2)).

The hearing

Small claims follows simplified rules of procedure and evidence set by the Utah Supreme Court (Utah Code 78A-8-104(1); 78A-8-102(8)). Bring photos, receipts, messages and witnesses; the judge decides what can be used. If you need to postpone, file a motion with a good reason.

Your case may be heard by a justice court judge or by a volunteer judge pro tempore, a lawyer in good standing, sometimes in evening sessions (Utah Code 78A-8-108). The judge usually decides at the end of the trial; if not, the self-help page says, "they have 60 days to tell you what they decide."

Missed the trial? If you miss trial, the case may be dismissed or a judgment entered against you. The self-help page says you can ask the court to undo a judgment or dismissal: "You must ask within 15 days after the judgment or dismissal was entered." After 15 days you must also explain the delay. The forms are 1042XX and 1043XX, and the court schedules a hearing.

Appeals: a new trial in district court

Either side can appeal. Utah Code 78A-8-106(1) says: "Either party may appeal the judgment in a small claims action to the district court of the county by filing a notice of appeal in the original trial court within 28 days of entry of the judgment." A justice court sends the appeal to the nearest district court in the same judicial district.

• A new trial. The appeal is a trial de novo under small claims procedures, so the first trial does not control the result.
• Who hears it. A judge pro tempore may not hear the trial de novo.
• Cost. The trial de novo fee is $240 (Utah Code 78A-2-301), and a justice court charges a $10 notice-of-appeal fee that does not count toward the $240 (78A-8-105(3)).
• Usually final. The district court's decision cannot be appealed further unless the court rules on the constitutionality of a statute or ordinance.

The appeal forms are 1044XX and 1045XX.

Collecting your judgment

Winning does not guarantee payment, and the court does not collect for you. After judgment, attachment, garnishment and execution may issue as prescribed by law once the fees for those services are paid (Utah Code 78A-8-104(2)). The Utah Courts guide on collecting a judgment describes these tools:

• Judgment lien on real estate. File an abstract of judgment with the county recorder, with a Judgment Information Statement (forms 1003DC and 1004DC; Utah Code 78B-5-201, 78B-5-202).
• Finding assets. Discovery in aid of writs, by a hearing or written interrogatories, with the judge's permission (Utah Rule of Civil Procedure 64(c)).
• Garnishment. A writ of garnishment reaches wages through an employer or money in a bank (Rule 64D).
• Execution. A writ of execution reaches non-exempt real or personal property (Rule 64E), with sales under Rules 69A to 69C.
• Costs. The winner recovers the costs of the action and of execution (Utah Code 78A-8-107).

Interest. A judgment under $10,000 in an action regarding the purchase of goods and services bears interest at 10% plus the federal postjudgment interest rate in effect on January 1 of the year the judgment is entered (Utah Code 15-1-4(4)). For other judgments not based on a contract, the Utah Courts guide says: "Under Utah Code Section 15-1-4, other civil judgments bear interest at two percent more than the federal interest rate for the year in which the judgment was entered." That rate stays fixed for the life of the judgment (15-1-4(3)(b)). A contract judgment uses the contract's rate if the contract sets one. The courts keep a table of rates by year.

How long it lasts. Under Utah Code 78B-2-311, an action may be brought within eight years of entry of the judgment or its renewal, and the judgment can be renewed under the Renewal of Judgment Act (Title 78B, Chapter 6, Part 18), but the Utah Courts guide says renewal must be done before the eight-year limit expires. The Utah Courts guidance also tells parties to keep records of every payment and mentions moving to satisfy the judgment once it is paid.

Some income and property are protected from collection; see Utah debt collection laws for state protections. Federal law also protects Social Security benefits from "execution, levy, attachment, garnishment, or other legal process" (42 U.S.C. § 407(a)) and VA benefits from creditors' claims (38 U.S.C. § 5301(a)(1)). If you are being garnished, see how to stop wage garnishment.

Forms and court help

• Utah Courts small claims self-help, with the affidavit and summons forms (1024XX and 1025XX, and an ODR version), the ODR court list and the court directory.
• How to collect a judgment, the Utah Courts collection guide.
• Utah Code Title 78A, Chapter 8, Small Claims Courts.
• Utah Code 78A-2-301, court fees.

Related

• Small claims court by state
• Utah statute of limitations
• Utah debt collection laws
• Utah landlord-tenant laws
• Colorado small claims court
• Arizona small claims court

Disclaimer: This article provides general legal information about Utah small claims court under Utah Code Title 78A, Chapter 8 and related Utah statutes and court guidance, 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 Utah Courts self-help center, a legal aid office, or a lawyer licensed in Utah.

Last updated: 2026-10-07.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the small claims limit in Utah?

$20,000 from January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2029, including attorney fees but not court costs or interest (Utah Code 78A-8-102). The limit is scheduled to rise to $25,000 on January 1, 2030.

Is the Utah small claims limit $11,000 or $15,000?

No. $15,000 applied from May 4, 2022 through December 31, 2024. Since January 1, 2025 the limit has been $20,000 (Utah Code 78A-8-102), so guides citing $11,000 or $15,000 are out of date.

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

Under Utah Code 78A-2-301, $60 for a claim of $2,000 or less, $100 for more than $2,000 but less than $7,500, and $185 for $7,500 or more. You can ask for a fee waiver if you cannot afford it.

Can I have a lawyer in Utah small claims court?

Yes. Utah law lets people and corporations litigate small claims with or without counsel, in person or through authorized employees.

Can a debt collector sue me in Utah small claims court?

Not as an assignee. Utah Code 78A-8-103 says a claim may not be filed or prosecuted in small claims court by any assignee of a claim.

What happens if I do not register for ODR in Utah small claims?

The Utah Courts self-help page warns that a defendant in an ODR court must register within 14 days or will lose automatically, and the plaintiff may ask for a default judgment.

How long do I have to appeal a Utah small claims judgment?

28 days from entry of the judgment. You file the notice of appeal in the court that entered the judgment, and the district court holds a new trial (Utah Code 78A-8-106).

How long is a Utah small claims judgment good for?

An action on a judgment may be brought within eight years of its entry or renewal, and the judgment can be renewed under the Renewal of Judgment Act, but only before the eight years run out (Utah Code 78B-2-311; Utah Courts collection guide).