The numbers we have verified
The lowest figure we verified is $30 (Pinal County Justice Courts, Pinal County) and the highest is $60 (Pima County Consolidated Justice Court, Pima County).
Counts and ranges are generated from our verified data when this page is built. A county without a verified fee says so on its own page and never gets an estimated number.
The state sets a base fee
The small claims division hears civil claims that do "not exceed $5,000, exclusive of interest and costs" (A.R.S. 22-503). That limit was raised from $3,500 by Senate Bill 1022 in 2025.
The fee table for justice courts is in A.R.S. 22-281, which lists a small claims filing fee, a small claims answer fee for the defendant, and a small claims service-by-mail fee. The same section lets the Arizona Supreme Court increase those fees in line with the consumer price index (A.R.S. 22-281(F)), so the base fee courts charge today can be higher than the figure printed in the statute. Pima County's fee schedule, for example, labels $30 of its small claims fee as the statutory part.
Some counties add court fees
On top of the base fee, some counties charge their own court fees. Pima County's justice courts itemize their small claims complaint fee as "$30 statutory + $10 court automation + $20 court operations fee." Maricopa County's justice courts also charge more than the base fee, while Yavapai County charges a flat fee with no county add-on.
The tables below are generated from the fees we verified on each court's own fee page.
| Maricopa County court | Filing fee |
|---|---|
| Maricopa County Justice Courts | $58 |
| Pima County court | Filing fee |
|---|---|
| Pima County Consolidated Justice Court | $60 |
| Yavapai County court | Filing fee |
|---|---|
| Yavapai County Justice Courts | $30 |
| Mohave County court | Filing fee |
|---|---|
| Mohave County small claims court | $40 |
The defendant pays too
In Arizona the defendant pays a fee to file an answer. A.R.S. 22-281 lists a separate small claims answer fee, and each county's schedule shows its own amount, so a defendant's cost also differs from county to county. Our county pages note the answer fee where the court publishes it.
What this means if you are filing in Arizona
Find the justice court that will hear your case, and check that county's fee page. Our Arizona county pages show the verified filing fee, what the court says it includes, and a link to the court's own schedule.
If the fee is a hardship, see our Arizona fee waiver guide for how to ask the court to defer or waive it.
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Sources
- A.R.S. 22-503, Small claims jurisdiction; exceptions (read October 2026)
- A.R.S. 22-281, Justice court fees and deposits (read October 2026)
- Arizona State Senate, Fact Sheet for S.B. 1022 (small claims court; jurisdictional limit), as passed by the House, April 17, 2025 (read October 2026)
- Pima County Justice Courts, Civil Unit Fee Schedule (JP90A, effective September 21, 2026) (read September 2026)
- Maricopa County Justice Courts, Justice Court Fees (read September 2026)
This is general information, not legal advice. Fees change; confirm the current amount with the court before you file. How we check our data: methodology.