Small Claims jurisdictional limits
A lot of Tesla’s arbitration clauses contain a sentence that allows you to go to small claims court. Look at your agreement to check.
Small claims is designed to be “the People’s Court”. Each state has its own jurisdictional limit and procedures. If you think you can go it alone, and want to have a judge hear your case, think about small claims. Remember, this is not legal advice and, unless you signed an engagement with me, you are not my client.
Here is a nationwide listing of small claims jurisdiction limitations compiled by ChatGPT on July 22, 2025. I have a fair degree of confidence in its accuracy. If you think your claim qualifies for small claims, read up on it and see if you can do it. Who knows, maybe Tesla won’t show up. Imagine if 50,000 people file a small claims case within a short period of time…
| State | Jurisdictional Limit ($) |
|---|---|
| Alabama | 6000 |
| Alaska | 10000 |
| Arizona | 3500 |
| Arkansas | 5000 |
| California | 10000 |
| Colorado | 7500 |
| Connecticut | 5000 |
| Delaware | 25000 |
| Florida | 8000 |
| Georgia | 15000 |
| Hawaii | 5000 |
| Idaho | 5000 |
| Illinois | 10000 |
| Indiana | 8000 |
| Iowa | 6500 |
| Kansas | 4000 |
| Kentucky | 2500 |
| Louisiana | 5000 |
| Maine | 6000 |
| Maryland | 5000 |
| Massachusetts | 7000 |
| Michigan | 6500 |
| Minnesota | 15000 |
| Mississippi | 3500 |
| Missouri | 5000 |
| State | Jurisdictional Limit ($) |
|---|---|
| Montana | 7000 |
| Nebraska | 3900 |
| Nevada | 10000 |
| New Hampshire | 10000 |
| New Jersey | 3000 |
| New Mexico | 10000 |
| New York | 10000 |
| North Carolina | 10000 |
| North Dakota | 15000 |
| Ohio | 6000 |
| Oklahoma | 10000 |
| Oregon | 10000 |
| Pennsylvania | 12000 |
| Rhode Island | 5000 |
| South Carolina | 7500 |
| South Dakota | 12000 |
| Tennessee | 25000 |
| Texas | 20000 |
| Utah | 11000 |
| Vermont | 5000 |
| Virginia | 5000 |
| Washington | 10000 |
| West Virginia | 10000 |
| Wisconsin | 10000 |
| Wyoming | 6000 |