Small Claims Court

last updated 22 October 2024

All Small Claims Court courthouses are open Monday - Friday from 9:15 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and are closed and locked from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

All business must be commenced by 12:30 in the morning session and 4:00 p.m. in the afternoon. Calendars are called at 9:30 a.m. except Night Court at 5:30 p.m.

Adjournment requests must be in writing and will not be considered by phone. All parties must be notified of all adjournment requests.

Small Claims Court Schedule

 

Small Claims Court

Small Claims Court is a special court where you can sue for up to $5000. You can only sue for money. You cannot sue to make someone do something. You cannot sue for pain and suffering. The Defendant must live, work, or have a place of business in western 5 towns of Suffolk County.

  • It is inexpensive and easy to use
  • You do not have to have a lawyer
  • The Court will notify the defendant for you

back to top

Small Claims - a person can sue another person or a business. Please read the Guide to Small Claims & Commercial Small Claims.

Start your Small Claim by completing and filing the Complaint Form (DC283).

back to top

Commercial Small Claims - a corporation, partnership, or association can sue a person or a business. Please read the Guide to Small Claims & Commercial Small Claims at page 25.

Start your Commercial Small Claim by completing and filing the Complaint Form (DC283)

back to top

Consumer Transaction Commercial Small Claims  - a  corporation, partnership, or association can sue a customer about unpaid goods or services for personal, family or household use. Please read the Guide to Small Claims & Commercial Small Claims at page 25.

Start your Consumer Transaction Commercial Small Claim by mailing a Demand Letter for Commercial Small Claims Consumer Transaction (DC 292 / UCS-124) by regular mail to warn the customer you will sue them if they do not pay you. Wait10 days. If they have not paid you complete and file the Complaint Form (DC283) with your Certification for Commercial Small Claims Consumer Transaction (DC 293 / UCS-119)

back to top

Small Claims cases are calendared for mandatory arbitration in the courthouse. Lawyers and other interested parties should refer to

back to top

 

Looking your case up on WebCrims:

Case Information and dates available online at WebCivil Local
 

Pending L&T cases may be found at WebCivil Local. The site lists civil court cases that are searchable by index number, party name, attorney name, or judge name, or calendar information by court, judge and part.

Landlord Tenant cases are filed in one (1) of the outlying District Courts located within the five (5) western towns of Suffolk County – Babylon, Brookhaven, Huntington, Islip and Smithtown.  The L&T case must be filed in the District Court located with the same Town where the property is located.  
    
Search by index number. The case index number consists of four (4) parameters: 

a) Prefix listing the abbreviation for the case type, 
b) Case Number, 
c) Last two digits of the year the case was filed, and 
d) Suffix listing the abbreviation for the outlying district court where the case will be heard

"•• - ###### - YY/•• "

••prefixes CC CV LT or SC
CC- Commercial Claim
CV-Civil
LT- Landlord Tenant
SC - Small Claims

••suffix BA BR CE HU IS or SM
BA- Suffolk County 2nd District Court located in Babylon
BR- Suffolk County 6th District Court located Brookhaven 
CE- Suffolk County 1st District Court located in Islip
HU- Suffolk County 3rd District located in Huntington 
IS- Suffolk County 5th District Court located in Islip
SM- Suffolk County 4th District Court located in Smithtown

An example of an index number for a Landlord Tenant case located in the 6th District Court in Brookhaven and filed in 2021 would be LT-123456 - 21/BR

Note that L&T cases either without a future calendar date, or after fourteen (14) days past the final court appearance, are not retrievable on WebCivil Local will not be found. Cases prior to 2006 will not be found unless the case was restored or calendared after 2012. Sealed cases similarly are not retrievable on WebCivil Local.

 

back to top