How to file a small claims case in Kentucky, step by step

Ask for payment in writing

Kentucky doesn't require a demand letter before you file small claims, but asking for payment in writing first is a good idea.

Use the free demand letter generator, give them 10–14 days, and keep a copy with proof of the date you sent it.

Check the limit and your deadline

In Kentucky you can sue for up to $2,500 in the Small Claims Division of the District Court.

Run the 60-second case check to see the last day you can file.

Collect the details the form asks for

• Your full name, address and phone
• The defendant's exact legal name and a street address where they can be served (not a P.O. box)
• The amount you're asking for and how you got that number
• The date the problem happened
• A short plain description of what happened
• Proof you asked for payment, if you did

Find the defendant's exact legal name

Use the company's exact legal name and serve its registered process agent.

Search: Kentucky Secretary of State Business Search.

Gather your evidence

• The contract, lease, invoice or receipt
• Photos of the damage, dated if possible
• Texts, emails and letters with the other side
• Two written repair estimates or proof of what you paid
• Your demand letter and proof it was sent
• Names and contact details of any witnesses

Get the right form

AOC-175: Small Claims Complaint. Get the form.

Describe your claim clearly

• Who: you and the defendant, with full legal names and addresses
• What: the agreement or event, in 2–4 plain sentences
• When: the date it happened
• How much: the exact amount (no more than $2,500) and how you calculated it
• What you did: when you asked for payment and their response

Sign it the right way

Sign the complaint and explain your claim on the form itself, not on a separate page.

Make copies

Bring the original and one copy for each defendant, plus one for yourself.

File your claim

Choose how you'll file:

File with the circuit court clerk in the county where the defendant lives or does business. A company can also be sued where an officer or its process agent lives, or, on a contract, where the contract was made or was to be carried out.

Pay the filing fee

From July 1, 2026, the small claims filing fee is $38 plus a $20 court technology fee and a few small required add-on fees, so expect to pay roughly $60. Service by certified mail (paid to the clerk) or by the sheriff (paid to the sheriff) costs extra. Can't afford it? Ask for a fee waiver: Ask the circuit court clerk for a motion to proceed without paying costs and fees (in forma pauperis).

Keep what the clerk gives you

The clerk issues a Small Claims Summons (AOC-180) with the hearing date, and the papers go out by certified mail or with the sheriff.

Have the papers served

The clerk issues a summons. You choose certified mail through the clerk or personal service by the sheriff. The case can't be heard until the defendant is served, and the clerk won't tell you whether service worked, so check.

The defendant must be served before the hearing date on the summons.

File proof of service

The signed certified-mail receipt or the sheriff's return goes into the court file; you don't file a form, but you should check with the clerk that service was completed.

If service fails

Don't wait until the hearing. Ask the clerk right away for a new hearing date and try another method, such as personal delivery instead of mail, or a different address.

Watch for the defendant's response

The defendant doesn't have to file a written answer. A counterclaim (AOC-185) must be filed at least 5 days before the hearing, and a request for a jury trial at least 7 days before, which moves the case out of small claims.

Settling before the hearing

If you settle, both sides sign a Small Claims Settlement Agreement (AOC-199) and file it with the clerk.

Get any settlement in writing, signed by both sides, with the amount and payment date.

Line up your witnesses

A witness who saw what happened is stronger than a written statement; some judges won't accept letters.

Ask the circuit court clerk to issue a subpoena for a witness who won't come voluntarily.

Prepare your file

• Three copies of every document: for you, the judge and the defendant
• A one-page timeline of what happened, with dates
• A short sheet showing how you calculated the amount
• Photos printed or ready on your phone (ask the clerk if screens are allowed)

On the day

• A judge decides the case; there's no jury in small claims
• Arrive 30 minutes early and check in with the clerk or bailiff
• Bring three copies of every document and your evidence in date order
• Bring your witnesses, or a subpoena if they won't come voluntarily
• Turn your phone to silent; dress neatly

Tell your story

Speak to the judge, not the other side. Stay calm, answer the question asked, and don't interrupt.

If someone doesn't show up

If the defendant doesn't come, you can get a default judgment for the amount you proved plus costs. If you don't come, your case can be dismissed.

Know the appeal rules

Either side can appeal to Circuit Court within 10 days after the judgment is entered, and must then file a written statement of appeal within 30 days. This is not a new trial: the judge reviews the record and you can't add new evidence. There is a fee to appeal.

Collect your money

The court doesn't collect for you. Starting 10 days after judgment you can garnish wages or a bank account, ask the sheriff to seize property, or record a judgment lien. Small claims judgments can be enforced for 15 years.

Close the case once you're paid

Keep proof of every payment. When you're paid in full, tell the court; some courts require a satisfaction-of-judgment form.