A landlord kept your deposit, a contractor walked off the job, a dry cleaner ruined your coat. In Maine you can sue for up to $10,000 in the Maine District Court (small claims), without hiring a lawyer. Check your case below, then follow six steps.
Answer a few questions. The result updates as you type.
Maine doesn't require a demand letter, but the court encourages you to try to settle first. A short, dated demand letter is the best proof. Use the generator below and keep a copy.
The District Court where the events happened, where the defendant lives or has its main place of business, or where a company's registered agent is located.
Statement of Claim. The clerk mails both sides the hearing date; small claims are usually heard faster than regular civil cases.
$70 to file (this includes a mediation fee). Service costs extra: about $15 per defendant if the clerk mails it, or the sheriff's own fee. If you can't afford it, ask for a fee waiver: Application to Proceed without Payment of Fees (form CV-067).
You can use the sheriff, certified mail (restricted delivery, return receipt), first-class mail with an acknowledgment form (SC-005), or, if you file fewer than three cases a month, have the clerk mail it (SC-006). If you serve the papers yourself first, file the Statement of Claim, proof of service and fee within 20 days after service is complete.
Bring receipts, photos, texts, the contract and your demand letter, with three copies of each. The court doesn't collect for you. If they don't pay, ask for a disclosure hearing where the debtor must explain income and assets; the judge can order payments, and later steps include wage withholding and civil arrest.
Want every detail? The full filing guide walks you through all 7 stages, from finding the defendant's legal name to collecting your money, with a checklist.
Open the filing guideFill in the details, then download the letter as a PDF or Word file, or copy the text. Send it by certified mail or email so you can prove the date.
Miss this date and the court will dismiss your case, however strong it is. Most civil claims in Maine have a 6-year deadline. Fraud may run from when you discovered it.
| Type of claim | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Broken written contract (lease, invoice, signed agreement) | 6 years |
| Broken verbal agreement | 6 years |
| Damaged property | 6 years |
| Personal injury | 6 years |
| Fraud | 6 years |
| Libel or slander | 2 years |
| Claims against a government agency | You can't bring a personal injury claim against a city or town in small claims court. Claims against Maine government bodies need a written notice of claim within 365 days. |
Yes. You can bring a lawyer or represent yourself. A company can send an employee, officer or member. Friends and family can't help you at the hearing.
Since January 1, 2026 you can sue for up to $10,000, not counting interest and costs (it was $6,000 before). Disputes over title to land, personal injury claims against a city or town, and some consumer debt collection cases can't be brought. Winning bars you from suing again for the same facts. Otherwise, you can give up the amount above the limit, or file a regular civil case where the rules are stricter.
Either side can appeal to Superior Court within 30 days using form SC-007 and paying a fee. A plaintiff can appeal only on legal mistakes; a defendant can also appeal on the facts and ask for a jury trial for an extra fee.
Free. Ask the clerk's office before the hearing.