Small claims limit in South Carolina: $7,500

The rule in South Carolina

The small claims limit in South Carolina is $7,500. The rule is S.C. Code § 22-3-10; the South Carolina Legislature, Title 22 Chapter 3 puts it this way: “if the sum claimed does not exceed seven thousand five hundred dollars”. The court that hears these cases: Magistrate court.

Among the 51 jurisdictions with a verified figure on this site, South Carolina ranks 30th from the top. That is $2,500 below the median of $10,000. It is 3 times Kentucky's $2,500 floor and 30% of the $25,000 top figure. Colorado and Nebraska use the same $7,500 figure.

Next door, Georgia allows $15,000 and North Carolina allows $10,000. Georgia goes $7,500 further, so a dispute worth $15,000 could stay in small claims there but not in South Carolina.

Worked check against the $7,500 figure: a $3,800 claim uses 51% of the limit and leaves $3,700 of room; a claim of exactly $7,500 still fits, because the rule caps the amount rather than excluding it; a claim of $7,501 is $1 over.

The source checked for South Carolina does not publish a statewide filing fee, so this page shows none; the clerk of the court where the case is filed posts the current amount.

Deposit disputes are a common small claims case. South Carolina sets no cap on deposits (deposit rules), so a deposit larger than $7,500 could not be claimed in full in small claims; the landlord's return deadline there is 30 days.

Source: South Carolina Legislature, Title 22 Chapter 3 · S.C. Code § 22-3-10 · last checked October 20, 2026.

Where the case goes

A claim within the limit is filed with the Magistrate court. The linked source is the place to confirm forms, the filing fee and where to file before starting; the guides on filing a small claims case and serving the papers explain the usual steps in general terms.