Ohio Rev. Code » Chapter 1925
Ohio Revised Code

Ohio Rev. Code § 1925.01 (2026)

Small claims division established

✓ current as of May 2026
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Effective:
October 17, 1996
Latest Legislation:
House Bill 377 - 121st General Assembly
PDF:
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(A) Each municipal and county court shall establish a small claims division.

(B) Proceedings in the small claims division of a municipal court or a county court may be conducted by a magistrate appointed by the court. The magistrate shall be a person admitted to the practice of law in this state and shall receive the annual compensation that the court prescribes. In the case of a municipal court magistrate, the compensation shall be payable from the same sources and in the same manner as provided in section 1901.11 of the Revised Code. A part-time village solicitor or city director of law or part-time assistant village solicitor or city director of law of any municipal corporation may be appointed as a magistrate, serve in any case in which the municipal corporation is not an interested party, and receive the prescribed compensation.

(C) Except in the Cleveland municipal court, the court may appoint an administrative assistant for the small claims division, who shall perform the duties that are assigned by the court. In the Cleveland municipal court, the clerk of the court is the administrative assistant for the small claims division and shall perform the duties in that capacity that are assigned by the court.

(D) The appearance of an attorney at law on behalf of any party is permitted but not required. Notice to the attorney of record for a party is equivalent to notice to the party.

(E) The court may establish, by rule, procedures for hearing actions in the small claims division during evening hours on one weekday, or on Saturday. A division that has established voluntary conciliation procedures under section 1925.03 of the Revised Code may devote a portion of its evening or Saturday hours to conciliation procedures.

(F) A municipal or county court that has over two hundred fifty thousand persons within its territorial jurisdiction may establish neighborhood offices of the small claims division and may establish, by rule, times and procedures for holding sessions of the division at the neighborhood offices. If neighborhood offices are established, the legislative authority of the municipal court establishing the office, as defined in section 1901.03 of the Revised Code, and the board of county commissioners of the county in which the county court establishing the office is located may provide suitable accommodations and facilities for the neighborhood offices, as provided in sections 1901.36 and 1907.19 of the Revised Code.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 20 cases (8 in the last 5 years), 1983–2025 · leading case: Cleveland Bar Ass'n v. Pearlman, 106 Ohio St. 3d 136 (Ohio 2005).
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Cleveland Bar Ass'n v. Pearlman, 106 Ohio St. 3d 136 (Ohio 2005). “Claims for punitive damages, exemplary damages, and prejudgment attachment are not permitted.”
Auto Loan, Inc. v. Sisler, 2022 Ohio 3282 (Ohio Ct. App. 2022). · cites it 2× “02(A)(1) states: {¶19} Except as provided in division (A)(2) of this section, a small claims division established under section 1925.01 of the Revised Code has jurisdiction in civil actions for the recovery of taxes and money only, for amounts not exceeding six thousand dollars,…”
Watkins v. Alwishah, 2021 Ohio 3589 (Ohio Ct. App. 2021). “These courts have limited civil jurisdiction, primarily for the recovery of money damages in amounts not to exceed $6,000. R.C. 1925.02(A)(1).”
Middleton v. Erie Ins., 2022 Ohio 2486 (Ohio Ct. App. 2022). “See R.C. 1925.01 et seq. The Ohio Rules of Civil Procedure only apply in small claims proceedings to the extent that they do not conflict with the provisions of Chapter 1925.”
Slodov v. Eagle Ridge Subdivision Prop. Owners Assn., Inc., 2024 Ohio 143 (Ohio Ct. App. 2024). “R.C.1925.01(D). [* * *] The hearings are simplified, as neither the Ohio Rules of Evidence nor the Ohio Rules of Civil Procedure apply.”
Spellman v. Kirchner, 2020 Ohio 3240 (Ohio Ct. App. 2020). “, citing R.C.1925.01(D). Claims for punitive damages, exemplary damages, and prejudgment attachment are not permitted.”
State ex rel. Williams-Byers v. S. Euclid (Slip Opinion), 2020 Ohio 5534 (Ohio 2020). “Similarly, compensation for the magistrate of the small claims division is governed by R.C. 1925.01(B), which provides: “Proceedings in the small claims division of a municipal court or a county court may be conducted by a magistrate appointed by the court.”
Watson v. Chapman-Bowen, 2014 Ohio 5288 (Ohio Ct. App. 2014). “{¶12} Further, the local rules of the Cleveland Municipal Court regarding “small claims practice” states that “[t]he party objecting to the magistrate’s decision shall file such objections in accordance with Rule 53 of the Ohio Rules of Civil Procedure and pay the necessary…”
Bellbrook Firefighters Assn. v. Haus, 2019 Ohio 3194 (Ohio Ct. App. 2019). “An answer is not contemplated by the small claims statutes, R.C. 1925.01, et seq. Upon initiation of a claim in small claims court, the matter is promptly set for trial.”
McCrown v. Eichenberger, 2022 Ohio 2861 (Ohio Ct. App. 2022). · cites it 2× “{¶21} An answer is not contemplated by the small claims statutes, R.C. 1925.01, et seq. Accordingly, the 28-day answer period is inapplicable.”
Beckett v. Wisniewski, 2009 Ohio 6158 (Ohio Ct. App. 2009). “R.C. 1925.01(D). There is no jury in small claims court.”
Huff v. All Am. Basement Waterproofing & Home Servs., Inc., 943 N.E.2d 626 (Ohio Ct. App. 2010). · cites it 3× “” {¶ 45} Based on R.C. 1925.01, we find that while the small claims division of the Ashland Municipal Court has the power to award monetary damages, it does not have jurisdiction over claims for equitable relief and therefore does not have the power to rescind or cancel a…”
Show all 20 citing cases →
— Ohio Rev. Code § 1925.01(A) — 1 case
Auto Loan, Inc. v. Sisler, 2025 Ohio 606 (Ohio Ct. App. 2025).
— Ohio Rev. Code § 1925.01(B) — 1 case
State ex rel. Williams-Byers v. S. Euclid (Slip Opinion), 2020 Ohio 5534 (Ohio 2020). “Similarly, compensation for the magistrate of the small claims division is governed by R.C. 1925.01(B), which provides: “Proceedings in the small claims division of a municipal court or a county court may be conducted by a magistrate appointed by the court.”
— Ohio Rev. Code § 1925.01(D) — 7 cases
Cleveland Bar Ass'n v. Pearlman, 106 Ohio St. 3d 136 (Ohio 2005). “Claims for punitive damages, exemplary damages, and prejudgment attachment are not permitted.”
Watkins v. Alwishah, 2021 Ohio 3589 (Ohio Ct. App. 2021). “These courts have limited civil jurisdiction, primarily for the recovery of money damages in amounts not to exceed $6,000. R.C. 1925.02(A)(1).”
Slodov v. Eagle Ridge Subdivision Prop. Owners Assn., Inc., 2024 Ohio 143 (Ohio Ct. App. 2024). “R.C.1925.01(D). [* * *] The hearings are simplified, as neither the Ohio Rules of Evidence nor the Ohio Rules of Civil Procedure apply.”
Spellman v. Kirchner, 2020 Ohio 3240 (Ohio Ct. App. 2020). “, citing R.C.1925.01(D). Claims for punitive damages, exemplary damages, and prejudgment attachment are not permitted.”
Beckett v. Wisniewski, 2009 Ohio 6158 (Ohio Ct. App. 2009). “R.C. 1925.01(D). There is no jury in small claims court.”
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