An act to amend Sections 116.220, 116.221, and 116.231 of the Code of Civil Procedure, relating to small claims court.
AB 1827 would expand California small claims court jurisdiction by raising the general monetary limit for qualifying small claims actions from $12,500 to $15,000. It also updates related provisions so that natural persons may bring claims up to that amount, and it preserves existing special rules for certain guarantor actions, attorney fee disputes, writs of possession, unsecured personal property taxes, and claims filed by incarcerated plaintiffs against the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, including the requirement to exhaust administrative remedies before filing.
The bill also changes the filing cap for higher-value small claims cases. Under current law, a person may file no more than two such actions per calendar year; AB 1827 would increase that limit to three, while keeping the declaration requirement for filings over $2,500. The bill retains the special exemption for local public entities filing claims of $5,000 or less and the rule that such cases must be transferred out of small claims if the defendant is represented by counsel.
AB 1827 would amend Sections 116.220, 116.221, and 116.231 of the Code of Civil Procedure, directly changing the jurisdictional amount and filing limits in California small claims court. The practical effect would be to allow more disputes involving individuals and modest-dollar claims to be heard in the simplified small claims forum, potentially reducing the need for limited civil filings for claims between $12,500 and $15,000. It would also modestly expand access for repeat filers by increasing the annual cap on small claims actions over $2,500 from two to three, while leaving most existing procedural safeguards and exceptions in place.
The available legislative history suggests broad support for the bill at the committee stage. It passed the relevant committee unanimously, with 12 ayes and 0 noes on the recorded vote, and was reported out with a do-pass recommendation before being re-referred to Appropriations. The absence of recorded opposition or committee testimony in the provided materials indicates the measure was not especially controversial in committee, at least at this stage.
The main policy questions raised by the bill are the higher jurisdictional ceiling and the increased number of allowable filings for claims over $2,500. Supporters would likely view these changes as improving access to a faster, less formal, and less expensive court process for consumers and other natural persons. Potential concerns center on whether raising the limit to $15,000 could increase small claims caseloads or encourage more complex disputes to be handled without attorneys, and whether increasing the annual filing cap from two to three could make repeated use of small claims court easier for frequent litigants. The bill also preserves special treatment for local public entities and incarcerated plaintiffs, which narrows the scope of any dispute over the new limits.