Ontario's Small Claims Court can hear claims up to $50,000, excluding interest and costs, effective October 1, 2025 under Ontario Regulation 42/25. This limit applies to the amount you are claiming, not necessarily what you ultimately recover. If your claim is worth more than $50,000, you can either cap your claim at $50,000 and abandon the excess, or pursue the full amount in Superior Court, including under the Simplified Procedure for claims up to $200,000.
- Small Claims Court's monetary limit is $50,000, excluding interest and costs, effective October 1, 2025 under Ontario Regulation 42/25.
- The limit is based on the amount you are claiming, not the amount you are ultimately awarded.
- You cannot combine multiple separate claims against the same defendant just to stay under, or exceed, the limit strategically.
- If your claim exceeds $50,000, you can cap it at that amount and abandon the rest, or sue in Superior Court instead.
- Superior Court's Simplified Procedure is available for claims up to $200,000 and offers a streamlined process similar in spirit to Small Claims Court.
- A defendant's counterclaim is also subject to the same $50,000 limit, regardless of the size of the original claim.
The Short Answer
Ontario's Small Claims Court can hear claims up to $50,000, excluding interest and costs, effective October 1, 2025 under Ontario Regulation 42/25. This is the current monetary jurisdiction for the court — the maximum amount a claim can seek in order to be heard there at all.
What Counts Toward the Limit
The limit applies to the principal amount you are claiming — the actual debt, damages, or value in dispute. Interest and legal costs are calculated separately and are not counted against the $50,000 cap, meaning your final award can, in practice, exceed $50,000 once interest and costs are added.
Claimed Amount vs. Amount Awarded
The limit is based on what you claim, not necessarily what the court ultimately awards. You must file your claim within the $50,000 limit from the outset — you cannot file for a larger amount and simply accept a reduced award. If it turns out your damages are worth less than you claimed, that is a normal part of litigation; if they are worth more, you generally cannot recover the excess in the same Small Claims Court proceeding.
If Your Claim Is Worth More Than $50,000
You can cap your claim at $50,000, formally abandoning the excess, and proceed in Small Claims Court's faster, less expensive process. Or you can pursue the full amount in Superior Court, which has no dollar limit but is generally more formal, slower, and costlier to litigate.
Which option makes more sense depends on how much you are giving up by capping your claim, how strong your case is, and how much additional cost and time a Superior Court action would realistically involve.
Superior Court's Simplified Procedure
For claims that exceed the Small Claims Court limit but are not enormous, Simplified Procedure offers a middle path — a streamlined Superior Court process, generally available for claims up to $200,000, that is less formal and typically faster than a standard Superior Court action, while allowing you to pursue the full amount you are owed.
Can You Combine Claims to Get Around the Limit?
You cannot artificially divide a single claim against the same defendant into multiple smaller claims to stay under the $50,000 limit. Courts can combine such claims or dismiss the strategy, so this is not a viable way to keep a large claim in Small Claims Court.
Choosing the Right Court for Your Claim
Getting this decision right at the outset matters — filing in the wrong court, or capping a claim unnecessarily, can cost you money you were legally entitled to recover. A short conversation with a lawyer before you file can clarify exactly where your claim belongs. Call 416-274-2222 for a free consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
$50,000, excluding interest and costs, effective October 1, 2025 under Ontario Regulation 42/25.
No. The $50,000 limit applies to the principal amount claimed — interest and costs are calculated and awarded separately, on top of the limit.
You have two main options: cap your claim at $50,000 and formally abandon the excess amount, keeping your case in Small Claims Court, or pursue the full amount in Superior Court, which has no dollar limit.
No — you must claim within the $50,000 limit at the outset. You cannot file a claim for more than the limit and expect the court to simply award up to the maximum.
Simplified Procedure is a streamlined process within the Superior Court of Justice for claims generally between $35,000 and $200,000, offering a faster, less formal alternative to a full Superior Court action, without the $50,000 cap of Small Claims Court.
No. Courts do not permit artificially splitting a single claim into multiple smaller claims against the same defendant to avoid the monetary limit — this can result in the claims being combined or dismissed.
Yes. A defendant's counterclaim is also capped at $50,000, even if the original claim against them was for a different amount.