Tennessee: Small Claims Court Dollar Limits

Requirements one by one

Governing law

Tennessee's general sessions civil jurisdiction lives in T.C.A. § 16-15-501, most importantly subsection (d)(1), which sets the $25,000 figure and its two carve-outs. Appeal procedure comes from § 27-5-108 (the 10-day window and de novo standard) and § 16-15-729 (barring dismissal for informality and confirming the de novo trial). Self-representation is governed by the separate § 23-1-109.

Dollar limit

$25,000, covering both legal and equitable claims. This is the same figure regardless of whether the plaintiff is an individual or a business — Tennessee doesn't split the number by plaintiff type. The $25,000 ceiling is measured against the underlying claim, not the full judgment: § 16-15-501(d)(2) says that when a court decides whether a judgment "is within or exceeds" the limit, it does not count "[a]ny amount awarded for attorney fees," "[a]ny court costs," or "[a]ny discretionary costs." So a general sessions judgment can end up larger than $25,000 once fees and costs are added to a $25,000 award, without breaking the jurisdictional limit. Two claim types get unlimited jurisdiction instead of the $25,000 cap: forcible entry and detainer (eviction) actions, and actions to recover personal property (which can include an alternative money judgment for the property's value).

Limit for businesses/entities

The dollar figure itself doesn't change — a business faces the same $25,000 ceiling as an individual. What changes is who can show up: a corporation, LLC, or partnership cannot represent itself. The Tennessee Supreme Court held in Old Hickory Eng'g & Mach. Co. v. Henry that the general self-representation statute doesn't apply to a corporation acting through a non-lawyer officer or shareholder, because the entity is legally separate from the people who run it. A 2026 Court of Appeals decision applied that rule inside general sessions itself, dismissing an entire appeal because an LLC's own member — not a lawyer — had signed the one-page notice of appeal.

Court name and where to file

The "General Sessions Court" — there's no separately named small claims division. It's the same court that handles the county's broader lower-value civil docket (and certain misdemeanor criminal matters), with its power "coextensive with the county."

Can you bring a lawyer?

An individual doesn't need one — § 23-1-109 lets "any person" manage their own case in any Tennessee court. But that right doesn't extend to a business entity: a corporation, LLC, or partnership must be represented by a licensed attorney, full stop, even for something as simple as filing a notice of appeal.

Limit on how many claims you can file

None. A full read of T.C.A. Title 16, Chapter 15's jurisdiction and miscellaneous-provisions parts turns up no cap on how many claims a plaintiff may bring in a given period.

Can you appeal?

Yes, and it's symmetric: "any party may appeal" to the circuit court within 10 days (§ 27-5-108(a)(1)). Unlike some states' record-based appeals, Tennessee's is a genuine do-over — the appeal "shall be heard de novo," including a fresh look at damages, and the higher court can't dismiss the case over an informality in how it was brought up; it must reach the merits (§§ 27-5-108(c), 16-15-729).

What you can sue for

Money damages, but not only that — § 16-15-501(d)(1) covers claims "both law and equity," so equitable relief is available within the general sessions court's jurisdiction. Evictions and personal-property-recovery actions (including a money judgment as an alternative to getting the property back) both carry unlimited jurisdiction regardless of the dollar amount at stake.

What trips people up

A business can lose an entire appeal over who signed the paperwork. A 2026 appellate decision dismissed an LLC's appeal outright because its own member, not a lawyer, filed the notice of appeal — the informal, DIY-friendly reputation of general sessions court doesn't extend to businesses at any stage, including the appeal.

There's no separate "small claims" forum to distinguish from bigger cases. The same General Sessions Court and the same $25,000 figure apply whether the dispute feels small or not; the informality that makes people call it Tennessee's "small claims court" is really just how general sessions procedure works generally.

Evictions and personal-property claims aren't capped at $25,000 even though they run through the same court. Don't assume a case "belongs" in a higher court just because the property or rent at stake is worth more than $25,000 — these two categories have no dollar ceiling here.

Common questions

My LLC wants to sue for $4,000 — can I just show up and represent the company myself? No — Tennessee courts have held a business entity can't proceed pro se through a non-lawyer officer or member, even for a small claim; you'll need to hire a licensed attorney.

I lost my case in general sessions court — can I appeal? Yes, either side can appeal to circuit court within 10 days, and you get an entirely new trial, not just a review of what happened below.

Can I sue for something other than money, like getting my property back? Yes — general sessions court can order equitable relief generally, and actions to recover specific personal property have no dollar limit at all.

Statutes and sources

• T.C.A. § 16-15-501 — "the jurisdiction of courts of general sessions ... shall extend to the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) in all civil cases, both law and equity"; and (d)(2): in testing a judgment against that limit, "the following amounts shall not be included: (A) Any amount awarded for attorney fees; (B) Any court costs assessed by the court; and (C) Any discretionary costs assessed by the court." — https://law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/title-16/chapter-15/part-5/section-16-15-501/ — accessed 2026-07-23
• T.C.A. § 23-1-109 — "Any person may conduct and manage the person's own case in any court of this state." — https://law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/title-23/chapter-1/section-23-1-109/ — accessed 2026-07-09
• Old Hickory Eng'g & Mach. Co. v. Henry, 937 S.W.2d 782 (Tenn. 1996) — "a corporation is an entity separate and distinct from its officers and shareholders, the provision of Tenn.Code Ann. § 23-1-109 ... is not applicable to corporations" — https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/1743624/ — accessed 2026-07-09
• Southern Auto Source Finance, LLC v. Airways Towing & Recovery, LLC, No. W2025-01053-COA-R10-CV (Tenn. Ct. App. June 22, 2026) — "whether a non-attorney individual may file a notice of appeal in the Shelby County General Sessions Court on behalf of a limited liability corporation ... the trial court erred in denying a motion to dismiss" — https://www.tncourts.gov/sites/default/files/OpinionsPDFVersion/W2025-01053-COA-R10-CVOPN.pdf — accessed 2026-07-09
• T.C.A. § 27-5-108 — "Any party may appeal from a decision of the general sessions court to the circuit court of the county within a period of ten (10) days ... Any appeal shall be heard de novo in the circuit court." — https://law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/title-27/chapter-5/section-27-5-108/ — accessed 2026-07-09
• T.C.A. § 16-15-729 — "No civil case, originating in a general sessions court and carried to a higher court, shall be dismissed ... for any informality whatever ... The trial shall be de novo, including damages." — https://unicourt.github.io/cic-code-tn/transforms/tn/octn/r76/gov.tn.tca.title.16.html — accessed 2026-07-09