Nassau County Small Claims Court: How to File (and What It Really Costs)
To file in Nassau County small claims court, go to the District Court at 99 Main Street, Second Floor, in Hempstead. Fill out a Small Claims Complaint, pay the fee ($15 for claims up to $1,000, $20 for claims over $1,000), and pick day or night court. The most you can sue for is $5,000. The court clerk mails the notice to the defendant for you, so you never pay a process server. You can also file by mail.
That is the short version. The rest of this guide covers the parts that trip people up: which of the three Nassau courthouses to use, what the fees really add up to, how night court works, and what to do when you win but the other side still won't pay.
Nassau County small claims court: quick facts
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Most you can sue for | $5,000 (District Court and City Courts) |
| Filing fee | $15 up to $1,000, $20 over $1,000 |
| Main courthouse | District Court, 99 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Hempstead, NY 11550 |
| Phone | 516-493-4113 (civil), 516-493-4125 (Small Claims Department) |
| Who serves the defendant | The court clerk, by mail. You pay nothing extra. |
| Night court | Yes. Once a week in Hempstead at 6:00 p.m. |
One thing to know up front. You may see articles saying New York small claims goes up to $10,000. That is New York City only. In Nassau County the limit is $5,000. The rules for the rest of the state are in our New York small claims guide. Our state-by-state limit guide breaks down how the limits work everywhere else.
What Nassau County small claims court can hear
Small claims is for money. Nothing else. The judge can order someone to pay you. The judge cannot order someone to finish your deck, return your dog, or apologize.
| Claim | Small claims? |
|---|---|
| Landlord kept your security deposit | Yes |
| Contractor took your money and vanished | Yes |
| Friend won't repay a loan | Yes |
| Mechanic damaged your car | Yes |
| Client never paid your invoice | Yes, if you sue as an individual |
| You want someone forced to do something | No. Money judgments only |
| Pain and suffering | No |
| Claims over $5,000 | No. Regular District Court civil part handles up to $15,000 |
Owed more than $5,000? You have two choices. Sue for exactly $5,000 in small claims and give up the rest. Or file a regular civil case, which costs more and moves slower. You cannot split one $8,000 claim into two smaller cases. The court will catch it.
Which Nassau courthouse handles your case
Nassau County has three small claims locations, and the right one depends on the defendant, not on you.
| Court | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Nassau County District Court | 99 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Hempstead, NY 11550 | 516-493-4113 |
| Long Beach City Court | One West Chester Street, Long Beach, NY 11561 | 516-442-8544 |
| Glen Cove City Court | 13 Glen Street, Glen Cove, NY 11542 | 516-403-2441 |
Here is the sorting rule. If the defendant lives, works, or has a business in Long Beach, file at Long Beach City Court. Same idea for Glen Cove. Everyone else in Nassau County goes through the District Court in Hempstead.
There are also dozens of village courts in Nassau that hear small claims, but their limit is only $3,000. If your claim is over $3,000, skip the village court and file in Hempstead.
One more rule that surprises people. The defendant must live, work, or have a place of business in Nassau County. It is not enough that the bad thing happened here. There is one exception: if you are suing your landlord about a rental unit in Nassau, you can file here even if the landlord lives somewhere else.
How to file in Nassau County small claims court, step by step
- Ask for the money first. Send a written demand before you file. A demand letter shows the judge you tried to fix this like an adult, and it becomes Exhibit A at your hearing. About 70% of demand letters get results without anyone seeing a courtroom.
- Get the defendant's exact legal name. For a business, search the New York Department of State Corporation and Business Entity Database. "Tony's Paving" might really be "Anthony Paving Group LLC." Sue the wrong name and your judgment can be very hard to collect. No P.O. boxes. You need a street address.
- Fill out the Small Claims Complaint. It asks for the date of the event, the amount you want, the type of dispute, and a short statement of what happened. Do not attach your evidence. The court's own instruction sheet says to keep it for the hearing.
- Pick day or night court. Write your choice on top of the claim form. Day calendars are called at 9:30 a.m. Night court runs once a week at 6:00 p.m. in Hempstead.
- Pay the fee. $15 if you are asking for $1,000 or less, $20 if you are asking for more. The clerk takes cash, debit, Mastercard, Visa, certified check, postal money order, or bank check payable to "Nassau County District Court." No personal checks.
- File in person or by mail. In person: 99 Main Street, Second Floor, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Get there before 4:30. By mail: send the signed complaint, the fee, and a self-addressed stamped envelope to the Small Claims Department at the same address. Call 516-493-4125 first to confirm what they need.
- Save your index number. The court assigns one when it accepts your case, along with your hearing date. Keep every paper the court sends you.
Nassau County small claims filing fees (the real numbers)
These come straight from the court's official fee schedule, not from a lawyer ad.
| Filing | Fee |
|---|---|
| Small claim up to $1,000 | $15 |
| Small claim over $1,000 (up to $5,000) | $20 |
| Counterclaim to a small claim | $5 plus postage |
| Commercial claim, one defendant | $34.60 |
| Each extra commercial claim defendant | $9.60 |
| Jury trial demand (defendant only) | $70 plus a $50 deposit |
| Notice of appeal | $30 |
| Information subpoena | $3 |
Do the math on that. Suing for $5,000 costs you $20. That is 0.4% of your claim. In some counties we've covered, like Cook County, the same filing runs a few hundred dollars. Nassau is one of the cheapest places in America to stand up for yourself. Our full cost-to-sue breakdown compares fees across the country.
Can't afford the fee? Ask the clerk about a fee waiver. New York calls it Poor Person Relief. The name is ugly but the savings are real.
The court serves the defendant for you
This is the part of New York small claims that people from other states do not believe. You do not hire a process server. You do not chase anyone through a parking lot with papers. The clerk mails the notice of claim to the defendant twice: once by certified mail and once by regular first-class mail.
If the regular mail does not come back as undeliverable within 21 days, the court treats the defendant as served. Even if the certified letter sits unclaimed at the post office. For consumer transaction cases the window is 30 days.
There is a catch, and it has a clock on it. If the mail fails and nobody can serve the defendant in person within 4 months of filing, the court dismisses the case without prejudice. You can refile, but you are back at the start. If the clerk's mailing fails, you can have any adult who is not part of the case hand the papers to the defendant. Our guide on serving court papers covers how that works.
The lesson: give the court a good address. A current street address where the defendant actually lives or works is worth more than anything else on the form.
Night court is real, and it is once a week
Most courts assume you can skip work on a Tuesday morning. Nassau does not. The District Court in Hempstead runs night court once a week starting at 6:00 p.m.
Two rules. First, you must file at the Hempstead courthouse to get night court. Long Beach and Glen Cove do not offer it. Second, you have to ask for it when you file. Write "NIGHT" on top of your claim form. Miss that step and you are on the 9:30 a.m. calendar with everyone else.
If you work hourly, this one detail can save you a day's pay. Almost nobody writes about it.
What happens at the hearing
On your court date, you will be offered a choice: a judge or an arbitrator. The arbitrator is usually an experienced lawyer, the line is shorter, and the process feels less formal. But there is a trade. Arbitrator decisions cannot be appealed. A judge's decision can be appealed within 30 days.
If your evidence is strong, the arbitrator is often the faster path to the same result. If the case is close, some people prefer the judge and keep the appeal option. Either way, show up with three copies of everything: the contract, the texts, the photos, the demand letter, the receipts. Print your screenshots. Judges do not squint at phones. Our courtroom prep guide walks through the whole hearing minute by minute.
A few things that can happen along the way:
- Counterclaim. The defendant can sue you back for up to $5,000 in the same case. They pay $5 plus postage and must file within 5 days of getting your notice, or raise it on trial day. If they surprise you at trial, you can ask for a postponement to prepare.
- Jury demand. Rare, but a defendant can demand one. It costs them $70 plus a $50 deposit, and they must swear in a notarized affidavit that a real question of fact exists. The $50 goes to whoever wins.
- Adjournments. Requests must be in writing. The court will not take them by phone.
- No-shows. If the defendant skips, you can win by default. If you skip, your case gets dismissed. Getting sued yourself? Read our guide on what to do if someone sues you.
Suing a business, or suing as a business
Suing a business is normal small claims. Just name it correctly. Check the state database, get the exact LLC or corporation name, and list a real Nassau address where it operates. If the business runs under a trade name, the Nassau County Clerk's office can help you find who is behind the DBA. More on that in our guide to suing a corporation.
Suing as a business is different. Corporations, LLCs, associations, and assignees cannot use regular small claims here. They file a commercial claim instead. The rules get stricter:
- The fee is $34.60 for one defendant, plus $9.60 for each extra defendant.
- For consumer transactions, you must send a demand letter at least 10 days before filing, but not more than 180 days before. You certify to the court that you sent it.
- No entity can file more than 5 commercial claims statewide per calendar month.
Yes, you read that right. For businesses, New York makes the demand letter mandatory. The courts figured out what we tell people every day: most disputes end when a serious written demand shows up.
You won. Now collect.
Winning gets you a judgment, not a check. The debtor has 30 days to pay after getting notice of the judgment. If they do not, New York hands you a serious toolbox, and your judgment stays alive for 20 years while collecting 9% interest per year.
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
| Information subpoena ($3) | Forces the debtor, their bank, or their boss to reveal where the money is |
| Income execution | The Sheriff garnishes a slice of the debtor's paycheck, typically 10% of gross wages |
| Property execution | The Sheriff levies a bank account or seizes property, like a car |
| Judgment lien | Attach the judgment to real estate so it must be paid on sale or refinance |
The enforcement officer for most of Nassau County is the Nassau County Sheriff at 240 Old Country Road, Mineola, NY 11501, phone 516-571-2113. The Sheriff keeps 5% of what gets collected, and you can add that cost to what the debtor owes.
New York also gives you pressure tools most states do not have:
- Driver's license suspension. If your case was about the debtor's car or driving, a judgment of $1,000 or more that goes unpaid for 15 days can get their license and registration suspended by the DMV until they pay.
- Business license complaints. If a licensed business ignores your judgment for 35 days after notice, you can report it to the licensing agency, which can suspend or refuse to renew the license.
- Treble damages. A debtor with 3 or more unpaid recorded judgments who can pay but won't? You may be able to sue them again for 3 times your original judgment.
Our full guide on collecting a small claims judgment covers each move in order.
Five mistakes that sink Nassau small claims cases
- Wrong defendant name. Suing "Joe's Auto" when the entity is "JGA Automotive Corp" makes your judgment nearly worthless. Look it up before you file.
- Bad address. The clerk's mailed service only works if the address does. A stale address burns your 4-month clock.
- Suing here when the defendant has no Nassau connection. If they live and work in Queens, Nassau is the wrong county. File where they are.
- Skipping the demand letter. It is optional for individuals, but it settles most disputes before court and makes you look reasonable to the judge.
- Suing a town or county agency without notice. Government defendants require a notice of claim within 90 days, a 30-day wait, and a filing within 1 year and 90 days. Miss the 90-day notice by one day and the case can be dismissed.
FAQ: Nassau County small claims court
How much can you sue for in Nassau County small claims court?
$5,000 in the District Court and the Long Beach and Glen Cove City Courts. Village courts in Nassau top out at $3,000. The $10,000 limit you may have read about applies only to New York City.
How much does it cost to file?
$15 for claims of $1,000 or less, $20 for claims over $1,000. Businesses filing commercial claims pay $34.60 for one defendant. Fee waivers are available if you cannot afford it.
Can I file a Nassau County small claim online?
No. There is no public e-filing for Nassau small claims. You file in person at 99 Main Street in Hempstead or by mail to the Small Claims Department. Call 516-493-4125 before mailing to confirm the current requirements.
What forms do I need?
The Small Claims Complaint is the main form. There is also a counterclaim form, an additional parties form, and a subpoena application. Businesses use the separate commercial claims forms, which include the demand letter and its certification. All of them are on the Nassau District Court's case types page or at the clerk's window.
Does Nassau County have night court for small claims?
Yes. Once a week at the Hempstead courthouse starting at 6:00 p.m. You must request it when you file by writing your choice of day or night court on top of the claim form.
How is the defendant served in Nassau small claims?
The court clerk mails the notice by certified mail and regular first-class mail. If the regular mail is not returned as undeliverable within 21 days, the defendant is considered served. No process server needed unless the mail fails.
What if the person I'm suing doesn't live in Nassau County?
You generally cannot sue them here. The defendant must live, work, or have a business in Nassau County. Sue in their county instead, or use the rental property exception if you are suing a landlord over a Nassau unit.
Can I appeal if I lose?
If a judge decided your case, yes, file a notice of appeal within 30 days ($30 fee). If you chose the arbitrator, no. Arbitrator decisions are final.
Before you spend the $20
Here is the honest truth about Nassau small claims: most cases never need the courtroom. The person ignoring your texts gets a formal demand on real letterhead, realizes you are not letting it slide, and suddenly finds their checkbook. That is why New York forces businesses to send a demand letter before filing. It works.
PettyLawsuit sends your demand letter instantly with certified mail tracking, then keeps the pressure on with phone calls, follow-up emails, and a Final Notice if they stall. We've helped with 5,000+ cases, and about 70% resolve without anyone stepping into 99 Main Street. If yours doesn't, you'll walk into that Hempstead courtroom with a paper trail a judge will love.
Someone in Nassau County owes you money? Don't let it slide.