Diminished value rules by state
All 51 US jurisdictions in one table: whether a diminished value claim is recognised, how long you have to bring one, and which court hears it. Every row is checked against the statute or the court's own rules.
Last verified September 13, 2026
| State | Claim recognised? | Time limit | Small claims court | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | RecognisedCourts here have supported the claim. | 2 years2y AS 09.10.070 | Small Claims (District Court, heard by a magistrate judge) | $10,000 |
| Alabama | Recognised, with conditionsSupported, but how you frame it matters. | 2 years2y § 6-2-38(l) | Small Claims Court (a division of the District Court) | $6,000 |
| Arkansas | Recognised, with conditionsSupported, but how you frame it matters. | 3 years3y § 16-56-105 | Small Claims Division of the District Court | $5,000 |
| Arizona | RecognisedCourts here have supported the claim. | 2 years2y § 12-542 | Small Claims Division of the Justice Court | $5,000 |
| California | Recognised, with conditionsSupported, but how you frame it matters. | 3 years3y CCP § 338(c)(1) | Small Claims Division of the Superior Court | $12,500 (a company or other entity may claim only $6,250) |
| Colorado | RecognisedCourts here have supported the claim. | 3 years3y § 13-80-101(1)(n) | Small Claims Court (a division of the County Court) | $7,500 |
| Connecticut | Not offeredWe do not sell reports for this state. | 2 years2y § 52-584 | Small Claims (Superior Court) | $5,000 ($15,000 for a home improvement contract) |
| District of Columbia | RecognisedCourts here have supported the claim. | 3 years3y § 12-301(8) | Small Claims and Conciliation Branch of the Superior Court | $10,000 |
| Delaware | Reports not sold yetWe are still reviewing this state. | 2 years2y 10 Del. C. § 8107 | Justice of the Peace Court | $25,000 |
| Florida | Reports not sold yetWe are still reviewing this state. | 2 years2y § 95.11(3) (was 4y before 3/24/2023) | County Court, small claims | $8,000 |
| Georgia | RecognisedCourts here have supported the claim. | 4 years4y § 9-3-32 | Magistrate Court | $15,000 |
| Hawaii | Recognised, with conditionsSupported, but how you frame it matters. | 2 years2y § 657-7 | Small Claims Division of the District Court | $5,000 (no limit for a residential security deposit) |
| Iowa | Recognised, with conditionsSupported, but how you frame it matters. | 5 years5y § 614.1(4) | Small Claims (District Court, heard by a magistrate) | $6,500 |
| Idaho | Recognised, with conditionsSupported, but how you frame it matters. | 3 years3y § 5-218 | Small Claims Department of the Magistrate Division | $15,000 |
| Illinois | RecognisedCourts here have supported the claim. | 5 years5y 735 ILCS 5/13-205 | Circuit Court, small claims | $10,000 |
| Indiana | RecognisedCourts here have supported the claim. | 2 years2y § 34-11-2-4 | Small claims docket of the Circuit or Superior Court (Marion County: Small Claims Court) | $10,000 |
| Kansas | RecognisedCourts here have supported the claim. | 2 years2y § 60-513 | Small Claims (District Court) | $10,000 |
| Kentucky | Recognised, with conditionsSupported, but how you frame it matters. | 2 years2y KRS 413.125 | Small Claims Division of the District Court | $2,500 |
| Louisiana | Recognised, with conditionsSupported, but how you frame it matters. | 2 years2y art. 3493.11 (1y before 7/1/2024) | Small Claims Division of the City Court | $5,000 |
| Massachusetts | Not offeredWe do not sell reports for this state. | 3 years3y ch. 260 § 2A | Small Claims Session of the District Court, Boston Municipal Court or Housing Court | $7,000, except that the cap does not apply to property damage caused by a motor vehicle |
| Maryland | RecognisedCourts here have supported the claim. | 3 years3y CJP § 5-101 | District Court of Maryland, small claim | $5,000 |
| Maine | Recognised, with conditionsSupported, but how you frame it matters. | 6 years6y 14 M.R.S. § 752 | Small Claims (District Court) | $10,000 (since January 1, 2026) |
| Michigan | Not offeredWe do not sell reports for this state. | 3 years3y § 600.5805 | Small Claims Division of the District Court | $7,000 |
| Minnesota | Recognised, with conditionsSupported, but how you frame it matters. | 6 years6y § 541.05 | Conciliation Court | $20,000 ($4,000 for a consumer credit claim) |
| Missouri | RecognisedCourts here have supported the claim. | 5 years5y § 516.120 | Small Claims Court (Circuit Court, associate division) | $5,000 |
| Mississippi | Recognised, with conditionsSupported, but how you frame it matters. | 3 years3y § 15-1-49 | Justice Court | $3,500 |
| Montana | Recognised, with conditionsSupported, but how you frame it matters. | 2 years2y § 27-2-207 | Small Claims Court (Justice Court or City Court) | $7,000 |
| North Carolina | Reports not sold yetWe are still reviewing this state. | 3 years3y § 1-52 | Small Claims Court (a magistrate of the District Court Division) | up to $10,000, set county by county; some counties stop at $5,000 |
| North Dakota | Not offeredWe do not sell reports for this state. | 6 years6y § 28-01-16 | Small Claims Court (District Court) | $15,000 |
| Nebraska | Not offeredWe do not sell reports for this state. | 4 years4y § 25-207 | Small Claims Court (a division of the County Court) | $7,500 (since July 1, 2025) |
| New Hampshire | RecognisedCourts here have supported the claim. | 3 years3y RSA 508:4 | Small Claims (Circuit Court, District Division) | $10,000 (a claim over $5,000 goes to mandatory mediation) |
| New Jersey | RecognisedCourts here have supported the claim. | 6 years6y § 2A:14-1 | Small Claims section of the Special Civil Part (Superior Court, Law Division) | $5,000 |
| New Mexico | RecognisedCourts here have supported the claim. | 4 years4y § 37-1-4 | Magistrate Court (Metropolitan Court in Bernalillo County) | $10,000 |
| Nevada | Not offeredWe do not sell reports for this state. | 3 years3y NRS 11.190 | Small Claims (Justice Court) | $10,000 |
| New York | Not offeredWe do not sell reports for this state. | 3 years3y CPLR 214 | Small Claims Court (New York City Civil Court, a City Court, or a Town or Village Justice Court) | $10,000 in New York City; $5,000 in a City Court and in Nassau and Suffolk; $3,000 in a Town or Village Court |
| Ohio | Recognised, with conditionsSupported, but how you frame it matters. | 2 years2y § 2305.10 | Small Claims Division of the Municipal or County Court | $6,000 |
| Oklahoma | RecognisedCourts here have supported the claim. | 2 years2y tit. 12 § 95 | Small claims (District Court) | $10,000 |
| Oregon | Not offeredWe do not sell reports for this state. | 6 years6y § 12.080 | Small Claims department of the Circuit Court | $10,000 (a claim of $750 or less must be filed as a small claim) |
| Pennsylvania | Recognised, with conditionsSupported, but how you frame it matters. | 2 years2y 42 Pa.C.S. § 5524 | Magisterial District Court | $12,000 |
| Rhode Island | Reports not sold yetWe are still reviewing this state. | 10 years10y § 9-1-13 | Small Claims (District Court) | $5,000 |
| South Carolina | Reports not sold yetWe are still reviewing this state. | 3 years3y § 15-3-530 | Magistrate Court | $7,500 |
| South Dakota | Recognised, with conditionsSupported, but how you frame it matters. | 6 years6y § 15-2-13 | Small Claims (Magistrate Court) | $12,000 |
| Tennessee | Recognised, with conditionsSupported, but how you frame it matters. | 3 years3y § 28-3-105 | General Sessions Court | $25,000 in most counties; a few large counties differ under private acts |
| Texas | Recognised, with conditionsSupported, but how you frame it matters. | 2 years2y CPRC § 16.003 | Justice Court (justice of the peace) | $20,000 |
| Utah | RecognisedCourts here have supported the claim. | 3 years3y § 78B-2-305 | Small Claims (a division of the Justice Court and the District Court) | $20,000 (January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2029) |
| Virginia | Recognised, with conditionsSupported, but how you frame it matters. | 5 years5y § 8.01-243(B) | Small Claims Division of the General District Court | $5,000 |
| Vermont | RecognisedCourts here have supported the claim. | 3 years3y 12 V.S.A. § 512 | Small Claims (Superior Court, Civil Division) | $10,000 ($5,000 for consumer credit or medical debt) |
| Washington | RecognisedCourts here have supported the claim. | 3 years3y RCW 4.16.080 | Small Claims Department of the District Court | $10,000 for an individual; $5,000 for a company or other entity |
| Wisconsin | RecognisedCourts here have supported the claim. | 3 years3y § 893.52(2) (auto, post-2016) | Small Claims (Circuit Court) | $10,000, but a claim in tort (which is what a third-party diminished value claim is) is limited to $5,000 |
| West Virginia | Recognised, with conditionsSupported, but how you frame it matters. | 2 years2y § 55-2-12 | Magistrate Court | $20,000 |
| Wyoming | Recognised, with conditionsSupported, but how you frame it matters. | 4 years4y § 1-3-105 | Circuit Court, small claims | $6,000 |
These are general limitation periods for property damage, not advice about a particular claim. Circumstances can change when a period starts or pause it once running. Work out the date for your own accident. This page is general information, not legal advice.