Small Claims Tribunals checker: limit, filing fee and time limit

Rates and rules this tool uses

• Claim limit: “Claims with a total value not exceeding $20,000 can be heard at the SCT. This limit can be raised to $30,000 if there is a Memorandum of Consent from both parties.” Where a claim exceeds the limit, “you may abandon the excess to enable the SCT to hear your claim”, but “no claim shall be divided into separate SCT proceedings for the sole purpose of bringing the amount claimed for each proceeding within the claim limit.” Singapore Courts: cases eligible for a small claim, read 17 October 2026 (page says “Last updated on 02 June 2026”).
• Time limit: “All SCT claims must be filed within 2 years of the event which creates your cause of action. A cause of action is the set of facts which entitles you to start a court action against another party.” Singapore Courts: cases eligible for a small claim, read 17 October 2026 (page says “Last updated on 02 June 2026”).
• Claims the SCT can and cannot hear: You can file a claim involving a contract for the sale of goods (example: purchase of a TV), a contract for the provision of services (example: renovation contract), a tenancy agreement for residential premises not exceeding 2 years, damage to property not arising from the use of a motor vehicle or caused by a neighbour, a dispute against a supplier for an unfair practice under the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act, or the refund of motor vehicle deposits under its regulations. You cannot file if the claim exceeds $30,000, is filed more than 2 years after the event, is against a respondent located outside Singapore, or involves motor-vehicle property damage, damage caused by a neighbour or employment matters. Tenancy claims do not include the lease of industrial or commercial premises, or a licence of any premises. “The examples in this table are not exhaustive.” Singapore Courts: cases eligible for a small claim, read 17 October 2026 (page says “Last updated on 02 June 2026”).
• Pre-filing assessment and a respondent outside Singapore: Take an online pre-filing assessment on the Community Justice and Tribunals System (CJTS); it “is not conclusive and is not intended to be legal advice”, and you need its pre-filing assessment ID to file a claim. “The tribunal can only hear claims that are served on a respondent in Singapore.” Singapore Courts: cases eligible for a small claim, read 17 October 2026 (page says “Last updated on 02 June 2026”).
• Filing fees for a claim or counterclaim: Up to $5,000: $10 for an individual, $50 for another entity. Above $5,000 but up to $10,000: $20 and $100. Above $10,000 but up to $30,000: 1% of the amount claimed for an individual, 3% for another entity. “Other entities include sole proprietorships, partnerships, unincorporated associations and other corporate organisations.” The page states no rounding rule for the percentages. Singapore Courts: how to file and serve a small claim, read 17 October 2026 (page says “Last updated on 21 January 2026”).
• When to file, documents, payment and service: File within 2 years: “If a contract was broken on 15 November 2020, the last day to file a claim would be on 15 November 2022.” You need your pre-filing assessment ID; supporting documents as PDFs, with English translations; a Memorandum of Consent signed by both parties for a claim above $20,000; and, if the respondent is a business entity, its ACRA business profile obtained within 1 month of filing (a business claimant also needs a Letter of Authorisation and its own profile). “Your application will only be processed after you have paid.” Serve the claim and Notice of Consultation within 7 days of filing by personal delivery or registered post; “A claim cannot be served outside Singapore.” File a Declaration of Service before the first consultation. Most SCT cases conclude within 4 months of filing. Lawyers are not allowed to represent parties. Singapore Courts: how to file and serve a small claim, read 17 October 2026 (page says “Last updated on 21 January 2026”).
• Attendance and charges: “Both the claimant and the respondent must attend every consultation and hearing.” If you are absent, the court may make a default order against you. “No, there are no charges for attending small claims consultations or hearings.” Singapore Courts: before going to court for a small claim, read 17 October 2026 (page says “Last updated on 30 January 2024”).
• Hearing fees: “There are no hearing fees for small claims.” Singapore Courts: understand legal fees, read 17 October 2026 (page says “Last updated on 27 August 2026”).
• Filing fees are not refunded: For a discontinuance order (claim not within the SCT’s jurisdiction), a transfer order or an order dismissing the claim: “All SCT proceedings will stop. The filing fees are not refundable.” If a claim is discontinued, “you may still pursue the matter in other courts.” Singapore Courts: understand the outcomes of a small claim, read 17 October 2026 (page says “Last updated on 29 June 2026”).
• What the tribunals are for, and withdrawing a claim: The SCT “resolve specific types of low-value disputes between consumers and suppliers in a quicker and less expensive way than if the same dispute went for a civil trial.” A claim can be withdrawn on CJTS before the SCT issues an order, subject to its approval; “Filing fees are not refundable.” Singapore Courts: file a small claim, read 17 October 2026 (page says “Last updated on 08 April 2026”).
• Settling online: Once a case is filed on CJTS, eNegotiation involves up to 5 rounds and “Only the respondent can start the process.” For eMediation, “Either party to the case may apply, subject to the court's approval”, and if one party does not agree, it cannot proceed. If either is successful, you do not have to go to court. Singapore Courts: eNegotiation or eMediation, read 17 October 2026 (page says “Last updated on 29 May 2026”).
• The Lemon Law’s six-month presumption: The High Court quotes s 12B(3) of the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act: “goods which do not conform to the applicable contract at any time within the period of 6 months starting from the date on which the goods were delivered to the transferee must be taken not to have so conformed at that date.” Under s 12B(4) this does not apply if “it is established that the goods did so conform at that date” or “its application is incompatible with the nature of the goods or the nature of the lack of conformity” (the court’s examples: perishable goods, wear and tear, misuse). Part III applies where the buyer “deals as consumer” and the contract was made on or after 1 September 2012; otherwise “The burden of proving non-conformity at the time of delivery rests on the consumer.” The judgment also mentions the tribunals’ older claim limits, which the Courts’ current pages replace. Singapore Courts: Speedo Motoring Pte Ltd v Ong Gek Sing [2014] SGHC 71 (judgment PDF), read 17 October 2026 (page says “Judgment of 2014, reported at [2014] 2 SLR 1398; the PDF has no last-updated line. It quotes the Act’s 2009 Revised Edition; Singapore Statutes Online could not be opened (blocked to curl and the agent fetch tool) to check the current text”).
• Claim value when the contract is cancelled: The High Court held that for a claim for compensation the relevant sum is the amount claimed, but noted that in Mohammed Akhtar v Schneider, where the claim “was in the nature of a claim for rescission of the contract”, the value of the underlying contract was the relevant figure. Singapore Courts: Speedo Motoring Pte Ltd v Ong Gek Sing [2014] SGHC 71 (judgment PDF), read 17 October 2026 (page says “Judgment of 2014, reported at [2014] 2 SLR 1398; the PDF has no last-updated line”).
• Who the Act protects, and CASE’s role: Examples of dealings not covered by the CPFTA include “Business-to-business dealings”; the CPFTA “only extends to business-to-consumer transactions”. CASE and STB “remain the first points of contact for local consumers and tourists respectively to handle complaints”, and local consumers and tourists can also approach the Small Claims Tribunal for claims of up to $20,000 “(or $30,000 should both parties agree)”. CCS: consumer protection FAQs, read 17 October 2026 (page says “Last updated on 1 October 2026”).
• Rights for goods that do not conform: The CPFTA “was enacted to protect consumers against unfair practices and to give consumers additional rights in respect of goods that do not conform to contract”. CCS: Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act guidelines, read 17 October 2026 (page says “Last updated on 20 July 2026”).

Next review: The Courts’ eligibility page (limit, time limit, claim types) and filing page (fee table, documents, service) by 17 January 2027 and whenever either “Last updated” line changes; CCS’s consumer protection FAQs at the same time; and Singapore Statutes Online, if it can be opened, to confirm the current section and wording of the Lemon Law’s six-month presumption. General information, not tax, legal or financial advice.