Connecticut · Unpaid personal loan

Unpaid personal loan in Connecticut small claims

Friend or family owes you money? Recover it in small claims.

Lending money to a friend or family member without repayment can lead to a small claims case. You do not need a formal promissory note to sue, but having written evidence of the loan — even text messages or emails confirming the amount and a promise to repay — dramatically strengthens your case. The key elements are proving the loan was made, the amount, and that repayment was due.

In Connecticut, small-claims cases are heard in the Small Claims Court (a session of the Superior Court) and you can sue for up to $5,000 (money damages only, or up to $15,000 for a home-improvement contract).

Good to know: Small claims in Connecticut is a session of the Superior Court (the booklet is titled "State of Connecticut Judicial Branch Superior Court"). Most cases are heard and ruled on by magistrates, and hearings are conducted as remote hearings over the internet unless the court instructs otherwise. Libel and slander cases cannot be heard in small claims.

Unpaid personal loan in Connecticut: local specifics

Connecticut applies different limitations periods to written agreements versus oral or debt arrangements, so whether you have a written loan agreement affects your filing deadline. Hearings are conducted remotely by court magistrates.

Unpaid personal loan: steps that matter

1. Gather all evidence of the loan: bank transfers, cash-withdrawal records, texts, emails, or any written note agreeing to repay.
2. Calculate the amount owed including any agreed interest, and confirm when repayment was supposed to occur.
3. Send a written demand for repayment with a clear deadline and keep proof you sent it.
4. Confirm you are within the statute of limitations below before filing — the clock may have started from the repayment due date.
5. File in the court where the defendant lives or where the loan was agreed to.

Filing your Small Claims Writ and Notice of Suit (Form JD-CV-40) in Connecticut

1. Complete the Small Claims Writ and Notice of Suit (Form JD-CV-40). Fill out Form JD-CV-40, typed or printed neatly, using only the exact, correct, legal names of the parties (no initials, nicknames, or abbreviations). Attach copies of supporting documents (leases, statements, invoices, bills) and keep the originals. Your signature must be notarized.
2. Serve each defendant BEFORE filing. Serve the completed Writ and Notice of Suit, the Instructions to Defendant (Form JD-CV-122), and copies of all attachments on each defendant by one of four methods: priority mail with delivery confirmation; certified mail with return receipt requested; a nationally recognized courier with delivery confirmation; or service by a proper officer (e.g., a state marshal). Service by a proper officer is required for out-of-state businesses.
3. File the original papers with the court within one month of service. After service is completed, file the original Writ and Notice of Suit plus a Statement of Service (Form JD-CV-123) for each defendant. These must be filed no later than one month after the date of service. File by mail, hand delivery, or e-file with the proper court (judicial district / housing session). Pay the entry fee at filing.
4. Receive the docket number and answer date. After filing, the clerk's office assigns a docket number and an answer date (the date by which the defendant must respond) and mails an answer form and the answer date to each defendant. Do not come to court on the answer date.

Filing fees: The entry (filing) fee is $95, set by state law; you also pay the cost of service separately and may recover it if you win. Verify current fees with the court.

Deadline that applies to your unpaid personal loan

A personal loan is a contract or debt claim — you lent money on a promise to repay. If you have a written loan agreement, the written-contract statute of limitations typically applies. If the loan was only a verbal agreement, the oral-contract or debt period usually governs. The limitations clock generally starts from the date repayment was due or the last payment made.

Written contract: 6 years (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-576)

Answering a lawsuit: Connecticut requires you to serve the defendant before you file. After you file, the clerk assigns an “answer date” and mails the defendant an answer form; the defendant responds by that date. Do not appear in court on the answer date.

Serving the defendant: The plaintiff must serve each defendant BEFORE filing, by one of four methods: (1) priority mail with delivery confirmation; (2) certified mail with return receipt requested; (3) a nationally recognized courier with delivery confirmation; or (4) service by a proper officer (e.g., a state marshal). Service by a proper officer is required for out-of-state businesses. Proof is filed as a Statement of Service (Form JD-CV-123).

Appeals: No appeal. Small claims judgments cannot be appealed.

All Connecticut small-claims deadlines

The table below lists the filing deadlines Small Claims Court (a session of the Superior Court) applies by claim category. Confirm the exact rule that applies to your unpaid personal loan claim with your court before relying on any figure.

Connecticut small-claims forms for your unpaid personal loan case

These forms are published by the Small Claims Court (a session of the Superior Court). CaseBySelf can pre-fill them automatically from your case details.

• Small Claims Writ and Notice of Suit: Starts a Connecticut small-claims case.
• Instructions to Defendant: Explains how a Connecticut small-claims defendant responds to the writ and notice of suit.
• Application For Waiver of Fees/Payment of Costs - Civil, Housing, Small Claims, and Appellate: Requests waiver of Connecticut court fees or costs in a small-claims case.
• Small Claims Answer Form: Lets a Connecticut small-claims defendant answer the claim.

This page is general information, not legal advice, and CaseBySelf is not a law firm. Rules, fees, and deadlines change and vary by court: verify with the specific court where you file. Source: Connecticut Judicial Branch - How Small Claims Court Works (CV045 booklet). Last reviewed 2026-06-23.