BC Small Claims Court vs CRT: Which Forum for Your Claim

British Columbia has two forums for small monetary claims, and filing in the wrong one wastes your application fee and months of your time. The split comes down to how much you're owed.

The $5,000 Dividing Line

The Civil Resolution Tribunal handles small claims of $5,000 and under. The Provincial Court of BC (Small Claims Division) handles claims from $5,001 to $35,000. These are hard boundaries — the CRT will refuse a claim that exceeds its limit, and Provincial Court won't hear a dispute the CRT has mandatory jurisdiction over.

Both amounts exclude pre-judgment interest and tribunal or court fees. You calculate the threshold based on the principal amount you're claiming.

Key Differences Between the Two Forums

Process format. The CRT is primarily online — you file through a web portal, negotiate and participate in facilitation through messaging, and submit written evidence for a tribunal member to decide. There's no courtroom appearance unless the tribunal orders a phone or video conference in unusual circumstances. Provincial Court small claims, by contrast, involves a physical courthouse. You'll attend a settlement conference in person (or by video) and, if the case doesn't settle, appear at a trial.

Filing fees. CRT online filing costs $75 for claims up to $3,000 and $125 for claims between $3,001 and $5,000. An additional $50 decision fee applies if the case goes to a decision. Provincial Court small claims filing fees are $100 for claims up to $3,000 and $156 for claims over $3,000.

Speed. The CRT's written process typically moves faster than a Provincial Court trial date, though both can take months. CRT cases avoid the scheduling delays that come with courtroom calendars.

Representation. The CRT is designed for self-representation — you need tribunal permission to have a lawyer appear for you. In Provincial Court, either party can hire a lawyer without restriction, though most people represent themselves in small claims.

Registry selection. The CRT is centralized — there's no local courthouse to choose. Provincial Court requires filing at the registry where the claim arose or where the defendant lives or carries on business.

What If Your Claim Is Over $5,000?

If you're owed more than $5,000, you have two options:

1. Abandon the excess. You can file at the CRT for $5,000 and formally abandon the rest. This is a permanent waiver — you can't file a separate claim later for the abandoned amount.
2. File in Provincial Court. Keep the full amount and file a Notice of Claim in the Provincial Court small claims division, up to $35,000.

Splitting one claim into multiple CRT filings under $5,000 to stay within the limit is not allowed. The CRT will consolidate or dismiss split claims.

Claims the CRT Won't Hear

Some disputes are excluded from the CRT regardless of amount:

• Residential tenancy disputes (security deposits, unpaid rent, landlord-tenant issues) go to the Residential Tenancy Branch, not the CRT
• Employment standards claims (unpaid wages, overtime, severance) go to the Employment Standards Branch
• Real property, land title, and family law matters go to Provincial Court or the BC Supreme Court
• Strata property disputes are handled by the CRT but under a separate stream with different rules and no monetary limit

If you're unsure whether your dispute belongs at the CRT, the Solution Explorer on the CRT's website will route you to the right forum.

For a complete walkthrough of the CRT process for claims up to $5,000, the BC CRT Small Claim Filing Guide covers everything from the demand letter through enforcement of the tribunal's decision.

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