Civil Resolution Tribunal BC Small Claims: What It Is and How It Works

Somebody owes you money in British Columbia and you want it back without hiring a lawyer. That somebody might be a contractor who took your deposit and vanished, a buyer who stopped paying, or a business that refused your refund. If the amount is $5,000 or less, you are heading to the Civil Resolution Tribunal.

The CRT is Canada's first fully online tribunal. You file through a web portal, negotiate through a secure messaging platform, and get a written decision — all without setting foot in a courtroom. It has handled small claims province-wide since 2017, and understanding how it works is the difference between getting your money back and losing months to a wrong turn.

What the CRT Handles (and What It Doesn't)

The CRT has mandatory jurisdiction over monetary disputes of $5,000 and under. That covers unpaid invoices, contractor deposits, private used-car sales, neighbour property damage, and consumer complaints under the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act (expanded March 31, 2025).

It does not handle residential tenancy disputes — those go to the Residential Tenancy Branch. Employment standards claims go to the Employment Standards Branch. Family law, land title disputes, and claims over $5,000 belong in Provincial Court or Supreme Court. Strata disputes are a separate CRT stream with different rules and no monetary cap.

If your claim is between $5,001 and $35,000, you file in the Provincial Court of BC's Small Claims Division instead. You can bring a claim over $5,000 down to the CRT's limit by formally abandoning the excess, but that abandonment is permanent — you cannot recover the extra amount later.

How Much It Costs

CRT fees depend on your claim amount and whether you file online or on paper:

• Claims up to $3,000: $75 online ($100 paper)
• Claims $3,001–$5,000: $125 online ($150 paper)
• Dispute Response: Free online ($25 paper)
• Default Order application: $25 online ($30 paper)
• Final adjudication fee: $50
• Separate validation of a CRT document: $30 (the $50 final-decision fee includes a validated order)

If your eligible small-claims dispute settles before tribunal decision preparation, the CRT may refund your application fee. Low-income individuals can apply for a fee waiver — only natural persons qualify, and you are limited to three waivers in any 12-month period.

The Five Stages of a CRT Small Claim

Every contested claim moves through the same stages:

1. Solution Explorer and Application. You start on the CRT's Solution Explorer, an interactive diagnostic tool that classifies your dispute and routes you to the right intake path. You create an account, enter the respondent's verified legal name and address, describe your claim, and pay the fee. The CRT reviews your application and issues a Dispute Notice.

2. Service. You serve the Dispute Notice on the respondent within 90 calendar days of issuance. You can serve personally, by registered mail or courier, or ask the CRT to mail it. For an individual or sole proprietor, you can also serve by email, text, or another messaging platform if the respondent confirms receipt. Within 10 days of completing service, you submit a Proof of Service form through the portal.

3. Negotiation. Once the respondent files a Dispute Response (14 days if served in BC, 30 days if outside BC), both parties enter a secure online negotiation platform to try to settle directly.

4. Facilitation. If negotiation fails, a CRT Case Manager steps in as a mediator. Communications at this stage are confidential and without prejudice. If you reach a settlement, the Case Manager converts it into a Consent Resolution Order ($25 fee) with the same legal force as a contested decision.

5. Adjudication. If facilitation fails, a Tribunal Member reviews all written arguments and evidence and issues a final written decision. There is no in-person hearing — the process is asynchronous. Oral hearings by phone or video are rare and granted only when the Tribunal Member decides written submissions are not enough.

Key Deadlines to Track

The CRT runs on calendar days, with deadlines extending to the next business day when they fall on a weekend or BC statutory holiday:

• Two-year limitation period from discovery of the claim (under the Limitation Act)
• 90 days to serve the Dispute Notice after issuance
• 10 days to file Proof of Service after serving each respondent
• 14 days for a BC-based respondent to file a Dispute Response (30 days outside BC)
• 10 days for applicant arguments after adjudication begins
• 10 days for respondent arguments
• 7 days for applicant rebuttal

Missing a service deadline can stall the claim; missing a response deadline can lead to a default decision. Other missed deadlines may affect the next step in the process.

What Happens After the Decision

Since July 1, 2022, CRT small claims decisions are final and binding. The old Notice of Objection process — which let a party restart the case in Provincial Court — was repealed. The only way to challenge a contested CRT decision now is Judicial Review in the BC Supreme Court, which is not a retrial. The court checks whether the Tribunal Member acted within jurisdiction, followed procedural fairness, and reached a patently unreasonable decision.

If the respondent does not pay voluntarily, the CRT sends a validated order with a final decision. File that order in Provincial Court and use court enforcement tools: garnishing orders against bank accounts or wages, payment hearings, seizure and sale of property, or registration against real property at the Land Title Office. A separately requested validation of a CRT document costs $30.

Do You Need a Lawyer?

The CRT is designed for self-representation. Lawyers need explicit tribunal permission to represent a party, and it is rarely granted in standard small claims. You can have an unpaid helper — a friend, family member, or community advocate — assist with documents and portal navigation, but they cannot make legal submissions on your behalf. Indigenous participants can request a CRT Navigator for culturally safe procedural guidance.

The real challenge is not legal complexity. It is getting the administrative steps right: naming the correct legal entity, serving within the deadline, filing proof on time, and organizing evidence so the Tribunal Member can follow your case. That procedural precision is where most self-represented claimants stumble.

The BC CRT Small Claim Step-by-Step Guide walks through every stage from the demand letter to enforcement, with fillable worksheets for tracking deadlines, organizing evidence, and logging service — everything the CRT portal expects but does not hand you in one place.

See more British Columbia guides →