CRT BC Timeline: How Long Does the Process Take?

Before you file a CRT small claim, you want to know how long this whole thing takes. For small-claims disputes closed between April 1, 2024 and March 31, 2025, the CRT reported an average time to resolution of 250 days and a median of 198 days. Individual cases can finish faster or take longer depending on how they proceed.

Phase-by-Phase Timeline

Application and review. After you submit your Dispute Application through the CRT portal and pay the filing fee, CRT administrative staff review the submission for completeness. Minor corrections may bounce back to you. Once accepted, the CRT issues the Dispute Notice Package.

Service (up to 90 days). You have 90 calendar days from the date the Dispute Notice is issued to serve it on the respondent. If you use registered mail and the package goes out the same week, the 90-day window is generous. If the respondent is evading service and you need to apply for substituted service, this phase can eat several weeks.

Within 10 days of completing service, you must file your Proof of Service through the portal.

Respondent's response (14–30 days). A respondent served within BC has 14 calendar days to file a Dispute Response. A respondent served outside BC gets 30 days. If they don't respond, you can apply for a default order.

Negotiation. Once the response is filed, the CRT opens a negotiation page where you and the respondent can exchange proposals directly through the portal. There is no standard 14-to-21-day window for every claim; the time depends on whether the parties engage and reach agreement.

Facilitation. If negotiation fails, a case manager steps in for facilitation. The facilitator helps both sides identify common ground and often manages expectations about what the evidence supports. The case manager sets deadlines for this stage; its length depends on the issues and how promptly participants respond.

Adjudication. If facilitation doesn't produce a settlement, the case is prepared for a tribunal member's decision. The case manager asks the applicant to pay the $50 decision fee; if the applicant does not pay, a respondent may pay it. The parties submit written evidence and arguments within deadlines set by the case manager. Wait times for decisions vary based on the tribunal's caseload.

What Causes Delays

• Service difficulties — if you can't find the respondent or they're dodging service, you'll need to apply for substituted service, which requires the CRT to issue directions
• Unresponsive parties — a respondent who participates slowly during negotiation and facilitation stretches each phase
• Evidence disputes — if the case manager needs to resolve procedural issues (amendment requests, extension applications, evidence objections), each adds time
• Tribunal caseload — the decision phase is queue-dependent; the CRT is a single provincial tribunal handling thousands of cases

Can You Speed Things Up?

You can't control the tribunal's queue, but you can avoid adding delays:

• File your Proof of Service within the 10-day window, not after it
• Respond promptly to every portal notification and case manager request
• Submit organized evidence with clear exhibit labels — messy files generate follow-up requests
• If you're going to settle during negotiation, settle early and save both parties months of facilitation and adjudication

The BC CRT Small Claim Filing Guide includes a deadline calendar that tracks every statutory timeline, so you know exactly when each phase should close and when something is running behind.

See more British Columbia guides →