DC Small Claims Continuance Request: How to Reschedule Your Hearing
When You Cannot Make Your Hearing Date
Your DC small claims hearing is set for a specific date and time, and missing it means an immediate default judgment if the plaintiff shows up. But sometimes work, a medical issue, or travel makes that date impossible. The court has a process for rescheduling — but it is not as simple as calling the clerk.
Two Types of Continuance Requests
Joint consent continuance. If both you and the plaintiff agree to reschedule, you can submit a joint written request or consent motion to continue to the Small Claims Clerk's Office. The court must still grant the request; keep the hearing date unless an order is entered.
Contested motion for continuance. If the other side will not agree, file a formal Motion for Continuance explaining the good cause for why you cannot attend. State the specific reason and include supporting documentation if available; the court decides whether it is sufficient.
Filing the Request
File your continuance request as early as possible — ideally well before the hearing date. You can submit it:
- In person at the Small Claims Clerk's Office, Court Building B, Room 120, 510 4th Street NW
- Through eFileDC (mandatory for attorneys, optional for pro se litigants)
- By mail to the same address, though mail delivery time makes this risky for upcoming hearings
- After-hours drop box at the Moultrie Courthouse lobby (500 Indiana Avenue NW), date-stamped the next business day
The filing fee for any motion, including a continuance, is $10 (waivable with an In Forma Pauperis application if you cannot afford it).
Free Download
Get the District of Columbia Small Claims Response Checklist
Everything in this article as a printable checklist — plus action plans and reference guides you can start using today.
The Critical Rule: An Order Must Be Entered
This is where defendants get into trouble. Filing a motion or even reaching an informal agreement with the plaintiff does not automatically postpone your hearing. Unless an official court order granting the continuance appears on the docket before the hearing date, you must appear.
A pending motion, a phone call to the clerk, or a verbal agreement with the opposing side does not stop the clock. Unless the court grants a continuance, you must appear. If you do not and the plaintiff is present with verified proof of proper service and a substantiated claim, the court enters a default and final default judgment.
What a Praecipe Is
The term "praecipe" can be confusing. The research supports submitting a joint written request or consent motion to continue; confirm the court's required form and filing method with the clerk.
If both parties agree, submit the joint request and wait for the court's order before treating the hearing date as changed.
What If You Miss the Hearing Anyway
If you fail to appear and a default judgment is entered, you can file a Motion to Vacate Default Judgment ($10 filing fee). You will need to show good cause or excusable neglect for missing court and a meritorious defense to the underlying claim. Motions under Rule 60(b)(1) for excusable neglect must be filed within one year.
Filing a Motion to Vacate does not automatically stop enforcement. If the plaintiff begins collecting on the judgment — through bank account garnishment or wage attachment — you must separately file an Application for Stay of Execution to pause enforcement while the court considers your motion.
The far simpler path is to request the continuance before the hearing date, get a court order entered, and avoid the default entirely.
Planning Around Scheduling Conflicts
Our DC Small Claims Response Guide includes deadline-tracking worksheets that help you identify scheduling conflicts early and a filing checklist for continuance requests. If you are a defendant who just received papers and already knows the hearing date does not work, the earlier you file, the better your chances of getting it moved.
Get Your Free District of Columbia Small Claims Response Checklist
Download the District of Columbia Small Claims Response Checklist — a printable guide with checklists, scripts, and action plans you can start using today.