File Small Claims Online Ontario: Justice Services Online Guide

Ontario's Small Claims Court accepts online filings through Justice Services Online. For liquidated money claims filed through the E-Filing Service, your claim can be issued automatically; submissions that require clerk review may take longer. The portal has formatting requirements that trip up first-time filers, and a rejected upload means your claim isn't filed.

Two Online Filing Paths

Justice Services Online offers two separate submission systems. Which one you use depends on the type of claim.

Small Claims Court E-Filing Service is for liquidated money claims — debts where the exact amount is fixed and determinable (unpaid invoices, loans, deposits). You complete the Plaintiff's Claim directly in the portal, pay the $108 filing fee online (credit or debit card), and the system generates a court file number automatically. This is the fastest route when your claim is a straightforward demand for a specific dollar amount.

Small Claims Court Submissions Online handles everything else. Use it for unliquidated claims (property damage, breach of contract where damages need to be assessed), subsequent documents (defences, motions, default judgment requests), and any claim that requires clerk review before issuance. You upload a completed Form 7A as a PDF, pay the fee, and wait for the clerk to review it manually.

Both paths lead to the same court process once the claim is issued. The difference is speed: e-filing for liquidated claims is nearly instant; Submissions Online has a processing delay while the clerk reviews your documents.

Before You Start

Have these ready:

• Completed Form 7A (for Submissions Online) or the information needed to fill it out online (for the E-Filing Service)
• Supporting documents in PDF format — contracts, invoices, demand letters
• Credit or debit card for the $108 filing fee ($228 for frequent claimants)
• Exact legal names of all parties — run your Ontario Business Registry search before starting
• Form 1A if you have multiple plaintiffs or defendants

You'll also need a Justice Services Online account. Registration is free and takes a few minutes.

Upload Requirements

The portal is strict about document formatting. Files must be:

• PDF format — Word documents, images, and other file types are rejected
• Text-searchable — a photograph of a document won't work; use a proper scanner or PDF converter
• Legible — blurry scans, low-resolution images, or handwriting that's hard to read will be kicked back
• Standard letter size (8.5 × 11 inches)
• Unencrypted — password-protected PDFs are rejected

Name your files descriptively. "Form_7A_Plaintiff_Claim.pdf" is better than "scan001.pdf" — it helps the clerk process your submission and reduces the chance of a rejection for unclear submissions.

Common Rejection Reasons

Court clerks manually review Submissions Online uploads and reject incomplete or defective filings. The claim is not issued until the clerk accepts it, so a rejection means your limitation clock keeps ticking. The most common reasons:

Missing Form 1A. If you have multiple plaintiffs or defendants, the Additional Parties schedule must be attached. This is the single most common oversight.

Missing document attachments. If your statement of facts references a contract, invoice, or agreement, Rule 7.01(2) requires a copy to be attached.

Incorrect fee payment. The filing fee is $108 for infrequent claimants (fewer than 10 claims at the same court office in the calendar year) and $228 for frequent claimants. Paying the wrong amount delays processing.

Wrong court office. You must file in the territorial division where the cause of action arose, where the defendant resides or carries on business, or where the court place of sitting is physically nearest to the defendant's residence or place of business. Filing in the wrong division doesn't trigger an automatic rejection, but it creates problems later.

What Happens After Filing

Once the clerk issues your claim — dates it, assigns a file number, and seals it — you receive the issued version electronically. From that date, you have six months to serve the claim on every defendant under Rule 8.01(2).

In Toronto proceedings, the clerk can convert paper filings to electronic copies under Rule 1.05.1(10), and the electronic copy becomes the official court record under Rule 1.05.1(13).

Tips for a Clean Submission

• Complete a draft of Form 7A before opening the portal — you don't want to compose your statement of facts under time pressure
• Review all party names against the Ontario Business Registry
• Check your PDF renders correctly on screen before uploading — what looks fine as a Word document may have formatting issues as a PDF
• Under Rule 1.05.1(7), retain the original paper version of any document you file electronically for three years from the electronic filing date

For the complete process — from preparing your claim through service, response, and the hearing — see our Ontario Small Claims Filing Guide.

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