Fulton County Small Claims Court: How to File in Atlanta

Fulton County Magistrate Court Overview

Fulton County Magistrate Court is the busiest small claims court in Georgia. It handles civil claims up to $25,000 under O.C.G.A. § 15-10-2, as raised from $15,000 by House Bill 999 effective July 1, 2026. The court has three hearing locations — the Downtown Courthouse, the North Annex, and the South Annex — and your case gets assigned to one based on the filing address.

The clerk's office is located at 185 Central Ave SW, Suite TG-100, Atlanta, GA 30303. Public access terminals are available there for e-filing if you do not have a computer at home.

Filing Fees

Fulton County's fees are among the most clearly documented in the state:

• Base filing fee: $60 for one defendant
• Each additional defendant: $8
• Marshal service: $50 per defendant
• Fi. Fa. recording fee: $25 (for post-judgment enforcement)

Payment by cashier's check, money order, or credit/debit card. Personal checks are rejected. All fees are non-refundable once the clerk dockets the case.

If you qualify as indigent, submit a Pauper's Affidavit under O.C.G.A. § 9-15-2 to request a fee waiver covering filing and service costs.

E-Filing Through Odyssey eFileGA

Fulton County requires electronic filing through the Odyssey eFileGA portal at efilega.com. You create an account, upload your Statement of Claim and supporting documents as PDFs, and pay the filing fee by card through the portal.

Prepare the forms the court requires, including:

• Statement of Claim — full legal names, physical addresses (no P.O. Boxes), and a clear factual narrative of what happened and how much you are owed
• Verification — a sworn affidavit signed before a notary or Magistrate Court clerk
• Civil Case Filing Information Form — the standard judicial case-classification cover sheet
• SCRA Military Affidavit — required before a default judgment when the defendant has not appeared; check the court's instructions for when to submit it
• Business agent documents — follow local instructions if a business is represented by a designated officer or full-time employee

The portal may reject submissions that omit court-required forms, provide incomplete defendant addresses, or exceed the $25,000 cap. A military-status affidavit is required before seeking a default judgment when the defendant has not appeared.

Serving the Defendant

After the clerk accepts your filing, the Fulton County Marshal's Department handles service of process. The marshal delivers the summons and Statement of Claim to the defendant in person. You cannot serve the defendant yourself — Georgia law requires an authorized officer.

Service on a business may be made on its registered agent or another recipient authorized by law, such as an officer, director, or managing agent. If the marshal returns the papers unserved, you will need to provide a better address or ask the court to appoint a private process server.

The defendant has 30 days from service to file an Answer. No Answer by Day 30 triggers default, with a 15-day grace period to open it. After Day 45, you can apply for a default judgment.

What Happens at the Hearing

Fulton County hearings are bench trials — no jury. The magistrate judge will ask each side to present their case and evidence. Bring three organized copies of everything: contracts, invoices, photographs, text messages, bank statements. One for the judge, one for the opposing party, one for your reference.

The judge may also refer your case to court-connected mediation before or at the hearing. If both sides reach a settlement, the terms are put into a Consent Judgment that becomes an enforceable court order.

Appeals

Either party can file a Petition for Review in Fulton County State or Superior Court within 30 days. The appeal filing fee in similar jurisdictions is typically over $200, and the case gets a fresh hearing (de novo) in the reviewing court.

Filing With Confidence

The Georgia Small Claims Filing Guide covers the complete Magistrate Court process — demand letters, entity searches, filing, service tracking, evidence prep, and post-judgment enforcement — with printable checklists that work for Fulton County and every other Georgia county.

See more Georgia guides →