How to Lodge Court Forms at a Tasmania Magistrates Court Registry
The Four Registries
The Magistrates Court of Tasmania operates four civil registries. You must file your documents at the registry where the claim was commenced — check the header on the Claim and Notice to Defendant (Form 1) you received.
| Registry | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Hobart | 23–25 Liverpool Street, Hobart TAS 7000 | (03) 6165 7136 |
| Launceston | 73–76 Charles Street, Launceston TAS 7250 | (03) 6777 2945 |
| Devonport | 8 Griffiths Street, Devonport TAS 7310 | (03) 6478 4353 |
| Burnie | 38 Alexander Street, Burnie TAS 7320 | (03) 6477 7140 |
All registries are open Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, excluding public holidays. The Court's contact page lists closure from 2:00 PM on Christmas Eve and reopening at 9:00 AM on the first business day after New Year's Day; check the relevant registry's page for current closure dates.
In-Person Filing
Bring the original document plus three copies. Registry staff review the forms, check they are completed correctly, and apply the official court seal and date stamp. They keep one copy for the court file and return the rest to you.
Documents delivered before 5:00 PM are stamped with that day's date. If you arrive after closing, you will need to return the next business day.
Filing by Email
Each registry accepts documents via its official email address (ending in @magistratescourt.tas.gov.au). This is a legitimate filing channel, though it comes with one important timing rule: documents received after 5:00 PM on a business day, or on a weekend, are date-stamped as received the next business day.
If your 21-day deadline is the next business day and you email your defence after 5:00 PM, it is stamped on that next business day. If the next business day falls after your deadline, the filing is late.
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Filing by Post
You can mail documents to the registry's postal address. The filing date is the day the registry physically receives and stamps the document, not the date you posted it. For time-sensitive filings like a defence, post is risky — use in-person or email if the deadline is close.
There Is No Online Portal
As of 2026, there is no self-service online filing portal for defendants in minor civil claims in Tasmania. You cannot submit forms through a website. The available channels are in-person, email, and post.
Common Filing Mistakes
Wrong registry. Filing at a different registry than the one listed on Form 1 can delay processing or result in rejection. If you live in Burnie but the claim was filed in Hobart, you file at Hobart.
Not enough copies. The registry needs the original plus three copies. Showing up with just one document means you will need to find a photocopier before staff can process your filing.
Outdated forms. Using old versions of Form 4 or Form 5 can result in rejection. Download the current versions from the Magistrates Court forms page each time.
Missing the action number. Every document you file must reference the action number from Form 1. This is how the registry connects your defence to the correct case file.
Our Responding to a Minor Civil Claim in Tasmania guide includes a filing checklist covering exactly what to bring, how many copies, and how to confirm your filing was accepted.
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Download the Tasmania Minor Civil Claim Response Checklist — a printable guide with checklists, scripts, and action plans you can start using today.