Michigan Small Claims Court Forms: DC 84, MC 20, and Every Form You Need

Form DC 84: Affidavit and Claim (The Main Filing Form)

Form DC 84 is where every Michigan small claims case starts. You fill it out, sign it under oath, and file it with the district court clerk. Here is what each section requires:

Sections 1–2 (Parties): Full legal names, physical addresses, and phone numbers for every plaintiff and defendant. If you are suing a business, use the exact registered name from the LARA database — not a casual name or abbreviation.

Section 3 (Prior filings): Disclose any prior civil actions arising from the same transaction.

Sections 4–5 (Entity status): Check whether each party is an individual, sole proprietor, partnership, or corporation. For sole proprietors operating under a business name, the format is "John Doe d/b/a Business Name."

Section 7 (Date and amount): The date the dispute arose and the dollar amount you are claiming, up to $7,000.

Section 9 (Reasons): A brief factual explanation of why the defendant owes you. Stick to the facts — dates, amounts, what was agreed, what went wrong.

Section 10 (Waivers): You acknowledge the $7,000 cap and that by filing in small claims, you are waiving your right to an attorney at trial, a jury, and (if a judge hears the case) an appeal.

Notarization block: Sign in front of the court clerk or a notary public. The form is sworn under oath — do not sign it at home and bring it in.

Form DC 84a: Small Claims Affidavit Addendum

If your case involves multiple plaintiffs or multiple defendants, the main DC 84 does not have enough space. DC 84a provides the additional fields. Attach it to your DC 84 when you file.

Form DC 84n: Notice of Hearing

The clerk generates this form after you file. It contains the date, time, and location of your hearing. It gets sent to the defendant along with your affidavit.

Form DC 84p: Proof of Service

After the defendant has been served — whether by certified mail or personal delivery — this form documents how, when, and by whom service was completed. The process server or court clerk completes it, and it must be filed with the clerk before (or at) the hearing. Without valid proof of service, the court cannot enter a default judgment if the defendant does not show.

Form MC 20: Fee Waiver Request

If you cannot afford the filing fee ($30–$70 depending on your claim amount), Form MC 20 asks the court to waive it. The listed eligibility categories include receiving SNAP, Medicaid, FIP/TANF, WIC, SSI, or other means-tested public assistance; being represented by a legal aid organization; or having gross household income at or below 125% of the federal poverty guidelines.

If the waiver is denied, you have 14 calendar days to either pay the fee or file Form MC 114 requesting a judge review the denial. The review preserves your original filing date.

Form MC 97: Protected Personal Identifying Information

If your claim references social security numbers, bank account numbers, or driver's license numbers, file MC 97 separately. This keeps sensitive information out of the public court file under MCR 1.109(D).

Form MC 11: Subpoena

If a witness refuses to attend your hearing voluntarily, Form MC 11 compels their appearance. The court clerk issues it, and you must serve it on the witness at least 2 days before trial, along with the statutory $12 attendance fee plus mileage.

Form DC 86: Demand and Order for Removal, Small Claims

Either party can use this form to move the case from the small claims division to the general civil division before trial begins. Removal reinstates formal evidence rules, attorney representation, jury trial rights, and full appeal rights. The requesting party pays the general civil filing fee differential.

Where to Get These Forms

All SCAO forms are free at courts.michigan.gov. Michigan Legal Help (michiganlegalhelp.org) also offers guided form-completion tools that walk you through DC 84 and MC 20 with plain-language questions.

Our Michigan small claims filing guide includes line-by-line instructions for DC 84, a service tracking worksheet for DC 84p, and a deadline calendar so you do not miss a filing window.

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