NWT Small Claims Court Registries: Yellowknife, Hay River, and Inuvik

Three Registries Serve the Entire Territory

All small claims in the Northwest Territories are handled by the Territorial Court's Civil Claims Division. Three court registries accept filings:

Yellowknife Court Registry

• Address: Courthouse, 4903 - 49th Street, PO Box 550, Yellowknife, NT X1A 2N4
• Phone: (867) 767-9289 or toll-free 1-866-822-5864
• Email: [email protected]
• Public hours: 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM, Monday to Friday

Hay River Court Registry

• Address: 201 - 8 Capital Drive, Hay River, NT X0E 1G2
• Phone: (867) 874-6509 or toll-free 1-866-885-2535
• Email: [email protected]
• Public hours: 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM, Monday to Friday

Inuvik Court Registry

• Address: 151 Mackenzie Road, Inuvik, NT X0E 0T0
• Phone: (867) 678-8022 or toll-free 1-866-344-3940
• Email: [email protected]
• Public hours: 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM, Monday to Friday

Which Registry to File At

Under Rule 3 of the Civil Claims Rules, you file at the registry nearest to where the defendant lives or does business, or where the event giving rise to the claim occurred. As a defendant, your case is already assigned to a registry — the registry location is printed on Form 1 (Statement of Claim). File your Form 2 (Statement of Defence) at that same registry.

If you believe the case is at the wrong registry (for example, the dispute happened in Hay River but was filed in Yellowknife), you can raise this issue, but file your defence first to preserve your deadline.

How to File at Each Registry

All three registries accept filings the same three ways:

1. In person at the counter during public hours. Bring your completed forms and staff will process them while you wait.

2. By mail to the registry's postal address. The filing date is when the registry receives your documents, not when you mail them. Build in a buffer for postal transit times — especially from remote communities.

3. By email as a signed PDF to the registry email address. Staff review the filing, apply the court seal, and return a processed copy electronically. This is often the most practical option for defendants in communities without a local registry.

What Registry Staff Can and Cannot Do

Registry clerks handle all the administrative tasks: accepting your filings, processing fees, scheduling hearing dates, and serving copies of your defence on the plaintiff.

They cannot help you with legal questions. Registry staff are prohibited by law from giving legal advice, reviewing whether your defence is strong enough, or suggesting what you should write on your forms. If you need that kind of guidance, the NWT Legal Aid Outreach Clinic offers free legal advice and coaching at (867) 767-9384 or toll-free 1-844-497-1319.

Circuit Court for Remote Communities

If you live outside Yellowknife, Hay River, or Inuvik, your hearing may take place during a circuit sitting. Territorial Court judges travel to communities across the Beaufort-Delta, Dehcho, Sahtu, North Slave, and South Slave regions. Circuit schedules are set six months in advance and published by the court.

If attending any location is impractical due to distance or weather, you can apply to participate by phone or video by filing Form 40 (Application to Judge) in advance.

The NWT small claims response guide includes the complete registry directory and a filing checklist to make sure your documents are accepted the first time.

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