Rhode Island Small Claims Court Locations and Divisions

Rhode Island District Court splits small claims across four active divisions, and filing in the wrong one can mean a venue transfer or a dismissed case. You file where the defendant lives or does business, or where the transaction took place — not where you live.

6th Division — Providence (Garrahy Judicial Complex)

Address: One Dorrance Plaza, Providence, RI 02903 Phone: (401) 458-5400 Clerk's Office: 4th Floor

The 6th Division covers the largest territory in the state. If your defendant is in any of these towns, this is your courthouse: Barrington, Burrillville, Central Falls, Cranston, Cumberland, East Providence, Foster, Glocester, Lincoln, North Providence, Pawtucket, Providence, Scituate, Smithfield, or Woonsocket.

This is where most small claims cases are filed, simply because the 6th Division covers the majority of Rhode Island's population. The clerk's office is on the 4th floor of the Garrahy Judicial Complex in downtown Providence.

2nd Division — Newport (Murray Judicial Complex)

Address: 45 Washington Square, Newport, RI 02840 Phone: (401) 841-8350 Clerk's Office: 1st Floor

Covers Jamestown, Little Compton, Middletown, Newport, Portsmouth, and Tiverton. If your dispute involves a landlord, contractor, or business on Aquidneck Island or in the East Bay towns south of Bristol, this is your division.

3rd Division — Warwick (Noel Judicial Complex)

Address: 222 Quaker Lane, Warwick, RI 02886 Phone: (401) 822-6750 Clerk's Office: 2nd Floor

Covers Coventry, East Greenwich, Warwick, West Greenwich, and West Warwick, plus certain designated State Police jurisdictions. The courthouse is on Quaker Lane near the Route 2 corridor.

4th Division — Wakefield (McGrath Judicial Complex)

Address: 4800 Tower Hill Road, Wakefield, RI 02879 Phone: (401) 782-4131 Clerk's Office: 1st Floor

Covers Charlestown, Hopkinton, Narragansett, North Kingstown, Richmond, South Kingstown (Wakefield), and Westerly. This is the division for South County disputes.

How to Determine the Right Division

Venue is based on the defendant's location, not yours. If you live in Providence but the contractor who took your deposit operates out of Warwick, you file in the 3rd Division.

For corporate defendants, check where the defendant has its principal place of business or where the transaction occurred when determining venue. Use the registered agent's address on the Rhode Island Secretary of State database at business.sos.ri.gov to arrange service.

If the defendant lives in one division but the transaction happened in another, either division may be proper. When in doubt, call the clerk's office at the division you plan to use and ask whether they cover your situation.

If the plaintiff is a corporation with assets under $1,000,000, the filing instructions require filing in the division where the defendant resides.

Filing in a division that does not have venue over the defendant risks a motion to transfer or a dismissal, and you do not get your $75.75 filing fee back.

What About Towns Not Listed?

Rhode Island District Court has four active divisions: the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 6th. If you cannot find a specific town in the lists above, check the judiciary website at courts.ri.gov or contact the District Court before filing.

The Filing a Small Claims Case in Rhode Island guide includes a division lookup reference and a venue verification worksheet so you file in the correct courthouse on your first attempt.

See more Rhode Island guides →