Tennessee Small Claims Court Forms: The Civil Warrant and What You Need
If you are searching for a Tennessee small claims court complaint form, you will not find one — because it does not exist. Tennessee calls its initiating document a Civil Warrant, and each county's General Sessions Court clerk provides its own version of the form.
That terminology gap trips up most first-time filers. Here is what forms you actually need and how to get them filled out correctly.
The Civil Warrant Is Your Main Form
The Civil Warrant is the only form required to start a civil case in General Sessions Court. It serves as both the complaint and the summons: it states your claim and notifies the defendant of the hearing date.
There is no single statewide form number. Davidson County's Civil Warrant looks different from Knox County's, which looks different from Shelby County's. The required information is the same across all 95 counties:
- Plaintiff name and address — your full legal name and mailing address
- Defendant name and physical address — the person or entity you are suing, with a street address where they can be served (not a P.O. box)
- Cause of action — a brief statement of why you are suing (breach of contract, unpaid debt, property damage, etc.)
- Amount claimed — the specific dollar amount, which cannot exceed $25,000
- Your signature — or your attorney's signature
Where to Get the Form
Three options, depending on your county:
In person at the clerk's office. Walk up to the General Sessions Clerk's window and ask for a blank Civil Warrant. The clerk will hand you the form and can tell you the filing fee. This works in every county.
By mail. Some counties accept mailed filings. Send a completed warrant with a check or money order for the filing fee and a self-addressed stamped envelope. Call the clerk's office first to confirm they accept mail filings and get the exact fee amount.
Online (metropolitan counties only). Davidson County offers electronic filing through an eFile portal linked to the Circuit Court Clerk system. Shelby County uses the eFlex platform (operated by Tybera). You create an account, upload a PDF of the completed warrant, and pay fees by credit card. Most rural counties do not have e-filing — paper at the counter is the only option.
The Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts (tncourts.gov) maintains a self-help section with some standardized forms, including the Uniform Civil Affidavit of Indigency for fee waivers. But the Civil Warrant itself is county-specific, so the AOC site will not have your county's version.
What to Attach to the Civil Warrant
If your claim is based on a written document — a signed contract, a promissory note, an itemized account statement — attach a copy to the warrant. This is required, not optional. The clerk may reject your filing without it.
For claims not based on a written agreement (property damage, personal injury, conversion of property), no attachment is required, but bringing supporting documentation to the hearing is still essential.
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Other Forms You Might Need
Beyond the Civil Warrant, a few other forms come up during the life of a case:
| Form | When You Need It | Where to Get It |
|---|---|---|
| Uniform Civil Affidavit of Indigency | You cannot afford filing fees | tncourts.gov or the clerk's office |
| Subpoena | You need a witness or documents at trial | Clerk's office; fees depend on county and service method (Davidson County's researched total is $62 for sheriff service) |
| Alias Civil Warrant | Defendant could not be found for service | Clerk's office (reissues the warrant) |
| Execution or Garnishment | You won and need to collect the judgment | Clerk's office ($25 fee) |
Copy Requirements
When you file, bring the original Civil Warrant plus one copy for each defendant. If you are suing two people, that means the original plus two copies — three total documents. The clerk keeps the original and sends the copies out for service.
Filling Out the Form Correctly
Two mistakes sink more cases than anything else:
Wrong defendant name. If you are suing a business, the Civil Warrant must show the entity's exact registered name — not the storefront name or DBA. Search the Tennessee Secretary of State business database before you file. If the business operates under a trade name, name the individual owner alongside the DBA (for example, "John Smith d/b/a Smith Roofing").
Vague cause of action. "The defendant owes me money" is not enough. Write a specific statement: "Breach of written contract for residential painting services — defendant accepted $4,500 deposit on March 15, 2026, and abandoned the job without completing work." The judge reads this before your hearing.
Next Steps After Filing
Once the clerk accepts your warrant and payment, they assign a hearing date (typically 30–60 days out) and send the warrant to the sheriff or your chosen process server for delivery to the defendant.
Our Tennessee Small Claims Filing Guide covers the full process — from the demand letter through evidence preparation and the hearing — including a county-specific fee reference and Civil Warrant completion walkthrough.
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