What does a sale of goods claim have to show?

What was sold, for how much, and when. What went wrong, with the listing or description you relied on. That you asked for a refund or payment, when, and what happened.

How much can you claim in small claims court in California?

An individual can claim up to $12,500. A business can claim up to $6,250. A public agency can claim up to $6,250. That comes from Cal. Code Civ. Proc. §116.221, Cal. Code Civ. Proc. §116.220.

Sale of Goods claims in California

Use the day the item was delivered defective, never delivered, or never paid for.

The day the clock starts

The day the sale went wrong

What the claim has to show

What was sold, for how much, and when
What went wrong, with the listing or description you relied on
That you asked for a refund or payment, when, and what happened

What to bring

The listing, receipt, or bill of sale
Photos of the item
Payment records
Messages with the buyer or seller

How long you have

How long you have
Kind of claim	Window	Counted from	Rule
Sale of Goods	4 years	the day the payment was missed or the agreement was broken	Cal. Com. Code §2725

Worked example

If the day the payment was missed or the agreement was broken was 2026-03-15, a window of 4 years runs out on 2030-03-15. That is the same arithmetic the check uses: calendar months, clamped to the end of the month, and no roll forward to the next court day.

More about California

Common questions

When does the clock start on a sale of goods claim in California?: Use the day the item was delivered defective, never delivered, or never paid for.
How long do you have on a sale of goods claim in California?: 4 years, counted from the day the payment was missed or the agreement was broken, under Cal. Com. Code §2725.
What does a sale of goods claim have to show?: What was sold, for how much, and when. What went wrong, with the listing or description you relied on. That you asked for a refund or payment, when, and what happened.
How much can you claim in small claims court in California?: An individual can claim up to $12,500. A business can claim up to $6,250. A public agency can claim up to $6,250. That comes from Cal. Code Civ. Proc. §116.221, Cal. Code Civ. Proc. §116.220.

Verify with your court

Numbers change, and a court can post its own variation. Open California's small claims page and confirm anything you are about to rely on.

Open the court's small claims page

Verified on 2026-09-05, sources: Rules effective from 2026-01-01.

Cal. Com. Code §2725 · effective 1968-01-01 · A claim about a sale of goods must be filed within four years of the breach, whether the agreement was written or spoken.
Cal. Code Civ. Proc. §116.320 · effective 2008-01-01 · The claim form asks you to state that, where possible, you demanded payment before filing.
Cal. Code Civ. Proc. §116.221 · effective 2024-01-01 · An individual can bring a claim for up to $12,500 in small claims court.
Cal. Code Civ. Proc. §116.220 · effective 2024-01-01 · A business or agency can bring a claim for up to $6,250. Any claimant can give up the amount over the limit to stay in small claims.

FairSquare assembles documents and explains your court's rules. It is not a substitute for advice about your situation.