Bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session

SB 787

Relating to: increasing jurisdictional amounts in small claims actions. (FE)

Consumer protection Credit Crime and criminals Damage personal injury Small claims court

Introduced, completed
Passes Senate, completed
Passes Assembly, completed
Governor signs, completed
Law, completed

Unfamiliar terms? Glossary

What this bill does

Plain-language analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau

Under current law, with certain exceptions, civil actions in which the amount claimed is $10,000 or less and actions for replevin in which the value of the property does not exceed $10,000 must generally be tried in small claims court. This bill increases the $10,000 limit for those cases to $15,000 on January 1, 2027, to $20,000 on January 1, 2028, and to $25,000 on January 1, 2029.

The bill also increases the jurisdictional limit for third-party complaints, personal injury claims, and actions based in tort from $5,000 to $15,000 on January 1, 2027, to $20,000 on January 1, 2028, and to $25,000 on January 1, 2029.

Current law provides that certain consumer transactions and leases are not covered by the Wisconsin Consumer Act and, if the amount financed is $25,000 or less, these actions must be brought in small claims court. The bill increases that amount to $32,500 on January 1, 2027, to $40,000 on January 1, 2028, and to $50,000 on January 1, 2029.

The bill also requires that, beginning five years after the effective date of the last statutory increases made by the bill, these small claims jurisdictional amounts be adjusted every five years to reflect any changes in the U.S. consumer price index.

What it would cost

Fiscal estimates filed by state agencies, as official PDFs

Fiscal Estimate From CTS

Registered lobbying interests · 6

Organizations that registered lobbying activity on this bill with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission. Registration means interest, not a position for or against. Official record

Votes

Senate: Report adoption of Senate Substitute Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 8, Noes 0

Passed 8–0 Feb 2, 2026 official source full page

No individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Senate: Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 8, Noes 0