Table of Contents - Small Claims Rules

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Reg. 261/93 O.C. 1030/93 Deposited July 30, 1993 effective October 1, 1993 This consolidation is current to July 7, 2026. Link to consolidated regulation (PDF) Link to Point in Time Court Rules Act and Small Claims Act Small Claims Rules [Last amended May 4, 2026 by B.C. Reg. 31/2026] Contents Introduction Definitions Rule 1 — Making a Claim (1) Completing a notice of claim (2) Filing a notice of claim (2.1) If the defendant is a company (2.2) If the defendant is a society (3) If a claimant wants to claim against more than one defendant (4) If the claim is for more than $35 000 (4.1) Litigation guardian needs Public Guardian and Trustee's consent (5) Abandoning part of a claim (6) Effect of abandoning part of a claim (7) Effect of transfer on abandonment Rule 1.1 — Process for Making a Claim if Proceedings Previously Initiated before Civil Resolution Tribunal (1) Definitions Application of this Rule (2) Claim to which this rule applies Making a Claim (3) Completing a notice of civil resolution tribunal claim (4) Identification of parties for notice of civil resolution tribunal claim (5) Filing a notice of civil resolution tribunal claim (6) If the defendant or third party is a company (7) If the defendant or third party is a society (8) Documents to be filed with the notice of civil resolution tribunal claim (9) Claim continued (9.1) Claimant who is not the filing party must file an address for service Serving a Notice of Civil Resolution Tribunal Claim (10) What must be served on the other parties? (11) How to serve an individual (12) How to serve a company (13) How to serve an extraprovincial company (14) How to serve a partnership (15) Other service rules — see Rule 18 (16) Application of Rule 18 in relation to third parties (17) Time limit for service (17.1) If a party has not filed an address for service Replying to a Claim Continued under this Rule (18) Previous response continued as a reply (18.1) Defendant who is not the filing party must file an address for service (19) Rule 3 does not apply (20) What are a defendant's options? (21) How does a defendant reply? (22) Where does a defendant file a reply? (23) Time limit for replying (24) How a reply is served (25) How an admission is accepted Making a Claim Against a Claimant (26) Restrictions on making a counterclaim if proceeding started by notice of civil resolution tribunal claim (27) Claim made before civil resolution tribunal continued as a counterclaim (28) Rule 4 does not apply (29) Previous response continued as a reply (30) Rule 3 does not apply (31) What are the claimant's options? (32) How a claimant replies (33) How a reply is served (34) How an admission is accepted Third Parties (35) Restrictions on making a third party claim if proceeding started by notice of civil resolution tribunal claim (36) Claim made to civil resolution tribunal continued as a claim against third party (37) Subrules do not apply (38) Previous response continued as a reply (38.1) Third party must file an address for service (39) How a third party replies (40)-(41.33) Repealed Material to be Filed before Settlement or Trial Conference (42) Filing party must file a certificate of compliance (43) Repealed (44) Attachments to be filed in personal injury cases (45) If filing party is not ready to file certificate of compliance (46) Certificate of compliance must be served on other parties (47) Registrar must schedule settlement conference or trial conference (48) Certificate to be filed in personal injury cases (49) If a party is not ready to file certificate of readiness (50) Certificate of readiness must be served on other parties Rule 2 — Serving a Notice of Claim (1) Who must be served? (2) How to serve an individual (3) How to serve a company (4) How to serve an extraprovincial company (5) How to serve a partnership (6) Other service rules — see Rule 18 (7) Time limit for service Rule 3 — Replying to a Claim Made by a Notice of Claim (1) What are a defendant's options? (2) How does a defendant reply? (3) Where does a defendant file a reply? (4) Time limit for replying (5) How a reply is served (6) How an admission is accepted Rule 4 — Making a Claim Against a Claimant (1) Making a counterclaim (2) When a counterclaim is served (3) What are the claimant's options? (3.1) How a claimant replies (3.2) How an admission is accepted (4) If a counterclaim is for more than $35 000 (5) How to abandon part of a counterclaim (6) Effect of abandoning part of a counterclaim (7) If a defendant begins a Supreme Court action (8) If the small claims trial is held first (9) If a claimant has already abandoned part of a claim Rule 5 — Third Parties (1) If a defendant thinks someone else should pay the claim (2) Filing a third party notice (2.1) If the third party is a company (2.2) If the third party is a society (3) What documents must be served on the third party? (4) How to serve the third party (5) Filing a certificate of service (5.1) If a certificate of service is not filed within 30 days (6) Notifying the other parties (7) How a third party replies (8) What a judge may do (9) Another settlement conference must be held Rule 6 — If a Defendant Does Not Reply to a Claim (1) A claimant may ask for a default order (2) Judge's permission needed in certain cases (3) How to ask for a default order (4) If a claim is for a debt (5) If a claim is not for a debt (5.1) Submit documents to registry before hearing (6) If there are other defendants (7) No notice of hearing (8) A defendant loses the right to reply (9) Purpose of hearing (10) Result of hearing (11) If a claimant does not attend (12) How payment may be collected Rule 7 — The Settlement Conference (1) Settlement conference (2) Settlement conference not required (2.1) Some motor vehicle accident cases proceed directly to trial (2.2) Some cases proceed directly to trial conference (3) Notice of settlement conference (4) Who must attend (5) Relevant documents and reports (6) Expenses for attending settlement conference unprepared (7) How to change a settlement conference date (8) Notice of change of date (9) Certificate to be filed in personal injury cases (10) If the claimant is not ready to file certificate (11) Certificate must be served on other parties (12) Defendant may request a medical report (13) Report to be given to claimant and provided to registry (14) What happens at a settlement conference (14.1) If settlement conference judge orders parties to attend trial by telephone, video conference or other means of electronic communication (15) If a party does not comply with a disclosure order (16) If a payment order is made (17) If a party does not attend (18) Notice of trial date (19) Place of the trial (20) If a party does not comply with a settlement agreement (21) Settlement conference — transition Rule 7.1 — Transfers and Multiple Claims (1) Transfer of claim to Supreme Court (2) Exception (3) Personal injury claims (4) Multiple claims Rule 7.2 (1)-(4.2) Repealed (5)-(21) Repealed (22)-(37) Repealed Rule 7.21 — Transitional Provisions for Rules 7.2 and 7.4 (1) Transitional provision for Rule 7.2 (2) Transitional provision for Rule 7.4 Rule 7.3 — Mediation for Claims Between $10 000 and $35 000 (1) Definitions General Information (2) Proceedings to which this rule applies (3) Claims to which this rule does not apply (4) When this rule ceases to apply How Mediation is Begun (5) Initiating mediation (6) When Notice to Mediate for Claims Between $10 000 and $35 000 must be delivered (7) Not more than one mediation under this rule in any proceeding (8) Rule does not apply unless mediation is initiated under subrules (5) and (6) Appointing the Mediator (9) Appointment of mediator (10) Application to roster organization (11) Roster organization's appointment procedure (12) Notification of selection of mediator (13) Deemed date of appointment of mediator (14) Replacement of appointed mediator (15) Mediator's role Mediation Sessions (16) Scheduling of mediation session (17) Attending the mediation session (18) Attending the mediation session in a motor vehicle action (19) Requirements on parties who attend mediation (20) Representative may attend for any party who is not an individual (21) Authority of representative (22) Party or representative may be accompanied by a lawyer (23) Other persons may attend with consent (24) Attending a mediation session by telephone, video conference or other means of electronic communication (25) Application to attend mediation by telephone, video conference or other means of electronic communication (26) Late application to attend mediation by telephone, video conference or other means of electronic communication (27) If application is granted (28) How to apply for exemption (29) When a judge may grant an exemption (30) Adjourning a mediation session (31) Date may be changed to avoid hardship (32) Notice of change of date Costs of Mediation (33) Fee declaration (34) Corporation may sign by representative (35) Form of fee declaration (36) Costs may be paid on a different basis Default (37) If a party does not attend (38) What the registrar will do if a claimant does not attend (39) If a defendant or insurer does not attend (40) Application for default order (41) If no party attends (42) Cancellation of a dismissal or default order (43) What application must contain (44) If a judge cancels a dismissal or default order Confidentiality of Mediation Information (45) Disclosure and compellability (46) Exceptions (47) No restriction on otherwise producible information Concluding Mediation (48) If the parties reach agreement on all or some issues (49) If payment terms are not complied with (50) If other terms are not complied with (51) Mediation compensation order (52) If a dispute is not resolved (53) Concluding a mediation Rule 7.4 (1)-(4) Repealed (5)-(7) Repealed (8) Repealed (9)-(30) Repealed (31)-(46) Repealed Rule 7.5 — Trial Conferences (1) Claims to which this rule applies (2) Trial conference (3) Notice of trial conference (4) Changing a trial conference date (5) Application to change date at least 7 days before trial conference (6) Application to change date within 7 days before trial conference (7) Unreasonably inconvenient (8) Notice of change of date (9) What the parties must file before the trial conference (10) Serving the trial statement on other parties (11) Who must attend the trial conference (12) When a party is not required to attend (12.1) Representative attending must have authority to settle (13) Lawyer or articling student may accompany attendee (13.1) Defendant may request a medical report (13.2) Medical report to be given to claimant and registry (14) What happens at a trial conference (14.1) If trial conference judge orders parties to attend trial by telephone, video conference or other means of electronic communication (15) If a party does not comply with orders made at the trial conference (16) If a payment order is made (17) If a defendant or third party does not attend (18) If a claimant does not attend (19) Trial conferences — transition Rule 8 — Changing or Withdrawing a Claim or Reply, Etc. (1) Any filed document may be changed (1.1) Proceeding started by notice of civil resolution tribunal claim — any filed document may be changed with permission of judge (2) How to change a document (3) Filing and serving a revised document (3.1) If a revised document is served (3.2) No default order for failure to change reply (4) Withdrawal of claim or other filed document (5) Repealed (6) Effect of withdrawing (7) Claimant can change amount of claim up to $35 000 (8) Defendant can change amount of counterclaim up to $35 000 (9) How to change amount of claim or counterclaim (10) When notice of claim or reply may be changed (11) Changed notice of claim or reply must be filed and served (12) Reply may but need not be filed (13) Repealed Rule 9 — Witnesses (1) How a witness is told to attend court (2) Travelling and other attendance expenses (3) Summons not always necessary (3.1) How to change a witness's method of attendance (3.2) Trial judge may change a witness's method of attendance (4) What a witness served with a summons must do (5) Summons may be cancelled or varied (5.1) If a judge changes a witness's method of attendance (6) If a summons is cancelled (7) If a witness does not obey a summons (8) Cancellation of warrant (9) What the judge or justice may do when witness appears Rule 9.1 — Simplified Trials for Claims up to $10 000 (Pilot Project — Robson Square and Richmond Small Claims Registries) (1) Definition Application of this Rule (2) Claims to which this rule applies (3) Claims to which this rule does not apply (4) When this rule ceases to apply (5) If the claim is for more than $10 000 (6) How to abandon part of a claim (7) Effect of abandoning part of a claim (8) If a counterclaim is for more than $10 000 (9) How to abandon part of a counterclaim (10) Effect of abandoning part of a counterclaim (10.1) Claimant can change amount of claim up to $10 000 (10.2) Defendant can change amount of counterclaim up to $10 000 (10.3) How to change amount of claim or counterclaim (10.4) When notice of claim or reply must not be changed (10.5) Changed notice of claim or reply must be filed and served (10.6) Reply may but need not be filed (11) Effect if defendant does not abandon part of a counterclaim Trial Date (12) Notice of trial (13) How to change a trial date (14) Date may be changed to avoid unreasonable inconvenience (15) Unreasonably inconvenient (16) Notice of change of date What the Parties Must Do Before the Trial (17) What the parties must file before the trial (18) Serving the trial statement on other parties (19) If a party does not comply with subrule (17) or (18) How a Trial is Conducted (20) How a trial may be conducted (21) Before a trial begins (22) How the trial is conducted (23) Evidence to be sworn (24) Length of trial (25) Orders respecting completion of adjourned trial If a Party Does Not Attend the Trial (26) If a defendant or third party does not attend (27) If a claimant does not attend Adjudicator's Decision (28) Adjudicator's decision after the trial (29) If the oral decision is given later (30) When written decision effective Application of other Rules (31) Application of other rules Rule 9.2 — Summary Trial for Financial Debt (Pilot Project — Robson Square Small Claims Registry) (1) Claims to which this rule applies (2) Notice of trial (3) How to change a trial date (4) Date may be changed to avoid unreasonable inconvenience (5) Unreasonably inconvenient (6) Notice of change of date (7) What the parties must file before the trial (8) What the parties must serve on the other parties before trial (9) How evidence will be heard at a trial (10) Evidence to be sworn (11) If a defendant or third party does not attend (12) If a claimant does not attend (13) Judge's decision at the trial (14) Additional orders made by judge Rule 10 — The Trial (0.1) Claims to which this rule does not apply (1) How evidence will be heard at a trial (2) Evidence to be sworn (3) Experts' evidence — advance notice of evidence required (4) Experts' reports must be given in advance (5) Experts' qualifications (6) Experts may be called for cross-examination (7) Cost of calling other party's expert (8) Estimates (9) If a defendant does not attend (10) If a claimant does not attend (11) Judge's decision after the trial (12) If the decision is given later (13) When decision effective Rule 10.1 — Offer to Settle (0.1) Claims to which this rule does not apply (1) Any party may offer to settle (2) Time limit for offering to settle (3) How an offer is accepted (4) Acceptance of offer deemed to be a payment order (5) If an offer is rejected by claimant (6) If an offer is rejected by defendant (7) Amount of penalty (8) What the judge must consider (9) Other offers to settle (10) Money paid into court after garnishing order (11) Disclosure to judge (12) Multiple defendants (13) Multiple claimants (14) Counterclaims and third party claims (15) Third party claims Rule 10.2 (1)-(7) Repealed Rule 11 — Payment of the Judgment (1) Payment order (2) Payment deferral (3) Creditor to be consulted (4) If the creditor agrees (5) If the creditor does not agree (6) No collection while payments being made (7) If no order is made (8) If a judge orders a payment hearing (9) Registrar's payment order (10) Registrar may make some orders without a hearing (11) How payment may be collected (11.1) Address for service form (12) When an order for seizure and sale may be issued (13) How long an order for seizure and sale is in effect (14) If a debtor does not obey a payment schedule (15) If a decision is reserved (16) If a payment order is made in favour of a young person (17) Collection while payment hearing outstanding (18) Collection after warrant for arrest ordered Rule 12 — Payment Hearing (1) Purpose of a payment hearing (2) Parties may request a payment hearing If a Creditor Asks for a Payment Hearing (3) How a creditor asks for a payment hearing (4) When a creditor is not allowed to ask for a payment hearing (5) If the debtor is a corporation (6) If the debtor is a partnership (7) Service of the summons (8) Summons may be cancelled if wrong person summoned (9) What a person summoned by a creditor must file (9.1) What a person summoned by a creditor must serve (9.2) Debtor must update statement of finances if necessary If a Debtor Asks for a Payment Hearing (10) How a debtor asks for a payment hearing (10.1) Address for service form (11) Service of notice on creditor (11.1) What a debtor must file if the debtor asks for a payment hearing (11.2) What a debtor must serve if the debtor asks for a payment hearing (11.3) Debtor must update statement of finances if necessary If a Judge Orders a Payment Hearing (11.4) What a person must file if a judge orders a payment hearing (11.5) What a person must serve if a judge orders a payment hearing (11.6) Debtor must update statement of finances if necessary What Happens at a Payment Hearing (12) What happens at a payment hearing? (13) A payment schedule may be ordered (14) If a creditor does not attend (15) If a person summoned or ordered to attend does not attend (16) Debtor may swear or affirm — statement of finances Rule 13 — Default Hearing (1) When a creditor may ask for a default hearing (2) How a creditor asks for a default hearing (3) If the debtor is a corporation (4) If the debtor is a partnership (5) Service of the summons (5.1) What must be served with the summons (6) What a person who is served with a summons must file (6.1) What a person who is served with a summons must serve (6.2) Debtor must update statement of finances if necessary (7) What the judge may do at a default hearing (8) Judge may order debtor imprisoned (9) If a person does not attend (10) Debtor may swear or affirm — statement of finances Rule 14 — Warrant of Arrest for Not Attending Court (1) Notice of arrest (2) What a person may do after receiving a notice of arrest (3) Sheriff or peace officer may arrest (4) Sheriff or peace officer must bring arrested person to court (5) What a judge or justice may do (6) Cancellation of warrant (7) If a person fails to appear as ordered (8) How long the warrant is in effect Rule 15 — If a Warrant of Imprisonment Is Issued (1) Imprisonment (2) How long the warrant is in effect (3) Debtor may pay (4) What the registrar does after receiving payment (5) Release after payment (6) Money to be given to the creditor (7) Imprisonment does not cancel the debt Rule 16 — Applications to the Court (1) Consent orders (1.1) No consent orders to change method of attendance for a trial, payment hearing or default hearing (2) Some applications may be granted without a hearing (2.1) If a registrar orders a different method of attendance (3) How to apply to a registrar (3.1) Applicant must file and serve address for service (4) Registrar may prepare the order or refer it to a judge (5) What the judge may do (6) Some applications require a hearing (6.1) Orders that do not require a hearing (6.2) Judge or justice may require a hearing (6.3) Service of application and method of attendance if hearing is required (7) How to apply to a judge (7.1) Repealed (7.2) How to apply to a judge or justice for an order without a hearing (7.3) Cost of method of attendance (7.4) Judge or justice must direct where or how to attend (7.5) When registrar must send amended notice (8) Application may be filed at another registry (9) Applicant must serve notice (9.1) Documents to support an application (9.2) Repealed (9.3) Service of documents to support an application (9.4) How to respond to an application (9.5) Documents to support a response (10) Service not required in urgent cases (11) Where the application will be heard (12) Applicant must serve order on other parties Rule 16.1 — Application for Exemption from Adjudication of Claim by Civil Resolution Tribunal (1) How to apply for an order that civil resolution tribunal not adjudicate claim (2) Filing an application (3) Time limit for filing application (4) Documents to be filed with the application (5) Applicant must serve notice (6) Service not required in urgent cases (7) Repealed Rule 17 — General (1) Changing or cancelling orders made in the absence of a party other than dismissal orders or default orders (2) Cancelling dismissal order or default order (3) Terms of payment schedule may be changed or cancelled (4) Judge may make orders subject to conditions (5) Judge may cancel, postpone or adjourn conferences or hearings (5.1) Postponement or adjournment of a trial (5.2) Fee to postpone or adjourn a trial (5.3) Time to pay fee to postpone or adjourn a trial (5.4) Failure to pay fee to postpone or adjourn a trial (5.5) Where in-person appearances take place (6) Judge may change place of a hearing (7) Chief judge may change place of conferences and hearings (8) Creditor may enforce order at another place (9) When orders take effect (10) First and last days are not counted (11) If the last day is a holiday (12) Judge may extend or shorten times (13) If a party does not obey the rules (14) Correction of orders (15) Judge has registrar's powers (16) Repealed (16.1) Application to change method of attendance (16.2) Repealed (16.3) Participants may be required to appear in person (17) Faxed documents (18) Supreme Court Civil Rules (19) Settlements involving young persons (20) How the parties may be represented (21) Party may appeal the registrar's decision (22) What the judge may do (23) Physical presence not required (24) Hearing or conference has an associated physical location (25) Default method of attendance (26) Direction of chief judge (27) Classes of conferences or hearings Rule 17.1 — Procedures in Fax Filing Pilot Project Registries (1) Definition (2) Application of this rule (3) When a fax filing may be refused (4) When a fax filing is filed (5) When a fax filing is considered to be filed (6) Original of fax filing may be required by judge Rule 18 — Other Rules about Service and Proving Service (1) How to serve a notice of claim or notice of civil resolution tribunal claim on a municipality (2) How to serve a notice of claim or notice of civil resolution tribunal claim on a young person (3) How to serve a society (4) How to serve an extraprovincial non-share corporation (5) How to serve an unincorporated association and trade union (6) Service of a notice of claim or notice of civil resolution tribunal claim outside British Columbia (6.1) How to serve a corporation outside British Columbia (7)-(7.1) Repealed (8) If there is difficulty finding a defendant (8.1) If there is difficulty finding a defendant for service of a notice of civil resolution tribunal claim (9) When another service method is permitted (10) Effect of using another service method (11) Notice by advertisement (12) Service of other documents or notices (13) When service by mail is effected (14) Written proof of service (15) Oral proof of service (16) Change of address (17) Types of addresses for service (18) When service by email is deemed to be completed (19) If document, record or other thing does not reach a person (20) Address for service must be filed (21) Repealed Rule 19 — Contempt (1) Consequences of refusing to comply at a hearing (2) If the claimant or applicant refuses to comply (3) If the defendant or third party refuses to comply (4) Release from imprisonment for contempt Rule 20 — Fees and Expenses (1) If a person cannot afford the fees (2) Successful party to receive filing and service fees (3) Determination of expenses (4) Registrar's determination (5) A judge may order a penalty (6) Compensation for unnecessary expenses (7) Compensation for collection expenses Rule 21 — Use of Forms (1) Forms are in Schedule B (2) Registrar may refuse to accept improper forms (3)-(5) Repealed Rule 22 — Electronic Filing Rule (1) Application of Supreme Court Civil Rules (2) Qualifications (3) Original documents (4) Repealed Schedule A Schedule B Schedules C, D and E 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