Legal Guide•BC
Small Claims in British Columbia: Provincial Court vs. the CRT
BC splits small claims between the Civil Resolution Tribunal (up to $5,000) and Provincial Court ($5,001–$35,000). Here is how each works.
Two forums, one goal
British Columbia divides most small money disputes between two forums:
- Civil Resolution Tribunal (CRT) — claims up to $5,000. An online tribunal; most steps happen through the CRT portal.
- Provincial Court (Small Claims) — claims from $5,001 to $35,000.
The CRT process
- Solution Explorer — free online tool that provides legal information and self-help options.
- Application for dispute resolution — filed online with a modest fee.
- Facilitation — a CRT case manager works with both parties to negotiate a resolution.
- Adjudication — if no agreement, a tribunal member decides the dispute, usually on written submissions.
CRT decisions can be enforced by filing them in the BC Provincial Court or Supreme Court.
The Provincial Court process
- Notice of Claim — filed at the registry nearest where the defendant lives or where the transaction happened.
- Reply — the defendant has 14 days after service (30 if served outside BC).
- Settlement conference — mandatory in most registries; a judge explores resolution.
- Trial — if unresolved, a Provincial Court judge hears evidence and decides.
Some registries (notably Vancouver's Robson Square) route claims through mediation programs or simplified trials — the procedure varies by registry, which is a common trap for self-represented parties.
Which forum do you need?
If your claim exceeds $5,000 you may abandon the excess to stay in the CRT, or file in Provincial Court. Strategy matters: costs, speed, the nature of the evidence, and whether oral testimony will help you all factor in.