Rule 149.01 Small Claims Court - Barring Use Thereof - When

If someone misuses small claims court to bother or harass another person, the judge can step in. The judge can issue a written order that stops that person from filing small claims cases for up to a year.

This rule exists to protect small claims court from being used as a tool for revenge or annoyance instead of settling real disputes. If a judge bans someone this way, the court sends a copy of the order to the state courts administrator. That office then shares the information with other small claims courts, so the ban applies statewide and not just in one courthouse.