How to bring text messages to small claims court
Check your court’s website or clerk for its exhibit rules, then bring printed copies of the relevant conversation with the date, time and sender on every message, usually one for the judge, one for the other side and one for you. Bring the phone too, charged and unlocked by you, so the judge can see the original messages if asked.
Prepare the copies
- Export the conversation, or the date range that matters, so every message shows its date, time and the sender’s number.
- Print as many copies as the court asks for. Three is common: the judge, the other side and you.
- Label it as the court wants, for example Exhibit A, and number the pages.
- On your own copy only, mark the messages you want to point to. Keep the copies you hand over clean.
On the day
- Bring the phone, charged, with the conversation still on it.
- Know where the key messages are: page numbers make it easy to say "page 4, the message at 9:52 AM".
- Keep it short. Judges in small claims have little time; lead with the few messages that show the agreement, the promise or the notice.
Screenshots or an export?
Small claims courts often accept screenshots, but a clean printout with dates, times and numbers is easier for a judge to follow and harder for the other side to dispute as incomplete. See are screenshots admissible.
What to keep in mind
- This is general information, not legal advice. Small claims rules differ by state and court; some require you to send exhibits to the other side before the hearing.
- Do not edit or annotate the copies you submit.
Questions
Can I just show the judge my phone?
Some judges will look, but most want copies they can keep with the file. Bring both.
Do I need a lawyer for small claims?
Many people go without one; some states do not allow lawyers in small claims at all. Your court’s self-help pages explain the rules.
How many messages should I print?
Enough to show the full context of what matters, usually the whole exchange around the key dates, not single messages cut out of it.
Export the whole conversation
TextExhibit turns a conversation into one PDF with exact times, names and numbers, photos in place and page numbers, on your Mac. Free to preview; $24.99 once to export.