diff --git a/.changeset/short-mirrors-play.md b/.changeset/short-mirrors-play.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e35d567
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/short-mirrors-play.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@codebelt/classy-store": patch
+---
+
+add `useLocalStore` hook for component-scoped reactive stores with tests and documentation
diff --git a/src/react/react.test.tsx b/src/react/react.test.tsx
index b57ba5a..30dcb9f 100644
--- a/src/react/react.test.tsx
+++ b/src/react/react.test.tsx
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import {afterEach, describe, expect, it, mock} from 'bun:test';
 import {act, type ReactNode} from 'react';
 import {createRoot} from 'react-dom/client';
 import {createClassyStore} from '../core/core';
-import {useStore} from './react';
+import {useLocalStore, useStore} from './react';
 
 // ── Test harness ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
@@ -370,3 +370,155 @@ describe('useStore — auto-tracked mode', () => {
     expect(container.textContent).toBe('40');
   });
 });
+
+// ── useLocalStore tests ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+describe('useLocalStore', () => {
+  afterEach(teardown);
+
+  it('creates a component-scoped store and renders state', () => {
+    class Counter {
+      count = 42;
+    }
+
+    function Display() {
+      const store = useLocalStore(() => new Counter());
+      const count = useStore(store, (snap) => snap.count);
+      return <div>{count}</div>;
+    }
+
+    setup();
+    render(<Display />);
+    expect(container.textContent).toBe('42');
+  });
+
+  it('responds to mutations on the local store', async () => {
+    class Counter {
+      count = 0;
+      increment() {
+        this.count++;
+      }
+    }
+
+    let storeRef: Counter;
+
+    function Display() {
+      const store = useLocalStore(() => new Counter());
+      storeRef = store;
+      const count = useStore(store, (snap) => snap.count);
+      return <div>{count}</div>;
+    }
+
+    setup();
+    render(<Display />);
+    expect(container.textContent).toBe('0');
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      storeRef.increment();
+      await flush();
+    });
+
+    expect(container.textContent).toBe('1');
+  });
+
+  it('each component instance gets its own isolated store', () => {
+    class Counter {
+      count: number;
+      constructor(initial: number) {
+        this.count = initial;
+      }
+    }
+
+    function Display({initial}: {initial: number}) {
+      const store = useLocalStore(() => new Counter(initial));
+      const count = useStore(store, (snap) => snap.count);
+      return <div data-initial={initial}>{count}</div>;
+    }
+
+    setup();
+    render(
+      <>
+        <Display initial={10} />
+        <Display initial={20} />
+      </>,
+    );
+
+    const divs = container.querySelectorAll('div');
+    expect(divs[0].textContent).toBe('10');
+    expect(divs[1].textContent).toBe('20');
+  });
+
+  it('works with computed getters', async () => {
+    class Store {
+      count = 5;
+      get doubled() {
+        return this.count * 2;
+      }
+      setCount(value: number) {
+        this.count = value;
+      }
+    }
+
+    let storeRef: Store;
+
+    function Display() {
+      const store = useLocalStore(() => new Store());
+      storeRef = store;
+      const doubled = useStore(store, (snap) => snap.doubled);
+      return <div>{doubled}</div>;
+    }
+
+    setup();
+    render(<Display />);
+    expect(container.textContent).toBe('10');
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      storeRef.setCount(20);
+      await flush();
+    });
+
+    expect(container.textContent).toBe('40');
+  });
+
+  it('works with auto-tracked mode', async () => {
+    class Store {
+      name = 'hello';
+      count = 0;
+    }
+
+    let storeRef: Store;
+    const renderCount = mock(() => {});
+
+    function Display() {
+      const store = useLocalStore(() => new Store());
+      storeRef = store;
+      const snap = useStore(store);
+      renderCount();
+      return <div>{snap.name}</div>;
+    }
+
+    setup();
+    render(<Display />);
+    expect(container.textContent).toBe('hello');
+    expect(renderCount).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+
+    // Change name — accessed by component → should re-render.
+    await act(async () => {
+      storeRef.name = 'world';
+      await flush();
+    });
+
+    expect(container.textContent).toBe('world');
+    expect(renderCount).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+
+    // Change count — NOT accessed by component, but auto-tracked mode
+    // re-renders because the snapshot reference changes on any mutation.
+    // (Documented behavior — see "Set-then-revert" in TUTORIAL.md.)
+    await act(async () => {
+      storeRef.count = 99;
+      await flush();
+    });
+
+    expect(renderCount).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(3);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/react/react.ts b/src/react/react.ts
index 8905c2b..832a47b 100644
--- a/src/react/react.ts
+++ b/src/react/react.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 import {createProxy, isChanged} from 'proxy-compare';
-import {useCallback, useRef, useSyncExternalStore} from 'react';
-import {subscribe as coreSubscribe, getInternal} from '../core/core';
+import {useCallback, useRef, useState, useSyncExternalStore} from 'react';
+import {
+  subscribe as coreSubscribe,
+  createClassyStore,
+  getInternal,
+} from '../core/core';
 import {snapshot} from '../snapshot/snapshot';
 import type {Snapshot} from '../types';
 
@@ -161,3 +165,34 @@ function getAutoTrackSnapshot<T extends object>(
   wrappedRef.current = wrapped;
   return wrapped;
 }
+
+// ── Component-scoped store ────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+/**
+ * Create a component-scoped reactive store that lives for the lifetime of the
+ * component. When the component unmounts, the store becomes unreferenced and is
+ * garbage collected (all internal bookkeeping uses `WeakMap`).
+ *
+ * The factory function runs **once** per mount (via `useState` initializer).
+ * Each component instance gets its own isolated store.
+ *
+ * Use the returned proxy with `useStore()` to read state in the same component
+ * or pass it down via props/context to share within a subtree.
+ *
+ * @param factory - A function that returns a class instance (or plain object).
+ *                  Called once per component mount.
+ * @returns A reactive store proxy scoped to the component's lifetime.
+ *
+ * @example
+ * ```tsx
+ * function Counter() {
+ *   const store = useLocalStore(() => new CounterStore());
+ *   const count = useStore(store, s => s.count);
+ *   return <button onClick={() => store.increment()}>{count}</button>;
+ * }
+ * ```
+ */
+export function useLocalStore<T extends object>(factory: () => T): T {
+  const [store] = useState(() => createClassyStore(factory()));
+  return store;
+}
diff --git a/website/docs/TUTORIAL.md b/website/docs/TUTORIAL.md
index f7bd64f..2b437b5 100644
--- a/website/docs/TUTORIAL.md
+++ b/website/docs/TUTORIAL.md
@@ -367,6 +367,70 @@ class PostStore {
 
 This means a component using `useStore(postStore, (store) => store.loading)` will re-render twice: once when loading starts, once when it ends. That's the correct behavior.
 
+## Local Stores
+
+By default, stores are module-level singletons — shared across your entire app. For component-scoped state that is garbage collected on unmount, use `useLocalStore`.
+
+### Basic usage
+
+`useLocalStore` creates a reactive store scoped to the component's lifetime. Each component instance gets its own isolated store. When the component unmounts, the store is garbage collected.
+
+```tsx
+import {useLocalStore, useStore} from '@codebelt/classy-store/react';
+
+class CounterStore {
+  count = 0;
+  get doubled() { return this.count * 2; }
+  increment() { this.count++; }
+}
+
+function Counter() {
+  const store = useLocalStore(() => new CounterStore());
+  const count = useStore(store, (s) => s.count);
+
+  return <button onClick={() => store.increment()}>Count: {count}</button>;
+}
+```
+
+The factory function (`() => new CounterStore()`) runs once per mount. Subsequent re-renders reuse the same store instance.
+
+### Persisting a local store
+
+`persist()` subscribes to the store, which keeps a reference alive. You must call `handle.unsubscribe()` on unmount to allow garbage collection.
+
+```tsx
+import {useEffect} from 'react';
+import {useLocalStore, useStore} from '@codebelt/classy-store/react';
+import {persist} from '@codebelt/classy-store/utils';
+
+class FormStore {
+  name = '';
+  email = '';
+  setName(v: string) { this.name = v; }
+  setEmail(v: string) { this.email = v; }
+}
+
+function EditProfile() {
+  const store = useLocalStore(() => new FormStore());
+  // Auto-tracked mode — this component reads both name and email (see Decision guide).
+  const snap = useStore(store);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const handle = persist(store, { name: 'edit-profile-draft' });
+    return () => handle.unsubscribe();
+  }, [store]);
+
+  return (
+    <form>
+      <input value={snap.name} onChange={(e) => store.setName(e.target.value)} />
+      <input value={snap.email} onChange={(e) => store.setEmail(e.target.value)} />
+    </form>
+  );
+}
+```
+
+The `useEffect` cleanup ensures the persist subscription is removed and the store can be garbage collected when the component unmounts.
+
 ## Tips & Gotchas
 
 ### Mutate through methods, not from components