San Francisco Small Claims Court: Where and How to File

Which court

San Francisco has one small claims court, at the Civic Center Courthouse. The usual California venue rules still apply, so check that the defendant or the dispute is tied to San Francisco.

Where and how to file

Limit	$12,500
Court	Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco (Small Claims Division, Dept. 506)
Address	Civic Center Courthouse, 400 McAllister St., Room 103, San Francisco, CA 94102
Phone	415-551-4000
Hours	The court's web page says the filing window is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., with a drop box from 12:30 to 4 p.m. Court holidays excepted.
Fees	$30 for claims under $1,500, $50 for $1,500 to $5,000, $75 for $5,001 to $12,500, and $100 if you've filed more than 12 claims in the past 12 months (court schedule effective January 1, 2024). Fee waivers are available.
Timing	The state court self-help site says a trial date is typically about 1 to 2 months after filing. This court's own pages don't give a figure.
Serving papers	Certified mail through the clerk costs $15 per service. The San Francisco Sheriff charges $50 and serves only within the city and county. Any adult not in the case can serve for free. Serve at least 15 calendar days before the court date (20 if the defendant is outside the county), or 25 days (30 if outside) for substitute service. The court suggests allowing at least 20 days for the sheriff or certified mail.

Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco (Small Claims Division, Dept. 506) small claims page

Good to know here

Small claims must be filed on paper: they're excluded from the court's e-filing.
Attach a note with your first and second choice of hearing time, and pay each claim with a separate check or money order.
To appear by Zoom, file the request at least 10 calendar days before the hearing, and send evidence to the other side and Dept. 506 at least 5 days before.
The court's small claims mediation program is temporarily suspended.
Don't add court or service costs to your claim amount; the judge decides those at the hearing.

Hours, fees and locations change. Call the court or check its site before you go.

San Francisco Small Claims Court

Where and how to file

Good to know here

Sources

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