New Update:

The Court is aware that eDelivery is currently unavailable. Our vendor, which manages and supports eDelivery, is proactively working to apply a security patch related to the global PHP vulnerability. Until eDelivery service is restored, all filings for Criminal, Juvenile, and CARE Court must be submitted in paper at the Clerk’s Office in Room 113.

Update:

Out of an abundance of caution, the Court temporarily suspended access to ePortal in response to a global security vulnerability involving PHP identified yesterday. The necessary security patches have been applied. We are pleased to announce that ePortal is back online and fully operational. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we took proactive steps to protect the security of our systems and information.

The Court has issued Administrative Order 26-01

concerning electronic filing requirements in all non-Criminal cases. Please see Administrative Order 26-01.

Small Claims

Small Claims

Overview

Small Claims Court is a special type of civil proceeding which is commonly referred to as the "People's Court" because attorneys are not allowed to represent either side. The rules are relatively simple and the hearings are less formal. Parties in small claims actions can resolve their disputes relatively quickly and inexpensively. The person who files the claim is called the plaintiff and the person being sued is called the defendant.

Plaintiffs filing in Small Claims Court cannot seek judgments of more than $12,500 for individuals and $6,250 for businesses. An individual who owns a business (e.g. sole proprietor) and does business under a fictitious business name is considered to be an "individual" in Small Claims Court. For example, a plumber doing business as ABC Plumbing who wants to sue a customer who has not paid for services may file a claim for up to $12,500 with certain exceptions. If a business is a corporation, partnership or any other type of entity than a sole proprietorship, the maximum claim amount in Small Claims Court cannot exceed $6,250.

California law states that plaintiffs may file as many claims as they like for up to $2,500 each calendar year. However, plaintiffs can only file two claims in a calendar year that seek more than $2,500 per claim.

Please note: Filing a small claim in this Court may be done in person, by mail, or electronically through the eFiling portal.