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Money disputes up to $12,500 are settled in the Butte County small-claims court, which runs on simplified procedures, and no attorneys at the hearing.
Here you will find the claim limit that applies in Butte County, what filing costs, where the case is heard, how the defendant is served, the deadlines, and the order of steps. Squabble can take the preparation and filing off your hands.
Butte County hears small claims at the courthouse listed here, with the venue confirmed at filing from the defendant's address or the location of the dispute.
Tap a courthouse to see its details in the list below.
Check the filing location first. The court's small-claims page lists where papers are taken today, and Squabble confirms it for your case as part of filing.
About 208,334 people live in Butte County. Butte County covers 24 ZIP codes, including the Bangor, Berry Creek and Biggs areas.
This court accepts electronic filing for small claims, so a case can be started without a courthouse trip.
Remote appearance is available for some small claims hearings, depending on the court and the kind of case. Many California courts let parties attend by video or phone unless the court orders otherwise; the court's own small-claims page says which applies.
Two sets of evidence are needed, one for the judge and one for the other side, and some courts also take it electronically in advance.
Residents of Butte County, California, which has a population of 208,334, can file small claims cases through the Superior Court of California. Small claims matters in the county are handled at Butte County Superior Court: Small Claims, located at 1775 Concord Avenue in Chico, 95928. The claim limit in small claims court is $12,500. The courthouse is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM, and is closed Saturday and Sunday. It can be reached by phone at (530) 532-7009 or (530) 532-7015, and court information is posted at http://www.buttecourt.ca.gov/. Electronic filing is available. The county covers communities including Chico, Oroville, Paradise, Gridley, Biggs, Durham, Magalia, Palermo, and Forest Ranch, along with ZIP codes such as 95926, 95928, 95965, 95966, and 95969. Butte County lies near Yuba County, Tehama County, and Plumas County. The court processes small claims filings and schedules hearings for cases within its jurisdiction.
Butte County covers these 17 towns and cities:
Bangor, Berry Creek, Biggs, Chico, Clipper Mills, Durham, Feather Falls, Forbestown, Forest Ranch, Gridley, Magalia, Nelson, Oroville, Palermo, Paradise, Richvale, Stirling City.
ZIP codes:
Butte County holds about 208,334 people, 28th of the 58 counties in California. From Chico, Butte County Superior Court: Small Claims is roughly 21 miles from the Yuba County courthouse in Marysville and 20 miles from the Tehama County courthouse in Red Bluff.
If the other side lives just over the county line, the case may belong next door:
Small claims handles money owed between ordinary people and businesses. Procedure is kept light, no attorneys at the hearing, and claims are capped.
Maximum claim
Either the place the dispute arose or the place the other party lives will usually work.
You can't divide one dispute into several smaller cases to get around the limit.
What this court awards is a sum of money, not an instruction to act or to hand something back.
Both sides appear without a lawyer at the hearing itself. Consulting one before or after is a separate matter.
Where a party is under 18, the court appoints a guardian to act.
Over the limit? Two routes exist: reduce the claim to the cap and stay here, or take the full sum to regular civil court. Reducing it normally forfeits the difference.
They are the same across all 24 Butte County ZIP codes, from 95914 onward. Butte County is under the same limits as nearby Yuba County and Tehama County.
This court handles money claims to a ceiling of $12,500. Below are the kinds of case filed most often.
Butte County has about 208,334 residents. Butte County Superior Court: Small Claims is the Butte County courthouse listed below.
It's built to be navigable without a lawyer. Here's the shape of a case from start to finish.
Prepare the claim form, work out which court covers it, and pay the court's charge.
Formal notice reaches the other party, who then has a window to respond or resolve it.
A short hearing, held in the courtroom or remotely where that is offered. A decision follows on the day or shortly afterwards.
Everything below applies to a case filed in Butte County, at the Chico courthouse. Butte County Superior Court: Small Claims lists (530) 532-7002 as its number.
The defendant must be given formal notice after filing. This is service of process, and as a rule you are not permitted to serve the papers yourself. The usual route in California is delivery arranged by the court, email service where the court allows it, the sheriff or constable, certified mail or personal delivery by an approved server.
A sheriff, a constable, a professional server, the court clerk using certified mail, or an uninvolved adult can all serve papers, depending on local rules. Fees and permitted methods vary.
Each court sets how far before the hearing the defendant must be served. The clerk confirms your deadline when the hearing date is set. Service must occur within CA or invalidated. Service 15 days before hearing (same county), 20 days (outside county). Proof of service filed within 5 days of hearing.
After delivery, the server fills out a proof of service, and that goes on the court file before the hearing.
Service is where many self-filed cases stall. Squabble can coordinate professional Service of Process so it's done correctly and on time.
A Butte County address carries one of its 24 ZIP codes, 95914, 95916 and 95917 among them. Yuba County and Tehama County are the counties nearest to Butte County.
Every claim carries a filing window that opens when the dispute happens. Once it closes, the court can turn the case away.
| Type of claim | How long you have |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 4 years |
| Oral contract | 2 years |
| Property damage | 3 years |
| Personal injury | 2 years |
Butte County, population about 208,334, is covered by the table above. The same periods apply in Butte County as in nearby Yuba County and Tehama County, which are in the same state.
Money owed under a contract in California generally accrues interest at 10% per year before judgment (Cal. Civ. Code §3289).
Interest can be calculated before filing using the Squabble interest calculator.
It is the same rate across all 24 Butte County ZIP codes. The rate above is the one for Butte County, population about 208,334.
Two checks first: the amount must fall within the ceiling, and the claim must still be in time.
Get the defendant's legal name right, set out the events, and break down how the figure is reached.
File with the Butte County small-claims court, or e-file, and pay the $30–$75 fee (or request a waiver if you qualify).
Arrange service once your hearing date is set and file the proof of service with the court.
Sort the documents and exhibits in advance so they can be handed up in order.
Turn up on the day, in person or remotely where offered, present what happened, and take the decision.
Describe the dispute to Eleanor. Squabble drafts the paperwork, puts it through a Triple-Check™ for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and lodges it with the court.
Start for FREE →Three documents recur: the claim form that begins it, the proof of service confirming delivery, and a fee waiver if eligible. Names vary locally; Squabble selects the correct versions.
Butte County has a population of about 208,334. Butte County takes in filings from 24 ZIP codes, 95914 first in the list.
Hearings run short and plainly. Lawyers do not appear, and questions come from the judge.
Bangor, Berry Creek and Biggs are among the Butte County places a hearing can draw parties from. Butte County has about 208,334 residents.
A judgment says what is owed. Getting hold of the money is the next stage, and the enforcement options open to you depend on the state.
Wage garnishment, where the state permits it, sends part of the debtor's pay toward the judgment.
A levy lets the court reach money sitting in the debtor's bank account.
Recording the judgment locally can place a lien against real property in the debtor's name.
Courts can also summon the debtor to answer questions about income and property under oath. Until the balance is paid, interest usually continues to run at the statutory rate.
Bangor, Berry Creek and Biggs are among the Butte County places a judgment debtor may live in. Yuba County and Tehama County are the counties nearest to Butte County.
Last checked in August 2026. Court fees, limits and procedures move; verify them with the court first.
Talk with Eleanor about what happened. Squabble prepares your demand letter and court-ready documents, Triple-Checks them for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and files your Butte County case for you.
