squabbleapp.com is now squabble.ai. Your account and any active cases are unchanged.
Small claims in Marin County covers money disputes up to $12,500 and runs on simplified procedures, and no attorneys at the hearing.
This page sets out the ceiling on claims, what the court charges, the courthouse that covers Marin County, how notice reaches the other party, the time limits, and the filing steps. Squabble can prepare and lodge the paperwork when you decide to go ahead.
Small claims in Marin County are heard at the courthouse below. When you file, the court confirms the right location for your case based on where the defendant lives or where your dispute happened.
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.
Small claims filings from Marin County are handled at Marin County Superior Court - Civic Center Hall of Justice in San Rafael. The nearest counties to Marin County are San Francisco County and Sonoma County.
Small claims can be filed electronically here, which means the case can begin without going to the counter.
Parts of the small claims list can be heard remotely, though it varies with the court and the 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.
Have copies of your evidence for the bench and for the other party. Some courts take documents electronically before the hearing as well.
Marin County, California, with a population of 256,400, handles small claims cases through the Superior Court of California. Filings are heard at the Marin County Superior Court - Civic Center Hall of Justice, located at 3501 Civic Center Drive, Room 113, in San Rafael, 94903. The claim limit in small claims is $12,500. The courthouse is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM and from 1:00 to 4:00 PM, and is closed Saturday and Sunday. The court can be reached at (415) 444-7040 or through its website at https://www.marin.courts.ca.gov/. Electronic filing is available. The county covers communities including Novato, Mill Valley, Sausalito, San Anselmo, Larkspur, Corte Madera, Fairfax, Ross, Point Reyes Station, Bolinas, and Tomales, along with ZIP codes such as 94901, 94904, 94920, 94925, 94941, and 94947. Marin County lies near San Francisco County, Sonoma County, and Napa County.
These 26 places sit inside Marin County:
Belvedere Tiburon, Bolinas, Corte Madera, Dillon Beach, Fairfax, Forest Knolls, Greenbrae, Inverness, Kentfield, Lagunitas, Larkspur, Marshall, Mill Valley, Nicasio, Novato, Olema, Point Reyes Station, Ross, San Anselmo, San Geronimo, San Quentin, San Rafael, Sausalito, Stinson Beach, Tomales, Woodacre.
Of California's 58 counties, Marin County is 26th by population at roughly 256,400 people. Marin County Superior Court - Civic Center Hall of Justice in San Rafael lies around 8 miles from the San Francisco County courthouse in San Francisco and 17 miles from the Sonoma County courthouse in Santa Rosa.
Neighbouring counties and the courts that serve them:
This is the part of the court built for ordinary money arguments. The procedure is stripped back, no attorneys at the hearing, and there is a ceiling on the amount at stake.
Maximum claim
You can generally file where the dispute happened or where the other party lives.
Courts do not allow one dispute to be filed as several in order to beat the maximum.
A small-claims judge generally orders one side to pay money; other kinds of orders belong in higher courts.
Both sides appear without a lawyer at the hearing itself. Consulting one before or after is a separate matter.
A claim involving a minor is brought by a court-appointed guardian.
Over the limit? You can lower your claim to fit and stay in small claims, or file the full amount in regular civil court. Lowering usually means giving up the excess, so weigh it carefully.
They are the same across all 41 Marin County ZIP codes, from 94901 onward. Marin County Superior Court - Civic Center Hall of Justice is the courthouse listed for Marin County.
Where money is owed and the sum is no more than $12,500, this is the right court. The following disputes are the common ones.
Marin County takes in Belvedere Tiburon, Bolinas and Corte Madera and the rest of the county. Marin County Superior Court - Civic Center Hall of Justice is the Marin County courthouse listed below.
It's built to be navigable without a lawyer. Here's the shape of a case from start to finish.
Set out the claim on the court's form, identify the correct courthouse, and pay the fee.
The defendant receives the papers through formal service and can reply or negotiate an end to it.
The hearing itself is short and informal. Some courts allow video. The ruling comes then or later in writing.
Marin County Superior Court - Civic Center Hall of Justice publishes its counter hours; they are listed on this page. This is the route a Marin County case takes, whether it starts in 94901 or anywhere else among the county ZIP codes.
After you file, the other party must be formally notified. This is called service of process. You generally cannot serve the papers yourself. In California, courts typically use 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.
Courts accept service by a sheriff or constable, a professional server, the clerk via certified mail, or an adult who is not party to the case. Permitted methods and charges change by county.
There is a deadline, counted backwards from the hearing, by which the defendant must have the papers. Ask the clerk for it when the date is assigned. 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.
Service is proved on paper. The server completes and signs a form, and it is filed before the matter is heard.
Service is where many self-filed cases stall. Squabble can coordinate professional Service of Process so it's done correctly and on time.
A Marin County address carries one of its 41 ZIP codes, 94901, 94903 and 94904 among them. Addresses in Marin County include places such as Belvedere Tiburon, Bolinas and Corte Madera.
There is a cut-off for bringing a case, counted from when the dispute began. Miss it and the claim can be barred entirely.
| What the claim is about | Deadline to file |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 4 years |
| Oral contract | 2 years |
| Property damage | 3 years |
| Personal injury | 2 years |
Marin County, population about 256,400, is covered by the table above. The same periods apply in Marin County as in nearby San Francisco County and Sonoma 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).
To see what interest has added so far, the Squabble interest calculator works out the running total.
It is the same rate across all 41 Marin County ZIP codes. The rate above is the one for Marin County, population about 256,400.
Check that the amount is within the limit and that you're inside the statute of limitations for your claim type.
Identify the party precisely, lay out what occurred, and show the arithmetic behind the total.
File with the Marin County small-claims court, or e-file, and pay the $30–$75 fee (or request a waiver if you qualify).
Once the court fixes a date, have the papers served and return the proof of service to the file.
Put the evidence in order, with exhibits marked, so the account is easy to follow.
Attend the hearing, in person or by video if that is offered, make your case, and receive the outcome.
Tell Eleanor what happened and Squabble builds the filing, Triple-Checks™ it for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and files it on your behalf.
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.
Belvedere Tiburon, Bolinas and Corte Madera are among the places in Marin County that filings come from. Marin County takes in filings from 41 ZIP codes, 94901 first in the list.
The hearing is brief and informal. No lawyers take part, and the judge puts questions to each side directly.
Belvedere Tiburon, Bolinas and Corte Madera are among the Marin County places a hearing can draw parties from. Marin County Superior Court - Civic Center Hall of Justice sits at the 94903 address shown above.
A judgment is the court's decision. Collecting it is a separate step, with court-backed tools if the other side doesn't pay. Which tools are available depends on state law.
Part of the debtor's earnings may be redirected toward the judgment where state law provides for it.
With a bank levy, the court reaches funds held in the debtor's account directly.
Recording the judgment locally can place a lien against real property in the debtor's name.
You may also apply for an order compelling the debtor to attend and disclose income and assets on oath. Interest generally continues at the rate the state sets until the debt is met.
San Francisco County and Sonoma County are the counties nearest to Marin County. The judgment in a Marin County case comes from Marin County Superior Court - Civic Center Hall of Justice in San Rafael.
Reviewed August 2026. Fees, limits and procedures are revised from time to time, so confirm them with the court before you file.
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 Marin County case for you.
