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The small-claims court in San Bernardino County handles money disputes up to $12,500, with simplified procedures, and no attorneys at the hearing.
This page sets out the ceiling on claims, what the court charges, the courthouse that covers San Bernardino 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.
San Bernardino County runs several hub courthouses for these cases. Assignment follows the ZIP code of the defendant or of the dispute itself.
Tap a courthouse to see its details in the list below.
Not sure which courthouse? Use the court's official court locator to match your ZIP code to the correct location, or let Squabble identify it for you automatically. Hub courthouses can change; confirm before you file.
About 2,214,281 people live in San Bernardino County. San Bernardino County covers 121 ZIP codes, including the Adelanto, Amboy and Angelus Oaks areas.
You can open a small claims case here online, without travelling to the courthouse to hand the papers in.
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.
San Bernardino County, California, with a population of 2,214,281, handles small claims cases through the Superior Court of California, where the claim limit is $12,500. Three district courthouses serve the county. The Fontana District sits at 17780 Arrow Blvd in Fontana, 92335, and can be reached at (909) 350-9322. The Barstow District is located at 235 E Mountain View St in Barstow, 92311, with a phone number of (760) 718-3700. The Joshua Tree District is at 6527 White Feather Rd in Joshua Tree, 92252, and its phone number is (760) 974-3047. The Barstow and Joshua Tree locations are open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM and are closed Saturday and Sunday. The county covers communities including Adelanto, Apple Valley, Chino, Chino Hills, Colton, Crestline, and Big Bear Lake, along with ZIP codes such as 91710, 91730, 91761, and 92277. Riverside County, Orange County, and Imperial County lie near San Bernardino County. The court accepts electronic filing.
More than one location takes small claims here. The court matches a case to a location by address.
San Bernardino County covers these 74 towns and cities:
Adelanto, Amboy, Angelus Oaks, Apple Valley, Baker, Barstow, Big Bear City, Big Bear Lake, Bloomington, Blue Jay, Bryn Mawr, Cedar Glen, Cedarpines Park, Chino, Chino Hills, Cima, Colton, Crest Park, Crestline, Daggett, Earp, Essex, Fawnskin, Fontana, Forest Falls, Fort Irwin, Grand Terrace, Green Valley Lake, Guasti, Helendale, Hesperia, Highland, Hinkley, Joshua Tree, Lake Arrowhead, Landers, Loma Linda, Lucerne Valley, Ludlow, Lytle Creek, Mentone, Montclair, Morongo Valley, Mountain Pass, Mt Baldy, Needles, Newberry Springs, Nipton, Ontario, Oro Grande, Parker Dam, Patton, Phelan, Pinon Hills, Pioneertown, Rancho Cucamonga, Red Mountain, Redlands, Rialto, Rimforest, Running Springs, San Bernardino, Skyforest, Sugarloaf, Trona, Twentynine Palms, Twin Peaks, Upland, Victorville, Vidal, Wrightwood, Yermo, Yucaipa, Yucca Valley.
San Bernardino County is the 5th most populous of California's 58 counties, with about 2,214,281 residents. Fontana District in Fontana lies around 17 miles from the Riverside County courthouse in Menifee and 18 miles from the Orange County courthouse in Santa Ana.
If the other side lives just over the county line, the case may belong next door:
The small claims track exists for routine money disputes: fewer formalities, no attorneys at the hearing, and a cap on what can be claimed.
Maximum claim
Two venues are usually open: where events took place, or where the other side is based.
Splitting a single claim across multiple filings to dodge the ceiling is not permitted.
What this court awards is a sum of money, not an instruction to act or to hand something back.
Lawyers do not appear for either party at the hearing. You may speak to one before it or after it.
Minors take part through a guardian appointed by the court.
Over the limit? Either bring the figure down to the maximum and remain in small claims, or file the whole amount in the regular civil court. The amount given up is usually gone for good.
They are the same across all 121 San Bernardino County ZIP codes, from 91701 onward. San Bernardino County is under the same limits as nearby Riverside County and Orange County.
Debts up to $12,500 belong in this court. These are the arguments people bring most frequently.
San Bernardino County has about 2,214,281 residents. San Bernardino County takes in Adelanto, Amboy and Angelus Oaks and the rest of the county.
It's built to be navigable without a lawyer. Here's the shape of a case from start to finish.
Fill in the claim, pick the courthouse that covers the dispute, and pay what the court charges.
Service puts the papers in the defendant's hands and starts their time to answer or settle.
The hearing itself is short and informal. Some courts allow video. The ruling comes then or later in writing.
Fontana District lists (909) 350-9322 as its number. This is the route a San Bernardino County case takes, whether it starts in 91701 or anywhere else among the county ZIP codes.
A filed case still has to reach the defendant. Formal notice, known as service of process, does that, and delivering it personally is generally not allowed. 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.
Depending on the court: the sheriff or constable, a professional process server, the clerk by certified mail, or another adult who isn't part of the case. Methods and costs vary by county.
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.
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 San Bernardino County address carries one of its 121 ZIP codes, 91701, 91708 and 91709 among them. Addresses in San Bernardino County include places such as Adelanto, Amboy and Angelus Oaks.
The law fixes how long you have, counted from the dispute itself. A case brought later can be refused outright.
| Claim type | How long you have |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 4 years |
| Oral contract | 2 years |
| Property damage | 3 years |
| Personal injury | 2 years |
They do not change from one San Bernardino County ZIP code to another, 91701 included. The same periods apply in San Bernardino County as in nearby Riverside County and Orange 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 121 San Bernardino County ZIP codes. The rate above is the one for San Bernardino County, population about 2,214,281.
Two checks first: the amount must fall within the ceiling, and the claim must still be in time.
Use the other side's correct legal name, describe the dispute, and show how the money adds up.
File at the San Bernardino County hub courthouse for your dispute's ZIP code, or e-file, and pay the $30–$75 fee (or request a waiver if you qualify).
Service comes after the date is set. File the server's proof once the papers have been delivered.
Sort the documents and exhibits in advance so they can be handed up in order.
Attend, in the courtroom or by video where the court allows it, put your case, and hear the ruling.
Go through the events with Eleanor. The documents are prepared, Triple-Checked™ for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and filed for you.
Start for FREE →A claim form opens the case, a proof of service records that notice was given, and a fee waiver applies where you qualify. Titles differ between courts, and Squabble uses the ones your courthouse expects.
Adelanto, Amboy and Angelus Oaks are among the places in San Bernardino County that filings come from. San Bernardino County has a population of about 2,214,281.
These hearings are informal and do not take long. Neither side has a lawyer and the judge leads the questioning.
Adelanto, Amboy and Angelus Oaks are among the San Bernardino County places a hearing can draw parties from. San Bernardino County hearings are held at one of its 7 listed courthouses, depending on where the case is filed.
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.
Some states permit part of the debtor's wages to be diverted to the judgment until it is cleared.
Money in the debtor's bank account can be seized under a levy the court orders.
Recording the judgment with the county can place a lien on the debtor's real property.
You can also ask the court to order the debtor to appear and disclose income and assets under oath. An unpaid judgment generally keeps accruing interest at the rate state law sets until it's satisfied.
A San Bernardino County judgment comes from one of its 7 listed courthouses. Riverside County and Orange County are the counties nearest to San Bernardino County.
Information reviewed August 2026. Courts change fees, limits and procedures, so check the current details before filing.
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 San Bernardino County case for you.
