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San Francisco County resolves money disputes up to $12,500 in the small-claims court: simplified procedures, and no attorneys at the hearing.
Below is what you need for a small claims case in San Francisco County: the limit, filing fees, which courthouse to use, how to serve the other side, your deadlines, and how to file. When you're ready, Squabble prepares everything and files it for you.
San Francisco 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.
Unsure where to file? The court publishes a locator that turns a ZIP code into a courthouse, and Squabble handles that step for you. Coverage is updated periodically, so verify before filing.
About 827,526 people live in San Francisco County. San Francisco County covers 65 ZIP codes, including the San Francisco areas.
Paper filing is the route at this court, either in person or by post. Squabble puts the documents together in the form the clerk expects.
Certain small claims hearings can be attended remotely. Whether yours qualifies depends on the court and the case type. 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.
Bring copies of your evidence for the judge and the other side; some courts also accept electronic submission ahead of the hearing.
San Francisco County, California, has a population of 827,526 and is served by the Superior Court of California, which handles small claims matters for the area. Small claims cases in the county are heard at the Superior Court of California - County of San Francisco: Small Claims Department, located at 400 McAllister St. Room 103 in San Francisco, 94102. The claim limit in small claims court is $12,500. The court can be reached at (415) 551-4000, and information is posted at https://www.sfsuperiorcourt.org/divisions/small-claims. The department is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM and is closed Saturday and Sunday. Electronic filing is available. The county covers the town of San Francisco and includes ZIP codes such as 94103, 94107, 94110, 94114, 94118, and 94122, among others. San Francisco County lies near Marin County, San Mateo County, and Contra Costa County, each of which is served by its own court locations.
More than one location takes small claims here. The court matches a case to a location by address.
San Francisco County covers:
San Francisco.
San Francisco County holds about 827,526 people, 13th of the 58 counties in California. From San Francisco, Superior Court of California - County of San Francisco: Small Claims Department is roughly 8 miles from the Marin County courthouse in San Rafael and 11 miles from the San Mateo County courthouse in Redwood City.
Counties nearest to this one:
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
The county where it happened and the county where they live are both generally available.
You can't divide one dispute into several smaller cases to get around the limit.
The remedy here is money. Orders telling someone to do or stop something sit with higher courts.
No attorney appears for either party at the hearing. Advice can be taken beforehand or afterwards.
A claim involving a minor is brought by a court-appointed guardian.
Over the limit? Claims over the cap can go two ways: cut to the limit and stay, or move to regular civil court at full value. Cutting it normally waives the excess.
These are the limits for San Francisco County, population about 827,526. They are the same across all 65 San Francisco County ZIP codes, from 94101 onward.
Small claims exists for money owed, up to $12,500. The categories below come up more than any others.
San Francisco County has about 827,526 residents. San Francisco County takes in San Francisco 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.
Prepare the claim form, work out which court covers it, and pay the court's charge.
Papers are delivered to the defendant, who may answer them or settle the matter first.
A brief, informal hearing, in person or, where the court offers it, by video. The judge rules at the hearing or sends the decision after.
This is the route a San Francisco County case takes, whether it starts in 94101 or anywhere else among the county ZIP codes. Superior Court of California - County of San Francisco: Small Claims Department lists (415) 551-4000 as its number.
Once the case is on file, the law requires the other side to be told about it formally. That step is service of process, and the papers cannot normally come from your own hand. 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 is what courts in California normally accept.
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.
Every court fixes a minimum number of days between service and the hearing. The clerk will tell you what it is for your case. 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.
Whoever serves the papers completes a proof of service, which is filed with the court 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.
Marin County and San Mateo County are the counties nearest to San Francisco County. Addresses in San Francisco County include places such as San Francisco.
The right to bring a claim expires. The period is measured from the moment the dispute arose, and once it has run the court can refuse the case.
| Claim type | Deadline to file |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 4 years |
| Oral contract | 2 years |
| Property damage | 3 years |
| Personal injury | 2 years |
The same periods apply in San Francisco County as in nearby Marin County and San Mateo County, which are in the same state. They do not change from one San Francisco County ZIP code to another, 94101 included.
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.
The rate above is the one for San Francisco County, population about 827,526. San Francisco County is under the same state rate as nearby Marin County and San Mateo County.
Verify the figure is inside the limit and that you are still within the deadline for this claim type.
Use the other side's correct legal name, describe the dispute, and show how the money adds up.
File at the San Francisco County hub courthouse for your dispute's ZIP code, or on paper, by mail or at the counter, and pay the $30–$75 fee (or request a waiver if you qualify).
With a hearing date in hand, organise service and lodge the completed proof with the court.
Put the evidence in order, with exhibits marked, so the account is easy to follow.
Turn up on the day, in person or remotely where offered, present what happened, and take the decision.
Go through the events with Eleanor. The documents are prepared, Triple-Checked™ for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and filed for you.
Start for FREE →You will meet a claim form, a proof of service, and possibly a fee waiver. What each is called depends on the court, and Squabble matches them to your courthouse.
San Francisco are among the places in San Francisco County that filings come from. A San Francisco County filing goes to one of 2 courthouses, Superior Court of California - County of San Francisco: Small Claims Department among them.
Expect a short, informal hearing with no attorneys present. The judge asks the questions.
San Francisco County hearings are held at one of its 2 listed courthouses, depending on where the case is filed. San Francisco County has about 827,526 residents.
Winning and being paid are two different things. The judgment records what is owed; collecting it is its own process, backed by court remedies that vary from state to state.
Some states permit part of the debtor's wages to be diverted to the judgment until it is cleared.
Funds can be collected directly from the debtor's bank account through a court-ordered levy.
Filing the judgment with the county can attach a lien to land or buildings the debtor owns.
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.
A San Francisco County judgment comes from one of its 2 listed courthouses. Marin County and San Mateo County are the counties nearest to San Francisco 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 Francisco County case for you.
