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San Mateo County resolves money disputes up to $12,500 in the small-claims court: simplified procedures, and no attorneys at the hearing.
Read on for the claim ceiling, the fees, the courthouse serving San Mateo County, the way the other side is notified, the cut-off dates, and each filing step. Squabble prepares the paperwork and files it on your behalf.
Small claims are split between several hub courthouses across San Mateo County. The court assigns a case by ZIP code, following the defendant or the events.
Tap a courthouse to see its details in the list below.
Picking the right building matters. A ZIP code lookup on the court's official locator will name it, or Squabble pinpoints it automatically. Assignments do change, so confirm it first.
About 742,893 people live in San Mateo County. The nearest counties to San Mateo County are Alameda County and Santa Cruz County.
Small claims can be filed electronically here, which means the case can begin without going to the counter.
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.
Evidence is copied for the judge and for the opposing side; electronic submission ahead of time is accepted at some courts.
Small claims cases in San Mateo County are handled by the Superior Court of California, which serves a county population of 742,893 and communities including Daly City, Half Moon Bay, Menlo Park, Pacifica, Redwood City, San Bruno, and South San Francisco, along with ZIP codes such as 94002, 94010, 94025, 94044, and 94063. The claim limit is $12,500. The Superior Court of California, County of San Mateo, located at 400 County Center, 1st Floor, Room A in Redwood City, can be reached at (650) 261-5100. The Northern Branch is also located in Redwood City and is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and closed Saturday and Sunday, with a listed phone number of (650) 363-4677. A further location of the Superior Court of California, County of San Mateo, stands at 1050 Mission Road South in South San Francisco, open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The court accepts electronic filing. San Mateo County lies near Alameda County, Santa Cruz County, and San Francisco County.
More than one location takes small claims here. The court matches a case to a location by address.
San Mateo County covers these 24 towns and cities:
Atherton, Belmont, Brisbane, Burlingame, Daly City, El Granada, Half Moon Bay, La Honda, Loma Mar, Menlo Park, Millbrae, Montara, Moss Beach, Pacifica, Palo Alto, Pescadero, Portola Valley, Redwood City, San Bruno, San Carlos, San Francisco, San Gregorio, San Mateo, South San Francisco.
San Mateo County holds about 742,893 people, 15th of the 58 counties in California. Northern Branch, in Redwood City, is about 7 miles from the Alameda County courthouse in Hayward and 24 miles from the Santa Cruz County courthouse in Watsonville.
If the other side lives just over the county line, the case may belong next door:
Everyday disputes over money belong in the small claims division, where the rules are simplified, no attorneys at the hearing, and the sum in question has an upper bound.
Maximum claim
You can generally file where the dispute happened or where the other party lives.
Splitting a single claim across multiple filings to dodge the ceiling is not permitted.
The court decides who pays whom and how much. Anything beyond money goes to a higher court.
No attorney appears for either party at the hearing. Advice can be taken beforehand or afterwards.
Under-18s are represented by a guardian the court appoints.
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.
These are the limits for San Mateo County, population about 742,893. San Mateo County is under the same limits as nearby Alameda County and Santa Cruz 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.
San Mateo County takes in Atherton, Belmont and Brisbane and the rest of the county. San Mateo County has about 742,893 residents.
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.
The hearing itself is short and informal. Some courts allow video. The ruling comes then or later in writing.
This is the route a San Mateo County case takes, whether it starts in 94002 or anywhere else among the county ZIP codes. Northern Branch publishes its counter hours; they are listed on this page.
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. California courts usually take delivery by 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.
How long before the hearing notice must be given is set by the court. That deadline arrives with your hearing date. 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 San Mateo County address carries one of its 39 ZIP codes, 94002, 94005 and 94010 among them. Addresses in San Mateo County include places such as Atherton, Belmont and Brisbane.
You have a limited window to file, measured from when the dispute arose. File after it closes and your claim can be barred.
| Kind of claim | Filing deadline |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 4 years |
| Oral contract | 2 years |
| Property damage | 3 years |
| Personal injury | 2 years |
San Mateo County, population about 742,893, is covered by the table above. The same periods apply in San Mateo County as in nearby Alameda County and Santa Cruz 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.
San Mateo County is under the same state rate as nearby Alameda County and Santa Cruz County. It is the same rate across all 39 San Mateo County ZIP codes.
Verify the figure is inside the limit and that you are still within the deadline for this claim type.
Identify the party precisely, lay out what occurred, and show the arithmetic behind the total.
File at the San Mateo 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).
Arrange service once your hearing date is set and file the proof of service with the court.
Organize documents and exhibits so you can present them clearly at the hearing.
Come to the hearing in person or remotely where permitted, present the facts, and get the ruling.
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 →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.
San Mateo County takes in filings from 39 ZIP codes, 94002 first in the list. Atherton, Belmont and Brisbane are among the places in San Mateo County that filings come from.
The hearing is brief and informal. No lawyers take part, and the judge puts questions to each side directly.
San Mateo County has about 742,893 residents. Atherton, Belmont and Brisbane are among the San Mateo County places a hearing can draw parties from.
The decision settles who owes what. Turning it into money is a separate stage, and the tools the court makes available differ by state.
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.
Lodging the judgment with the county can create a lien over property the debtor owns.
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.
Atherton, Belmont and Brisbane are among the San Mateo County places a judgment debtor may live in. Alameda County and Santa Cruz County are the counties nearest to San Mateo 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 San Mateo County case for you.
