Contra Costa County Small Claims Court Locations

Superior Court of California, County of Contra Costa — Small Claims

• In person at the Martinez (725 Court Street), Pittsburg (1000 Center Drive), or Richmond (100 37th Street) courthouse
• By mail or courthouse drop box to the filing location (small claims cannot be e-filed)

Walk-in filing is available at 3 locations: Wakefield Taylor Courthouse, 725 Court Street, Martinez, CA 94553 (925-608-1000), Pittsburg Courthouse, 1000 Center Drive, Pittsburg, CA 94565, Richmond Courthouse, 100 37th Street, Richmond, CA 94805.

Filing locations

3

Hours

Confirm current clerk’s office hours with the filing location before you go.

Filing fee

$30–$75

File without going in

Yes, by mail

Every location that takes a small claims filing

Contra Costa County accepts small claims filings at:

• Wakefield Taylor Courthouse, 725 Court Street, Martinez, CA 94553 (925-608-1000)
• Pittsburg Courthouse, 1000 Center Drive, Pittsburg, CA 94565
• Richmond Courthouse, 100 37th Street, Richmond, CA 94805

In Contra Costa County file where the defendant lives or where the injury or transaction occurred (CCP §116.370). Small claims are filed and heard at the Martinez, Pittsburg, or Richmond courthouses.

Is Contra Costa County the right court for your case?

Which court may hear a small claims case turns on where the dispute belongs, not on where it is convenient for you to go. It is normally:

• Where the defendant lives — or, for a business, where it has its place of business.
• Where the events you are suing about actually happened.
• Where a contract was to be performed, where the claim is about an agreement.

In Contra Costa County file where the defendant lives or where the injury or transaction occurred (CCP §116.370). Small claims are filed and heard at the Martinez, Pittsburg, or Richmond courthouses.

We cannot advise you which venue to choose. Where two courts would both be proper, either is a valid filing.

Going to Superior Court of California, County of Contra Costa — Small Claims in person

If you are filing at the counter rather than by mail or online, this is the shape of the visit.

1. Go during filing hours, not court hours. The counter is open Confirm current clerk’s office hours with the filing location before you go.. Clerks stop accepting new filings before closing, so arriving in the last half hour is how people end up coming back.
2. Bring the completed claim form and your copies. Bring a copy for the court, one for each defendant, and one for yourself.
3. Bring the fee, in a form this clerk takes. The filing fee is $30–$75. Superior Court of California, County of Contra Costa — Small Claims accepts 2 forms of payment — cash is not always one of them, and cards are not always one either. Service is a further $15 per defendant.
4. Know the defendant's exact legal name and address. The clerk will not look it up for you, and a judgment against a trade name that is not the legal entity is difficult to collect on afterwards.
5. Leave with your court date. Contra Costa County sets the first court date at filing, so you leave the counter knowing when to come back.

Court staff can explain procedure and check a form is complete. They cannot tell you what to write in your claim, or whether to bring it at all.

Ways to file without standing in line

Superior Court of California, County of Contra Costa — Small Claims accepts a filing:

• In person at the Martinez (725 Court Street), Pittsburg (1000 Center Drive), or Richmond (100 37th Street) courthouse
• By mail or courthouse drop box to the filing location (small claims cannot be e-filed)

Free help at the courthouse

Contra Costa County runs a self-help center for people filing without a lawyer. It can:

• Point you at the right form for your case type
• Check a form is complete before you hand it in
• Contra Costa County Superior Court offers small claims self-help resources; statewide small claims guidance is at selfhelp.courts.ca.gov.

Court staff can explain procedure. They cannot tell you what to write in your claim, or whether you should file at all — that is the line they are not allowed to cross, and it is the part most people actually need.

Common questions

Where is small claims court in Contra Costa County?

Superior Court of California, County of Contra Costa — Small Claims, Wakefield Taylor Courthouse, 725 Court Street, Martinez, CA 94553.

What are the Contra Costa County small claims court hours?

Confirm current clerk’s office hours with the filing location before you go.. Confirm before travelling — court hours change around holidays.

Do I have to go to the courthouse to file in Contra Costa County?

Not necessarily. Contra Costa County accepts a filing in person at the martinez (725 court street), pittsburg (1000 center drive), or richmond (100 37th street) courthouse; by mail or courthouse drop box to the filing location (small claims cannot be e-filed).

Which Contra Costa County location do I file at?

In Contra Costa County file where the defendant lives or where the injury or transaction occurred (CCP §116.370). Small claims are filed and heard at the Martinez, Pittsburg, or Richmond courthouses.