Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles - Small Claims Division (Stanley Mosk Courthouse, Central District)
Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles - Small Claims Division (Stanley Mosk Courthouse, Central District)
111 North Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
213-830-0800
8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday (excluding court holidays); in-person clerk's office visits are by appointment
- In person at the small claims hub courthouse that has venue for the case (clerk visits by appointment)
- By mail to that hub courthouse
- Electronically through a court-approved Electronic Filing Service Provider (self-represented litigants may e-file)
Walk-in filing is available at 11 locations: Chatsworth (North Valley District), Compton (South Central District), Downey (Southeast District), Governor George Deukmejian - Long Beach (South District), Inglewood (Southwest District), Michael D. Antonovich - Antelope Valley/Lancaster (North District), Pasadena (Northeast District), Santa Monica (West District), Stanley Mosk - Downtown Los Angeles (Central District), Van Nuys East (Northwest District), West Covina (East District).
- Filing locations
- 11
- Hours
- 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday (excluding court holidays); in-person clerk's office visits are by appointment
- Filing fee
- $30–$75
- File without going in
- Yes, online
Every location that takes a small claims filing
Los Angeles County accepts small claims filings at:
- Chatsworth (North Valley District)
- Compton (South Central District)
- Downey (Southeast District)
- Governor George Deukmejian - Long Beach (South District)
- Inglewood (Southwest District)
- Michael D. Antonovich - Antelope Valley/Lancaster (North District)
- Pasadena (Northeast District)
- Santa Monica (West District)
- Stanley Mosk - Downtown Los Angeles (Central District)
- Van Nuys East (Northwest District)
- West Covina (East District)
Los Angeles County hears small claims at 11 district 'hub' courthouses (Chatsworth, Compton, Downey, Governor George Deukmejian/Long Beach, Inglewood, Michael D. Antonovich/Antelope Valley, Pasadena, Santa Monica, Stanley Mosk/Downtown Los Angeles, Van Nuys East, and West Covina). Which courthouse hears your case is fixed by venue under LASC Local Rule 2.3 and Code of Civil Procedure sections 392-395 - generally the hub nearest to where the defendant lives, where the injury or damage occurred, or where a contract was signed, entered into, or to be performed - so there is no single central filing office.
Is Los Angeles 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.
Los Angeles County hears small claims at 11 district 'hub' courthouses (Chatsworth, Compton, Downey, Governor George Deukmejian/Long Beach, Inglewood, Michael D. Antonovich/Antelope Valley, Pasadena, Santa Monica, Stanley Mosk/Downtown Los Angeles, Van Nuys East, and West Covina). Which courthouse hears your case is fixed by venue under LASC Local Rule 2.3 and Code of Civil Procedure sections 392-395 - generally the hub nearest to where the defendant lives, where the injury or damage occurred, or where a contract was signed, entered into, or to be performed - so there is no single central filing office.
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 Los Angeles - Small Claims Division (Stanley Mosk Courthouse, Central District) in person
If you are filing at the counter rather than by mail or online, this is the shape of the visit.
- Go during filing hours, not court hours. The counter is open 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday (excluding court holidays); in-person clerk's office visits are by appointment. Clerks stop accepting new filings before closing, so arriving in the last half hour is how people end up coming back.
- Bring the completed claim form and your copies. Bring a copy for the court, one for each defendant, and one for yourself.
- Bring the fee, in a form this clerk takes. The filing fee is $30–$75. Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles - Small Claims Division (Stanley Mosk Courthouse, Central District) accepts 3 forms of payment — cash is not always one of them, and cards are not always one either. Service is a further $15 per defendant.
- 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.
- Leave with your court date. Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles - Small Claims Division (Stanley Mosk Courthouse, Central District) accepts a filing:
- In person at the small claims hub courthouse that has venue for the case (clerk visits by appointment)
- By mail to that hub courthouse
- Electronically through a court-approved Electronic Filing Service Provider (self-represented litigants may e-file)
Free help at the courthouse
Los Angeles 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
- The LA Superior Court operates a Self-Help Center (213-830-0845; appointments in person or remotely by phone or webinar, in English and Spanish). Statewide small claims self-help 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 Los Angeles County?
Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles - Small Claims Division (Stanley Mosk Courthouse, Central District), 111 North Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012.
What are the Los Angeles County small claims court hours?
8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday (excluding court holidays); in-person clerk's office visits are by appointment. Confirm before travelling — court hours change around holidays.
Do I have to go to the courthouse to file in Los Angeles County?
Not necessarily. Los Angeles County accepts a filing in person at the small claims hub courthouse that has venue for the case (clerk visits by appointment); by mail to that hub courthouse; electronically through a court-approved electronic filing service provider (self-represented litigants may e-file).
Which Los Angeles County location do I file at?
Los Angeles County hears small claims at 11 district 'hub' courthouses (Chatsworth, Compton, Downey, Governor George Deukmejian/Long Beach, Inglewood, Michael D. Antonovich/Antelope Valley, Pasadena, Santa Monica, Stanley Mosk/Downtown Los Angeles, Van Nuys East, and West Covina). Which courthouse hears your case is fixed by venue under LASC Local Rule 2.3 and Code of Civil Procedure sections 392-395 - generally the hub nearest to where the defendant lives, where the injury or damage occurred, or where a contract was signed, entered into, or to be performed - so there is no single central filing office.
The Los Angeles County filing packet — $49
Everything above, assembled and filled in with your facts:
- Your Los Angeles County forms, completed with your claim
- A filing checklist with the address, hours and fee for Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles - Small Claims Division (Stanley Mosk Courthouse, Central District)
- A demand letter built from the same facts
- What to bring on the day
Answer a few questions first. See your claim written out before you pay anything.
Reviewed by Small Claims Desk · Last reviewed 2026-08-20 · Sourced from leginfo.legislature.ca.gov (CCP 116.220/116.221/116.230/116.232/116.745/116.760), selfhelp.courts.ca.gov, lacourt.ca.gov (LA small claims, filing fees, e-filing, venue rule), and the LA Superior Court 2026 Civil Fee Schedule (rev. 5/6/2026) and Cal. Code Civ. Proc. §§ 116.110-116.950 (The Small Claims Act). See how we verify.