Orange County Small Claims Court Locations

Superior Court of California, County of Orange — Small Claims Division (Central Justice Center)

• In person at the Central Justice Center (Santa Ana)
• By mail to the Central Justice Center
• Drop box at the courthouse entrance
• Electronically through a court-approved Electronic Filing Service Provider (voluntary for self-represented litigants, mandatory for attorneys)

Filing locations

1

Hours

8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Monday-Thursday; 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., Friday

Filing fee

$30–$75

File without going in

Yes, online

Is Orange 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.

If Orange County fits one of those, Superior Court of California, County of Orange — Small Claims Division (Central Justice Center) can hear it. If none of them fits, the case belongs in another county's court and filing here costs you the fee and the time before it is transferred or dismissed.

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 Orange — Small Claims Division (Central Justice Center) 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 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Monday-Thursday; 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., Friday. 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 Orange — Small Claims Division (Central Justice Center) 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.
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. Orange 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 Orange — Small Claims Division (Central Justice Center) accepts a filing:

• In person at the Central Justice Center (Santa Ana)
• By mail to the Central Justice Center
• Drop box at the courthouse entrance
• Electronically through a court-approved Electronic Filing Service Provider (voluntary for self-represented litigants, mandatory for attorneys)

Free help at the courthouse

Orange 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
• Orange County Superior Court's Self-Help Center provides free procedural guidance, forms review, and referrals for small claims (no legal advice) in person at the Central Justice Center Monday-Thursday 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. and Friday 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.; a Small Claims Advisory Program phone line is available at 714-571-5277, and self-help kiosks also exist at the Costa Mesa, Westminster, Fullerton, Newport Beach, and Orange justice centers.

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 Orange County?

Superior Court of California, County of Orange — Small Claims Division (Central Justice Center), 700 Civic Center Drive West, Santa Ana, CA 92701.

What are the Orange County small claims court hours?

8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Monday-Thursday; 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., Friday. Confirm before travelling — court hours change around holidays.

Do I have to go to the courthouse to file in Orange County?

Not necessarily. Orange County accepts a filing in person at the central justice center (santa ana); by mail to the central justice center; drop box at the courthouse entrance; electronically through a court-approved electronic filing service provider (voluntary for self-represented litigants, mandatory for attorneys).