San Mateo County Small Claims Court Locations

Superior Court of California, County of San Mateo — Small Claims Division

• In person by appointment at 400 County Center, 1st Floor, Room A, Redwood City
• By mail to the Small Claims Division, 400 County Center, Redwood City, CA 94063

Walk-in filing is available at 2 locations: Hall of Justice & Records, 400 County Center, 1st Floor, Room A, Redwood City, CA 94063 (650-261-5100 option 6) — small claims filing, Northern Branch, South San Francisco — some small claims hearings.

Filing locations

2

Hours

Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., by appointment only

Filing fee

$30–$75

File without going in

Yes, by mail

Every location that takes a small claims filing

San Mateo County accepts small claims filings at:

• Hall of Justice & Records, 400 County Center, 1st Floor, Room A, Redwood City, CA 94063 (650-261-5100 option 6) — small claims filing
• Northern Branch, South San Francisco — some small claims hearings

Any of these counters will accept the filing. The case is heard at the location the clerk assigns.

Is San Mateo 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 San Mateo County fits one of those, Superior Court of California, County of San Mateo — Small Claims Division 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 San Mateo — Small Claims Division 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 Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., by appointment only. 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 San Mateo — Small Claims Division 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. San Mateo 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 San Mateo — Small Claims Division accepts a filing:

• In person by appointment at 400 County Center, 1st Floor, Room A, Redwood City
• By mail to the Small Claims Division, 400 County Center, Redwood City, CA 94063

Free help at the courthouse

San Mateo 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
• San Mateo County Superior Court files small claims at the Hall of Justice (Redwood City) by appointment; 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 San Mateo County?

Superior Court of California, County of San Mateo — Small Claims Division, 400 County Center, 1st Floor, Room A, Redwood City, CA 94063.

What are the San Mateo County small claims court hours?

Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., by appointment only. Confirm before travelling — court hours change around holidays.

Do I have to go to the courthouse to file in San Mateo County?

Not necessarily. San Mateo County accepts a filing in person by appointment at 400 county center, 1st floor, room a, redwood city; by mail to the small claims division, 400 county center, redwood city, ca 94063.

Which San Mateo County location do I file at?

San Mateo County has 2 filing locations: Hall of Justice & Records, 400 County Center, 1st Floor, Room A, Redwood City, CA 94063 (650-261-5100 option 6) — small claims filing, Northern Branch, South San Francisco — some small claims hearings. Which one is correct usually depends on where the defendant lives or where the dispute happened.