Santa Barbara County Small Claims Court Locations

Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara — Small Claims

• In person at the Anacapa Division (1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara) or Cook Division (312 East Cook Street, Santa Maria)
• By mail to the appropriate division

Walk-in filing is available at 2 locations: Anacapa Division, 1100 Anacapa Street, 2nd Floor, Santa Barbara, CA 93101 (805-882-4520), Cook Division, 312 East Cook Street, Building E, Santa Maria, CA 93454 (805-614-6414).

Filing locations

2

Hours

8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., Monday-Friday

Filing fee

$30–$75

File without going in

Yes, by mail

Every location that takes a small claims filing

Santa Barbara County accepts small claims filings at:

• Anacapa Division, 1100 Anacapa Street, 2nd Floor, Santa Barbara, CA 93101 (805-882-4520)
• Cook Division, 312 East Cook Street, Building E, Santa Maria, CA 93454 (805-614-6414)

In Santa Barbara County file where the defendant lives or where the transaction occurred (CCP §116.370). South-county matters (Carpinteria to Gaviota) are filed at the Anacapa Division; north-county matters at the Cook Division in Santa Maria.

Is Santa Barbara 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 Santa Barbara County file where the defendant lives or where the transaction occurred (CCP §116.370). South-county matters (Carpinteria to Gaviota) are filed at the Anacapa Division; north-county matters at the Cook Division in Santa Maria.

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 Santa Barbara — 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 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., Monday-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 Santa Barbara — 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. Santa Barbara 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 Santa Barbara — Small Claims accepts a filing:

• In person at the Anacapa Division (1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara) or Cook Division (312 East Cook Street, Santa Maria)
• By mail to the appropriate division

Free help at the courthouse

Santa Barbara 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
• Santa Barbara County Superior Court files small claims at the Anacapa Division (south county, Santa Barbara) or the Cook Division (north county, Santa Maria). Statewide 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 Santa Barbara County?

Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara — Small Claims, Anacapa Division, 1100 Anacapa Street, 2nd Floor, Santa Barbara, CA 93101.

What are the Santa Barbara County small claims court hours?

8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., Monday-Friday. Confirm before travelling — court hours change around holidays.

Do I have to go to the courthouse to file in Santa Barbara County?

Not necessarily. Santa Barbara County accepts a filing in person at the anacapa division (1100 anacapa street, santa barbara) or cook division (312 east cook street, santa maria); by mail to the appropriate division.

Which Santa Barbara County location do I file at?

In Santa Barbara County file where the defendant lives or where the transaction occurred (CCP §116.370). South-county matters (Carpinteria to Gaviota) are filed at the Anacapa Division; north-county matters at the Cook Division in Santa Maria.