Sacramento County Small Claims Court
Sacramento County Small Claims Court handles money disputes within California’s small claims limits. This article explains where to file, how to prepare court documents, what electronic filing and online records services provide, and how to arrange a remote appearance. It also covers filing fees, free court assistance, evidence deadlines, mediation, and the responsibilities that continue after a judge decides a case.
Cases and Dollar Limits
The Sacramento Superior Court Small Claims Division handles cases requesting damages up to $12,500. California’s statewide guidance distinguishes between individuals and businesses: an individual generally may sue for up to $12,500, while a business generally may sue for up to $6,250. The amount you seek and the type of plaintiff bringing the claim therefore matter when deciding whether small claims is the appropriate court.
Small claims allows a person to sue a person, business, or government agency believed to owe money. Cases seeking more than the applicable small claims limit may need to proceed through the court’s Civil Division. Do not assume that the $12,500 maximum applies to every plaintiff simply because the county court’s introductory page states that amount.
The California Courts small claims self-help guide explains several limits of the process. You may consult a lawyer before going to court, but a lawyer cannot represent you at the small claims hearing. If you win, collecting the money is your responsibility; the court does not collect it for you. Appeal rights also depend on whether you brought the claim or were sued.
A former exception for certain pandemic rental debts has ended. Since October 1, 2025, a landlord can no longer sue in small claims for unpaid COVID-19 rental debt above $12,500. The statewide guide defines that debt as unpaid rent and other costs incurred before September 30, 2021, because of COVID-19.
Filing Location and Document Delivery
Sacramento small claims cases must be filed at the Carol Miller Justice Center. The Small Claims and Unlawful Detainer clerk’s office is in Room 200. The court accepts completed documents in person, through its secure drop boxes, and by mail. Electronic filing is also available.
When mailing documents, identify the department on the envelope so the submission is directed to the appropriate office. Mailed documents are filed as of the date the clerk receives them. A mailing date is therefore different from a filing date, which matters when a submission must reach the court before a hearing or other deadline.
Drop boxes allow document delivery without waiting in the clerk’s office line. However, Friday submissions require particular attention. The court states that documents placed in the Carol Miller Justice Center drop box on Friday are received on the following court day. Its general small claims page describes those items as being filed the following Monday.
For documents that need to be submitted on a Friday, the court directs filers to the William R. Ridgeway Family Relations Courthouse. Do not treat a Friday drop at Carol Miller as a same-day submission when planning around a deadline.
Public Research Kiosks
Internet kiosks are available in the Small Claims/Unlawful Detainer Department on the second floor, Room 200, at the Carol Miller Justice Center. These kiosks are for case research only. The court states that electronic filing kiosks are not available, so the research computers should not be part of a plan to complete an electronic filing at the courthouse.
Questions to Resolve Before Filing
Before submitting a claim, resolve questions about the correct court, the amount to request, the identity of the defendant, and the time allowed to sue. The court’s Advisory Clinic explains that the appropriate court depends on where the defendant or dispute is located. Naming a business as a plaintiff or defendant also depends on how that business is owned.
These details affect more than how a form looks. A business name may require a different treatment depending on its ownership, and the location of a dispute may affect where the case belongs. The clinic can address these questions before you submit documents.
Service of the claim is another separate step to understand. Do not assume that mailing papers yourself completes service on the defendant. The Advisory Clinic warns that a defendant cannot be served by just mail, and the electronic filing page identifies special rules for out-of-state defendants. Questions about how to serve a particular defendant belong with the clinic before you rely on a delivery method.
Free Advisory Clinic Assistance
The Advisory Clinic for Small Claims and Unlawful Detainer is a free Sacramento Superior Court service staffed by trained attorneys. It is available to people who are not represented by an attorney and can represent themselves in court. Eligible users may include individuals, business owners, consumers, and organizations.
The clinic can discuss whether you have a case, how much to request, filing deadlines, service, counterclaims, trial preparation, appeals, and collecting a judgment. In-person consultations include discussion of your situation and form review. The clinic operates on a walk-in, first-come, first-served basis; appointments are neither necessary nor available.
Telephone consultations are also offered. If prompted, leave a message, and an attorney will return the call within two business days. Email questions may be sent to scudadvisors@saccourt.ca.gov, with responses provided during regular court hours. A complicated telephone or email question may be referred to the walk-in clinic.
The clinic’s published hours are Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., excluding court holidays. This article provides procedural information; the clinic is the court service for individual legal questions.
Court Forms and Filing Fees
California court forms and Sacramento local forms are separate sources. The Judicial Branch court forms directory provides statewide forms. Sacramento Superior Court’s local forms and fees page includes a Small Claims folder, fee waiver information, and the court’s fee schedule.
Local forms are arranged in number order within their folders. If you know a form number or part of its title, the court suggests using the browser’s search function, such as Ctrl+F, to locate the relevant document name. For electronic submissions, also match the document to the court’s electronic filing document names; the filing system’s document category matters independently of the title printed on the form.
The California Courts guide gives a small claims filing fee range of $30 to $100. If you cannot afford the filing fee, you may request a fee waiver. Filing a waiver request requires financial information and court review.
Fee Waiver Applications and Deadlines
The court’s fee waiver instructions identify the initial forms as Request to Waive Court Fees, FW-001, and Order on Court Fee Waiver, FW-003. The instructions require an original and one copy of each. Applicants must provide a current street address or another address where the court can contact them, their occupation, employer, and the basis for requesting the waiver.
The application is signed under penalty of perjury. Complete, legible information is required. Applicants receiving qualifying assistance may attach documentation confirming that assistance, and the court may request supporting information later.
If the court denies the request, the notice creates a short response period. Within 10 days from the date on the notice, you must pay the filing fees, provide additional information as requested, or request a hearing about eligibility using the form supplied by the court. If none of those actions is taken within that period, the documents filed will be voided.
A person granted a waiver must notify the court within five days of a financial change that affects the ability to pay all or part of the waived fees. The court also explains that a civil settlement of $10,000 or more creates a court lien for the waived fees, and dismissal may be held until that lien is paid.
Electronic Filing Requirements
Small claims electronic filing is optional for all parties. Sacramento Superior Court encourages it to help documents move through processing promptly and warns that documents submitted through other methods may experience processing delays.
Before submitting electronically, review the court’s Small Claims E-Filing Document Names and E-Filing Guidance List. A submission using the wrong document name may be rejected. The submitting party remains responsible for including all necessary information and documentation.
Electronic filing is a document submission process. It does not replace the separate requirements for serving another party, providing evidence, or appearing at the hearing. For an out-of-state defendant, the court recommends obtaining legal advice about the applicable service rules before electronically filing.
Questions about the electronic submission process should go through the filing support identified in the court’s instructions. Questions concerning your case after submission go to the Small Claims clerk’s office. Keep that distinction in mind when determining where to direct a problem with a submission or a question about the case itself.
Online Case Records and Notifications
The court’s small claims case records information explains access to case information and public documents for small claims cases initiated after 1999. Records are available to parties and the public unless particular documents or cases are confidential.
Although small claims and unlawful detainer records share an information page, their access rules differ. The page’s requirement to supply a plaintiff’s name, a defendant’s name, and the premises address concerns masked unlawful detainer cases. It should not be treated as a general small claims search requirement.
Creating a Public Portal account requires an email address and phone number. Select “Public User,” enter the requested personal information, and choose “Create new account.” The court sends a welcome email with further instructions.
A Public Portal account is also required to request case activity notifications. Through “Case Activity Notification Request,” enter your name, email address, and case number, then submit the request. A receipt confirms the request. This service sends email notifications when documents are added to a case; it is separate from filing documents with the court.
Remote Hearing Requests and Deadlines
The small claims remote appearance instructions distinguish evidentiary proceedings, such as trials, from non-evidentiary proceedings, such as motions. Read the entire process before requesting a remote appearance. Filing electronically does not itself arrange a remote hearing.
For either type of proceeding, the court directs the requesting party to notify the other parties in writing, electronically, or orally in a way reasonably calculated to ensure receipt. Its instructions call for notice at least 10 court days before the proceeding and establish a latest deadline of five court days before it.
The requesting party must also file Notice of Remote Appearance, RA-010, within the court’s stated timing requirements. The published procedure directs submission by mail or through the Carol Miller Justice Center drop box. The form may also provide proof that notice was given to the other parties. A new RA-010 is required for each new hearing, excluding continuances.
For a trial, the court describes the request as a motion for remote appearance. If granted, the requesting party and any witnesses must appear remotely. The motion instructions likewise require the remotely appearing party and witnesses to participate remotely.
Objections and Hearing Equipment
A party opposing a remote evidentiary hearing or trial must serve and file Opposition to Remote Proceeding at Evidentiary Hearing or Trial, RA-015. The court’s instructions call for submission at least five court days before the proceeding, with an outside deadline of noon on the court day immediately before it. Submission is by mail or drop box, and the court notifies the parties of its ruling on objections.
Remote participants must use a device with video and audio capability, such as a computer, smartphone, or tablet. To appear by telephone instead, apply in writing and receive the court’s permission three days before the scheduled court date.
The court publishes separate Zoom meeting information for Departments 83, 84, and 86. Use the information for the department handling your hearing. Parties are responsible for giving their witnesses the meeting information. If you need an interpreter, contact the Small Claims clerk’s office.
Evidence for Remote Hearings
Under the court’s remote hearing procedure, evidence must reach both the court and the opposing party at least three business days before the scheduled hearing. Do not submit original documents. The court may not return evidence, and copies may be destroyed after a decision.
The court prefers evidence by email to scvideohearing@saccourt.ca.gov. Include your name or business name, case number, hearing date, and hearing time in the subject line. Copy the opposing party on the email. The attachment cannot exceed 50 pages; evidence exceeding 50 pages must be mailed or dropped off at least three business days before the hearing.
If you do not have the opposing party’s email address, follow the court’s mailing instructions. Send the opposing party the same evidence provided to the court. A completed Proof of Service by Mail, POS-030, must also be received by the court at least three business days before the scheduled court date.
Failing to provide evidence to the opposing party may lead the court to exclude it or continue the hearing. Keep your evidence for 60 days after the decision or, if there is an appeal, until after the judgment becomes final.
Submitting evidence does not replace attending the hearing. You must appear and present the evidence to the judge. The court states that evidence submitted by someone who does not appear will not be considered.
Mediation Before and On Trial Day
The court orders parties to contact each other and make a good-faith effort to resolve their case before the scheduled hearing. Its Small Claims and Unlawful Detainer Mediation Program provides assistance before trial and on the trial date. A mediator helps the parties discuss the dispute and develop terms they can agree to, rather than deciding the case.
Pretrial mediation can be arranged before filing a case or while a case is pending. First, agree with the other party on three possible meeting dates and times during program hours. Then contact the program to schedule the session. Published program hours are Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., excluding court holidays.
If mediation produces a settlement, both parties sign a document stating what each agrees to do. The settlement may require dismissal or an appearance to present the agreement and make it part of the case record. Agreements reached through mediation are binding and enforceable in court.
The court may also direct parties to attempt settlement on the hearing date before trial. The program explains that both parties must agree to participate in mediation. If they settle, the mediator prepares the agreement for court acceptance and there is no trial. If they do not settle, they return to the courtroom for a judicial officer to hear the case. Pretrial mediation does not delay the opportunity for a court hearing.
Night Court and Hearing Changes
Night court services at the Carol Miller Justice Center are available on the second Wednesday of each month from 5:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. If that Wednesday is a court holiday, services move to the second Thursday. The court identifies mediation, an Advisory Clinic workshop, and video hearings among its night court services.
That service schedule does not change an assigned hearing date. Rescheduling a court date requires a written request, a good reason, and a court order. Continue to follow the scheduled hearing requirements unless the court orders a change.
After the Court’s Decision
A judgment in your favor does not mean the court will collect payment. The winning party must take responsibility for collection. The Advisory Clinic can answer questions about collecting a judgment, while the statewide small claims guide addresses collection, payment, and appeals.
If you brought the claim and lose that claim, you cannot appeal the judge’s decision. A person who was sued, or who loses on a claim brought against them by the other side, may appeal. Because these rights depend on which claim was decided against you, distinguish your original claim from any counterclaim when asking about the next step.
Small Claims Offices and Contacts
Small Claims and Unlawful Detainer Clerk’s Office
Carol Miller Justice Center
301 Bicentennial Circle, Room 200
Sacramento, CA 95826
916-875-7746
Advisory Clinic for Small Claims and Unlawful Detainer
Carol Miller Justice Center
301 Bicentennial Circle, Room 300
Sacramento, CA 95826
916-875-7846
Small Claims & Unlawful Detainer Mediation Program
Carol Miller Justice Center
301 Bicentennial Circle, Room 300
Sacramento, CA 95826
916-875-7843