2026 state court fee data · California
Eviction in California
Recorded at $240–$450 - mid-pack among the civil filings in California, and one of 10 states where we price this filing.
Fee rank is not wait rank
Signature reading for Eviction in California: 3 days on waiting-period field among states publishing one. On this filing's state cohort, California sits in the upper third of recorded max fees ($240–$450). California records a short end of the waiting-period distribution for this filing (3 days). The published step list sits near the 7-step median for this filing (7 steps). According to PlainCivil's compiled state court fee schedules, Eviction in California ranks #18 of 120 process-state filings by maximum filing fee (highest max fee = #1). New York lists the highest eviction filing-fee ceiling at $500 among 10 states for this filing and also the recorded wait (14 days). Wait rank is still a separate board: North Carolina records 10 days on a $150 ceiling.
Eviction figures for California are compiled schedule reference, not legal advice - verify with the clerk where you intend to file.
In-state wait inventory
Waiting periods among California civil filings
Exclusive split of all 12 tracked filings in California - orthogonal to in-state fee placement below.
Compare a state record
Compare eviction with another state
Start with California, then inspect another published court-schedule record without leaving this page.
In-state placement
Where eviction sits among California filings
Of the 12 civil filings we track in California, eviction ranks 6 by recorded maximum fee: mid-pack among the civil filings in California. Neighbours: Guardianship at $465 and Divorce at $435.
Same-state corpus only, not a national ranking. How we place filings
10 of 10 states publishing a waiting-period field for this filing impose one; California records 3 days.
The California row lists 7 procedural steps against a 7-step median for this filing: a reading of published detail, not difficulty.
Filing Fee Details
Unlawful Detainer filing: $240-$450 depending on county.
California's high-band fee among states
California sits in the upper third of this filing's state cohort at $240–$450 (rank #2 of 10 by max fee).
Source: state court filing-fee schedules (upper-bound fee per state). Verify current amounts with the relevant court. How we calculate this ranking →
Key Requirements
- Serve proper written notice (3, 30, or 60 days)
- Wait for notice period to expire
- File Unlawful Detainer complaint if tenant stays
- Serve defendant (5-day summons)
- Writ of Possession if tenant does not vacate after judgment
Step-by-Step Process
- 1
Serve written notice (3-day pay-or-quit, 30/60-day no-cause)
- 2
Wait for notice period to expire
- 3
File Unlawful Detainer in Superior Court
- 4
Serve tenant with Summons and Complaint (5 days to respond)
- 5
Default judgment if no response, or trial date set
- 6
Obtain Writ of Possession
- 7
Sheriff enforces eviction
Important Notes
Many California cities have strong tenant protections and just cause eviction requirements.
Grounds / Eligibility
Non-payment of rent (3-day notice), lease violation (3-day notice), no-cause (60-day notice for 1+ year tenants)
Quick Reference
- Fee stamp
- STANDARD schedule band
- Wait stamp
- SHORT clock band
- Filing Fee
- $240–$450
- Waiting Period
- 3 days
- Typical Timeline
- Uncontested: 3-5 weeks. Contested: 2-3 months.
Official Resources
Nearest fee-schedule peers in California
Ordered by ABS(filing_fee_max) to this row's STANDARD stamp - not an A-Z process catalog.
Take this with you
What to do with eviction in California's numbers, next.
- Read the step-by-step guide for eviction Eviction process guide
- See how every state compares on eviction filing fees View state rankings
- Check where this fee sits against every other filing we track Use the fee percentile tool
Filing fees and requirements change; verify current figures with your local court before filing.
| Publisher | PlainCivil |
| Sources | Public state court datasets and federal civil-justice records |