2026 state court fee data · California
Small Claims in California
Recorded at $30–$75 - among the cheaper civil filings in California, and one of 10 states where we price this filing.
Fee rank is not wait rank
Signature reading for Small Claims in California: #10 on in-state fee rank among 12 California filings. On this filing's state cohort, California sits in the lower third of recorded max fees ($30–$75). The published step list sits near the 6-step median for this filing (7 steps). According to PlainCivil's compiled state court fee schedules, Small Claims in California ranks #96 of 120 process-state filings by maximum filing fee (highest max fee = #1). Civil Lawsuit is largest of 2 at $1,435 among 12 civil filings in California; that is not the longest wait: Divorce records 180 days on a $435 ceiling.
Small Claims 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 small claims with another state
Start with California, then inspect another published court-schedule record without leaving this page.
In-state placement
Where small claims sits among California filings
Of the 12 civil filings we track in California, small claims ranks 10 by recorded maximum fee: among the cheaper civil filings in California. Neighbours: Tenant Rights at $240 and Domestic Violence Protection at $0.
Same-state corpus only, not a national ranking. How we place filings
The California row lists 7 procedural steps against a 6-step median for this filing: a reading of published detail, not difficulty.
Filing Fee Details
$30 for claims up to $1,500; $50 for $1,501-$5,000; $75 for $5,001-$12,500.
California's low-band fee among states
California sits in the lower third of this filing's state cohort at $30–$75 (rank #7 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
- Claim limit: $12,500 for individuals
- No attorneys allowed at hearing
- Must serve defendant (in person, mail, or process server)
- Judgment valid for 10 years
Step-by-Step Process
- 1
Fill out SC-100 claim form
- 2
File with court clerk and pay fee
- 3
Receive hearing date (typically 30-70 days out)
- 4
Serve defendant per court instructions
- 5
Attend hearing (present evidence, testimony)
- 6
Judge issues decision (usually same day)
- 7
Collect judgment via wage garnishment or bank levy
Important Notes
Attorneys not allowed at hearing. Small Claims Advisory Program provides free help.
Grounds / Eligibility
Monetary disputes up to $12,500 (individuals) or $6,250 (businesses)
Quick Reference
- Fee stamp
- NOMINAL schedule band
- Wait stamp
- OPEN clock band
- Filing Fee
- $30–$75
- Residency
- File in county where defendant lives, works, or where contract was made
- Typical Timeline
- 30-70 days from filing to hearing
Official Resources
Nearest fee-schedule peers in California
Ordered by ABS(filing_fee_max) to this row's NOMINAL stamp - not an A-Z process catalog.
Take this with you
What to do with small claims in California's numbers, next.
- Read the step-by-step guide for small claims Small claims limits guide
- See how every state compares on small claims 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 |