Small Claims Court Orange County: Your Complete Filing Guide

Orange County's small claims court handles thousands of disputes every year — landlord-tenant fights over security deposits, contractor disagreements, fender benders where insurance didn't cover the full damage, and personal loans gone wrong. If the amount you're owed is $12,500 or less (as an individual), you can bring your case without a lawyer and without paying for one.

Here's what you need to know specifically about filing in Orange County.

What You Can Sue For

California law (CCP § 116.221) allows individuals to sue for up to $12,500 in small claims court. Corporations and LLCs are limited to $6,250. Common disputes include:

• Security deposits (your landlord can be liable for up to three times the deposit if they acted in bad faith under Civil Code § 1950.5)
• Property damage from accidents
• Unpaid wages or personal loans
• Contractor work that was abandoned or done incorrectly
• Consumer purchases that were defective or never delivered

If your loss exceeds $12,500, you can still sue in small claims but must waive anything above the limit. For amounts over $35,000, regular civil court is required.

Where to File in Orange County

Orange County's small claims cases are primarily centralized at one courthouse:

Central Justice Center 700 Civic Center Drive West Santa Ana, CA 92701

The Central Justice Center in Santa Ana handles the majority of Orange County small claims filings. There are also additional courthouse locations throughout the county — Lamoreaux Justice Center in Orange, Fullerton Courthouse, Harbor Justice Center in Newport Beach, and Laguna Hills — but small claims availability at each branch varies. Confirm with the Orange County Superior Court website (occourts.org) which location handles small claims for your specific zip code and dispute type.

Which courthouse do you use? File where: - The defendant lives or has their principal place of business, OR - The incident occurred (accident location, property address), OR - The contract was signed or was to be performed

Filing in the wrong courthouse is grounds for dismissal (CCP § 116.370).

Filing Fees

California state filing fees apply uniformly in Orange County:

If you have filed more than 12 small claims anywhere in California in the past 12 months, the fee is $100 regardless of the claim amount.

Cannot afford the fee? File Form FW-001 (Request to Waive Court Fees) at the same time as your SC-100. You qualify if you receive public benefits (Medi-Cal, CalFresh, SSI) or if your income falls below the threshold for your household size.

Clerk Hours and How to File

The Central Justice Center clerk's office is generally open Monday through Friday. Call ahead or check occourts.org for current hours — court clerk schedules can change.

What to bring when you file in person: - Completed Form SC-100 (Plaintiff's Claim and ORDER to Go to Small Claims Court) - Your filing fee (cash, check, or credit card — confirm accepted payment types with the courthouse) - Any additional forms (e.g., Form SC-103 if you are a business operating under a fictitious name)

Orange County participates in e-filing. For self-represented litigants, e-filing is optional (permissive). For attorneys appearing on their own behalf in small claims, it may be mandatory. The county uses both Odyssey eFileCA and its own portal — check occourts.org for current e-filing instructions.

Orange County Small Claims Advisory

Advisory phone line: (714) 571-5277

The advisory service is free, as required by CCP § 116.940. Advisors help with procedural questions: which form to use, how to correctly identify a business defendant, service of process options, and what evidence to bring to court. They cannot represent you or predict whether you will win.

Call during business hours — advisory staff at Orange County are known to be helpful and can save you from common filing errors that delay cases for weeks.

Service of Process in Orange County

Filing the SC-100 initiates the lawsuit, but the defendant has no legal obligation to appear unless they are properly served. California law prohibits you from serving papers yourself.

Who can serve: Any adult (18 or older) who is not a party to the case — a friend, a registered process server, or the court clerk (by certified mail).

Deadlines: - Personal service: at least 15 days before the hearing if the defendant is in Orange County; 20 days if outside the county - Substituted service: at least 25 days before the hearing (in-county) — service is complete 10 days after mailing, so delivery must happen at least 15 days before the hearing to meet the 25-day total - Clerk's certified mail: valid only if the defendant personally signs the receipt ($15 fee)

After service, have your server complete and sign Form SC-104 (Proof of Service). File this with the clerk at least 5 days before your hearing date. Missing this deadline is a common reason hearings get postponed.

Local Tips for OC Filers

Suing a business in Orange County. If the business is a corporation or LLC, you must sue the correct legal entity (not just the trade name) and serve the registered Agent for Service of Process. Look up any California business at bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov. Serving the wrong person or the wrong business name can result in the case being dismissed even if you win on the merits.

Bring your evidence organized. OC judges are experienced and efficient — they move through cases quickly. A one-page chronology of events, labeled photos, and organized copies of contracts or text messages will make your presentation stronger. Judges appreciate preparation.

Hearing wait times. Orange County typically schedules hearings 20 to 60 days after filing. The Central Justice Center in Santa Ana is busier than the branch courthouses.

If the defendant doesn't show. If the defendant was properly served but doesn't appear, you can request a default judgment on the spot. Be prepared to still present your evidence — the judge will not simply award whatever you're asking without confirmation of the claim.

After You Win

A judgment in your favor doesn't automatically result in payment. If the defendant ignores the judgment, you must enforce it using tools such as:

• Bank levy (Writ of Execution, Form EJ-130) — seize funds from the defendant's bank account via the Sheriff
• Wage garnishment (Earnings Withholding Order, Form WG-001) — employer deducts from paycheck
• Real estate lien (Abstract of Judgment, Form EJ-001) — cloud on the defendant's property title until paid

Interest accrues on the judgment at 10% per year from the date of entry.

The Complete Filing Guide

If you want the full process laid out from demand letter through collection, the California Small Claims Court Filing Guide covers every step with specific forms, deadlines, and strategies for the most common dispute types in Orange County and across California.

Get the California Small Claims Court Filing Guide