County of Los Angeles Department of Consumer Affairs Information Sheet

Filing Court Papers

Once you have completed the paperwork, you need to file your court papers with the court clerk.  There are several options for filing court papers.

What are my options in filing court papers?

There are four ways to file court papers at the correct courthouse:

• In person
• By mail
• Online
• By fax

How do I file in person?

To file in person, go to the correct courthouse, hand your forms to the court clerk and pay the proper fee(s). You can pay by cash, check, money order, cashiers check or credit card.

How do I file court papers by mail?

To file your forms by mail, do the following:

1. Place the completed forms in an envelope.
2. Include a check or money order for the amount of the filing fee. Make the check payable to “Los Angeles Superior Court”. Be sure to include a self-addressed, stamped envelope so the court can mail a copy of your filed forms back to you.
3. Add postage and mail your paperwork directly to the correct court.

How do I file online?

Filing online is referred to as e-filing. Currently, you can only file the Plaintiff’s Claim (SC-100) online.

To file online, do the following:

1. Log on to Los Angeles County’s Superior Court website at https://www.lasuperiorcourt.org/efiling/Login.aspx and have your credit card ready.  There is an additional $10 fee to e-file your case.
2. Follow the instructions on the website. You will be given two choices to serve your Plaintiff’s Claim. Your choices are service by certified mail through the court or to arrange for your own method of service. Service by certified mail is not recommended.
3. Once your Plaintiff’s Claim is accepted by the court, you will receive a confirmation and PDF file of your Plaintiff’s Claim. You can have the court clerk serve the defendant by certified mail to complete the process.
4. If you arrange your own method of service, you will have to print out a copy of your Plaintiff’s Claim for your records. You will need two copies for each Defendant. See “Serving Court Papers.”

How do I file by fax?

You can now file Small Claims Court documents by fax. There is an extra $0.50 charged for each page of the small claims form that is faxed to the court. You are required to fax-file the entire document to the court including the Facsimile Transmission Cover Sheet (MC-005). Go to your County’s Superior Court website to see if the fax-filing option is available.

To fax-file your documents, take the following steps:

1. Get and fill out a Facsimile Transmission Cover Sheet. You must sign the form and provide a valid credit card number.
2. Get the correct court’s fax number by either calling our Small Claims Court Advisor program or checking the list below. 
3. Fax the transmission sheet with all the pages of the document to be filed, to the correct courthouse.
4. You should get proof that the court received your fax.  You will be charged an extra $3.50 for the first page and $.50 for each additional page.  You must request this on the Facsimile Transmission Cover Sheet
5. If required, serve a complete copy of the fax-filed document on the other party(s) See “Serving Court Papers.”

LOS ANGELES COUNTY SUPERIOR COURTS – FAX NUMBERS

Court forms are available here and at California Courts - Forms. Select "Small Claims" from the pull down menu. Forms are also available at the Court Clerk's office.

Contact us for more information or speak with one of our counselors at (800) 593-8222.  If you live outside of Southern California, call us at (213) 974-9759.

Updated April 22, 2008

For more information:
County of Los Angeles Department of Consumer Affairs
B-96 Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration
500 W. Temple Street * Los Angeles, CA 90012-2706
Telephone (800) 593-8222 (within LA County)
web site: dca.lacounty.gov