Alameda County Small Claims Court

Court Information

Court name

Alameda County Superior Court — Small Claims Division (Hayward Hall of Justice)

Address

24405 Amador Street, Hayward, CA 94544

Phone

(510) 690-2700

Hours

Mon-Fri 8:30am-4:00pm

Official website

https://alameda.courts.ca.gov/divisions/small-claims

Typical hearing wait

7 weeks

Other Courthouses in This County

This county hears small claims cases at more than one courthouse. Confirm the correct location on your Notice of Hearing before you file or appear.

Court name

Alameda County Superior Court — Small Claims Division (Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse)

Address

1225 Fallon Street, Oakland, CA 94612

Phone

(510) 891-6000

Covers

Oakland-area small claims hearings; the court's small-claims page lists this as the second of two hearing locations, hours not separately published.

Filing Fees

Max claim: $12,500 · Required forms: SC-100, SC-104

Claim amount	Filing fee
$1 – $1,500	$30
$1,501 – $5,000	$50
$5,001 – $12,500	$75

Fee waiver available if you qualify (form FW-001).

How to File

Small claims documents may be filed at the Hayward Hall of Justice (24405 Amador St, Hayward) or the Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse (1225 Fallon St, Oakland). Alameda also accepts e-Filing through the court's online portal. Bring the SC-100 plus the filing fee (or a fee-waiver request, form FW-001).

Serving the Defendant

Serve the defendant at least 15 days before the hearing (20 days if the defendant lives outside Alameda County). Service can be made by the Alameda County Sheriff for a fee, by a registered process server, or by any adult who is not a party to the case. File the proof of service (SC-104) with the court before the hearing.

Allowed methods: Personal service, Substituted service, Certified mail
Deadline: Serve at least 15 days before the hearing date.

Hearing Tips

Hearings since 10/1/2021 are in person at the Hayward Hall of Justice or Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse — confirm your location on the notice.
Some case types allow remote ZoomGov appearances; check the court's Remote Appearances page if you need accommodation.
Arrive at least 15 minutes early and bring three copies of every document.
The Digital Evidence Portal lets you upload exhibits in advance — use it for photos and PDFs.

✓ Interpreters available ✓ Phone appearance allowed

Know Your Rights Under California Law

California Civil Code § 1950.5 requires landlords to return your deposit or provide an itemized statement within 21 days of move-out. If they fail to do so, you may be entitled to your deposit back plus up to 2× the deposit amount in statutory damages.

Read the full California Security Deposit Law guide →

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