Alpine County Small Claims Court

Court Information

Court name

Alpine County Superior Court

Address

14777 State Route 89, Markleeville, CA 96120

Phone

(530) 694-2113

Hours

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

Official website

https://www.alpine.courts.ca.gov/divisions/civil/small-claims

Typical hearing wait

8 weeks

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

Alpine County has a single, combined courthouse: file your small claims papers in person or by mail with the Civil Division at the Alpine County Superior Court, 14777 State Route 89, Markleeville, CA 96120 (mailing address: P.O. Box 518, Markleeville, CA 96120). The court's small-claims page does not describe an e-filing portal, so plan to file in person or by mail. Bring a completed SC-100 (or Attorney's Notes, if applicable) plus the filing fee set by the Statewide Civil Fee Schedule, or ask the clerk for a fee-waiver request (form FW-001) if you cannot afford it.

Serving the Defendant

You must have the defendant served with your claim at least 15 days before the hearing (20 days if the defendant lives outside Alpine County). Service must be made by someone other than you -- personal delivery, substituted service, or certified mail are allowed. After service, file proof of service (form SC-104) with the court before your hearing date.

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

Hearing Tips

Neither party may be represented by a lawyer at the hearing.
If you are the plaintiff (the one who filed the case), you cannot appeal if you lose -- the judge's decision is final for you; only a defendant who loses can appeal.
If you win, the court will not collect the money for you -- you are responsible for collecting the judgment yourself.
The court allows remote Zoom appearances for small claims cases (file a Notice of Remote Appearance, form RA-010); if you are unfamiliar or uncomfortable with computer technology, you may instead use the telephone call-in number provided in the Zoom invitation.
You can request a court interpreter at no cost using the Request for Interpreter form (INT-300) -- contact the court as early as possible before your hearing date.

✓ 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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