Plumas County Small Claims Court

Court Information

Court name

Plumas County Superior Court — Small Claims Division

Address

520 Main Street, Room 104, Quincy, CA 95971

Phone

(530) 283-6305

Hours

Mon-Fri 8:00am-3:00pm

Official website

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

Typical hearing wait

6 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

File your claim at the Clerk's Office, Room 104, Plumas County Courthouse, 520 Main Street, Quincy, CA 95971. Bring a completed Plaintiff's Claim (form SC-100) and the filing fee, or a Request to Waive Court Fees (form FW-001) if you cannot afford it. Individuals may claim up to $12,500; businesses and other entities are limited to $6,250, and no more than two claims over $2,500 may be filed statewide per calendar year.

Serving the Defendant

The defendant must be personally served with the claim documents at least 15 days before the hearing if they live in Plumas County, or 20 days before the hearing if they live outside the county. If the defendant cannot be found, substituted service (leaving papers with another adult at their home or business, plus mailing a second copy) is allowed but requires more lead time (25 days in-county, 30 days out-of-county). You may not serve the papers yourself — use the Sheriff, a registered process server, or (for a fee) the court, and file proof of service (form SC-104) before the hearing.

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

Hearing Tips

Arrive on time; if you are late, your case may proceed without you.
Bring enough photocopies of all your evidence for each party and the judge — evidence given to the judge at trial may not be returned to you.
Organize your documents in chronological order and bring all your witnesses.
Be prepared to wait, as multiple cases are often scheduled for the same time; address the judge directly, not the other party, when your case is called.
If you are not fluent in English, you can request an interpreter in advance of the hearing. Remote appearance (by Zoom or phone via CourtCall) is also available for small claims, but must be requested and approved in advance — see the court's Remote Appearances page.

✓ Interpreters available ✓ Phone appearance allowed

Know Your Rights Under California Law

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