Tehama County Small Claims Court

Court Information

Court name

Tehama County Superior Court — Small Claims Division

Address

1740 Walnut Street, Red Bluff, CA 96080

Phone

(530) 527-6441

Hours

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

Official website

https://www.tehama.courts.ca.gov/divisions/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 small claims case (Judicial Council form SC-100) with the Small Claims/Civil Division of the Tehama County Superior Court at 1740 Walnut Street, Red Bluff, CA 96080. Individuals may claim up to $12,500 (no more than two claims over $2,500 anywhere in California in one calendar year). Filing fees range from $30 to $75 depending on the amount claimed; if you cannot afford the fee, ask the clerk for a fee-waiver form (FW-001). Forms may be handwritten, but the court does not accept faxed filings.

Serving the Defendant

You must have the defendant formally served with your claim — you cannot serve the papers yourself. Under California law, service must be completed at least 15 days before the hearing (20 days if the defendant is served outside the county). The Tehama County Clerk's Office also offers service by certified mail for a fee.

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

Hearing Tips

Arrive promptly at your assigned court time — small claims hearings are held Tuesdays at 1:30 p.m.; if you arrive late your case may be heard without you.
Bring enough photocopies of all your evidence for each party and the judge; copies given to the judge may not be returned to you.
Bring all your witnesses and have your documents organized in chronological order before your case is called.
If you are not fluent in English, you must bring your own interpreter — Small Claims courts do not provide one.
Proceedings are not recorded, and the judge may mail you the decision instead of announcing it in court.

✓ Interpreters available

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 →

Let us handle the legal work for you

Accessible Justice files your claim, prepares your documents, and guides you through the process — no upfront cost.

Start my security deposit case →