Tuolumne County Small Claims Court

Court Information

Court name

Tuolumne County Superior Court — Small Claims Division

Address

12855 Justice Center Drive, Sonora, CA 95370

Phone

(209) 533-5555

Hours

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

Official website

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

Typical hearing wait

7 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 in person at the Tuolumne County Superior Court, Justice Center Courthouse, 12855 Justice Center Drive, Sonora, CA 95370 -- this is the county's only courthouse, and it hears all case types including small claims. Bring your completed Judicial Council form SC-100 (the original plus one copy for the clerk, and two copies for each defendant) and the filing fee, or form FW-001 to ask the court to waive the fee if you cannot afford it. Tuolumne County is the correct place to file if the dispute happened here, the injury occurred here, or the defendant lives or does business here.

Serving the Defendant

The defendant must be served by someone other than you who is over 18 -- a sheriff, registered process server, or other qualified adult -- through personal or substituted service, or by certified mail arranged through the court clerk for a $10 per-defendant fee. Under California law, service must be completed at least 15 days before the hearing if the defendant is in Tuolumne County (20 days if the defendant is outside the county), and proof of service must be filed with the court at least 5 days before your trial date.

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

Hearing Tips

Bring all your evidence -- receipts, letters, invoices, canceled checks, photographs, contracts, and repair estimates -- to your hearing.
Give the other party copies of your exhibits before the trial begins.
Arrange for your own witnesses to attend; the court will not subpoena them for you.
Free, confidential mediation is offered on your hearing day, before your case is called.
If you need an interpreter or want to appear by phone or Zoom, contact the court in advance to request it.

✓ 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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