How to Fill Out and File the California SC-100 Small Claims Form

The California SC-100 small claims form, officially titled “Plaintiff’s Claim and ORDER to Go to Small Claims Court,” is the document you file to start a small claims lawsuit in any California Superior Court.¹ It identifies who you are, who you are suing, how much you want, and why. Once the clerk processes it, the court assigns a hearing date and returns your copy with the trial details filled in. Filing fees run from $30 to $100 depending on the size of your claim.²

Confirm You Can Use Small Claims

California small claims court handles money disputes up to a dollar cap. Under Code of Civil Procedure Section 116.220, the general jurisdictional limit is $6,250.³ If you are a natural person suing on your own behalf, you can claim up to $12,500.⁴ Businesses and other entities stay capped at $6,250. If your dispute is larger, you either file a limited civil case or voluntarily lower your demand to fit within the small claims ceiling, giving up the difference.

There is also a frequency rule. No one may file more than two small claims actions statewide in a single calendar year where the amount demanded exceeds $2,500. Above that threshold, you sign a declaration under penalty of perjury that you have not already hit the two-case limit for the year.⁵

Ask for the Money First

Before filing, you must ask the other side for what you believe you are owed.⁶ A written demand letter is the usual way: state what happened, how much they owe, and a deadline to pay. Keep a copy. The court expects to see that you tried to resolve the dispute first. If a restraining order exists between you and the other party, or contacting them would be dangerous, you can skip this step.⁷

Watch the Filing Deadline

Your claim must be filed within the applicable statute of limitations, or the court will dismiss it no matter how strong the facts are. Personal injury and property damage claims have a two-year deadline from the date of the incident.⁸ Written contract disputes carry a four-year window; oral contract disputes have two years. These can shift in narrow circumstances, such as when you did not discover the harm right away, but filing well before the deadline is safer than testing an exception.

Pick the Right Courthouse

Filing in the wrong courthouse can get your case dismissed before anyone hears the facts. Small claims venue follows the same rules as other California civil actions.⁹ You generally file at the courthouse closest to one of these places:

Where the defendant lives or does business. This is the most common and safest choice.
Where a contract was signed or was supposed to be carried out. Useful when services were never performed or goods never delivered.
Where the injury or property damage happened. Appropriate for car accidents, slip-and-fall incidents, or vandalism.

The defendant can challenge your venue choice by mailing a letter to the court and to you explaining why the location is wrong. If the judge agrees, the case is dismissed without prejudice or transferred.⁹ Getting venue right the first time avoids the delay.

Filling Out the SC-100

You can download the SC-100 as a fillable PDF from the California Courts website or pick up a paper copy from any Superior Court clerk’s office.¹⁰ The form asks for four categories of information: your identity, the defendant’s identity, the court location, and the details of your claim.¹¹

Your Information and the Defendant’s Information

Enter your full legal name, mailing address, and phone number in the plaintiff section. In the defendant section, enter the legal name and address of the person or business you are suing.

Getting the defendant’s name right matters more than it looks. If you win a judgment against “Bob’s Plumbing” but the actual business entity is “Robert Smith Plumbing LLC,” you may not be able to collect. When a business operates under a fictitious name, list both the DBA name and the legal entity name. The California Courts Self-Help Guide has a dedicated resource for naming the defendant correctly.¹¹

Court Address and Venue Reason

Write the address of the courthouse where you plan to file. Then check the box on the form that identifies your legal reason for filing in that county, such as that the defendant lives there or that the contract was performed there. This ties directly to the venue rules above.

Claim Amount and Statement

Enter the exact dollar amount you want. Below that, the form gives you a “Statement of Claim” area to describe what happened. Keep it brief and factual: the date the problem occurred, where it happened, what the defendant did or failed to do, and how you arrived at the dollar amount. Judges read dozens of these. A clear two-paragraph account beats a page of grievances. Skip emotional language and stick with who, what, when, where, and how much.

Gather your supporting documents before you write. Contracts, invoices, repair estimates, photographs, and text messages help you pin down the specifics. You won’t attach them to the SC-100, but having them in hand tightens the narrative and prepares you for trial.

Filing Fees and Fee Waivers

You pay the filing fee when you submit the SC-100 to the clerk. Fees run from $30 to $100 based on the size of your claim.² The exact tiers vary, so check with your local court clerk or the court’s website before you go. Most courts accept payment in person; some also accept filings by mail or through an electronic filing portal.

If you cannot afford the fee, file a Request to Waive Court Fees (Form FW-001) at the same time you submit the SC-100.¹² You qualify for a full waiver if you receive certain public benefits, your household income falls below a specified threshold, or you can show that paying the fee would keep you from covering basic necessities like food and housing.¹³

Serving the Defendant

After the clerk processes your SC-100 and stamps it with a hearing date, someone has to deliver a copy to the defendant. This step is called service of process, and you cannot do it yourself. Your server must be at least 18 years old and not a party to the case.¹⁴ It can be a friend, a family member, the county sheriff (in some counties), or a professional process server.

How Service Can Be Done

The most straightforward method is personal service, where the server hands the paperwork to the defendant. If the defendant cannot be found at home or work after reasonable attempts, the server can use substituted service: leaving the papers with another adult at the location and then mailing a second copy to the defendant.¹⁵

Service Deadlines

Timing is strict. The forms must be served at least 15 days before your court date. If the defendant is in a different county from where you filed, the deadline stretches to 20 days. If the calculated date falls on a weekend or court holiday, service must be complete by the last business day before that date. For substituted service, the attempt must be made 10 days before the standard deadline.¹⁴

Filing Proof of Service

After serving the defendant, your server fills out a Proof of Service form confirming the date, time, and method of delivery. File the original with the court at least five days before your hearing date and keep the stamped copy.¹⁴ Without a Proof of Service on file, the judge cannot proceed with the case on the scheduled day.¹⁶

After You File

When the clerk processes your SC-100, they fill in the “Order to Go to Court” portion at the bottom of the form with the trial date, time, and department number.¹ Hearings are typically scheduled 20 to 70 days out, depending on the court’s calendar.¹⁷

Mediation

Some California courts offer free or low-cost mediation before the trial, letting both sides try to settle without a judge deciding. Mediation is voluntary. You are not required to reach an agreement, and if the conversation goes nowhere, the hearing proceeds as scheduled.¹⁸

Getting Ready for the Hearing

Bring the original of every document that supports your case, plus a copy for the judge and a copy for the other side. Organize things so you can pull out a specific receipt or photo when the judge asks for it.¹⁹ If you have witnesses, bring them, or bring their written statements. Plan to spend up to four hours at the courthouse; your case may not be called first. There are no lawyers arguing on your behalf and no jury. You tell your side, the defendant tells theirs, the judge may ask questions, and a decision is announced that day or mailed within a few days.

A Note on Appeals and Collection

Two things worth knowing before you walk in. First, only the losing defendant can appeal the plaintiff’s claim. A plaintiff who loses cannot appeal.²⁰ Second, winning does not mean the money shows up. If the defendant does not pay voluntarily, you become a judgment creditor and have to use the court’s enforcement tools, such as a bank levy through a Writ of Execution, to collect.²¹ Both facts are worth weighing before you commit the filing fee and the hours.

1
Judicial Council of California. Plaintiff’s Claim and ORDER to Go to Small Claims Court
2
California Courts | Self Help Guide. Small Claims in California
3
California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure CCP 116.220
4
California Courts | Self Help Guide. Deciding Between Small Claims and Limited Civil
5
California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure CCP 116.231
6
California Courts | Self Help Guide. Ask for the Money
7
California Courts | Self Help Guide. Demand Letter
8
California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure CCP 335.1
9
Justia Law. California Code of Civil Procedure CCP 116.310-116.390
10
California Courts | Self Help Guide. Plaintiff’s Claim and ORDER to Go to Small Claims Court (SC-100)
11
California Courts | Self Help Guide. Fill Out Forms to Start a Small Claims Case
12
California Courts | Self Help Guide. Request to Waive Court Fees
13
Judicial Council of California. Information Sheet on Waiver of Superior Court Fees and Costs
14
California Courts | Self Help Guide. Serve Your Small Claims Forms
15
California Courts | Self Help Guide. Serve Your Defendant’s Claim by Substituted Service
16
Superior Court of California – County of San Diego. Small Claims Proof of Service
17
Superior Court of California. Small Claims Calendar / Schedule
18
County of Santa Clara. Alternative Dispute Resolution – Small Claims
19
California Courts | Self Help Guide. Get Ready for Your Court Date
20
California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure CCP 116.710
21
California Courts | Self Help Guide. Collect Money From a Bank Account