To fill out the California UD-100 unlawful detainer complaint, you work through the Judicial Council’s numbered items using your lease, the termination notice you already served, and the proof of service for that notice; you attach those documents as exhibits, sign the verification under penalty of perjury, and file the completed form with a Civil Case Cover Sheet and the correct filing fee. The form is free to download from the California Courts website, but a mistake on it can get your case rejected at the clerk’s window or dismissed later, so the work happens before you start typing.
What to Have in Front of You Before You Start
California Code of Civil Procedure § 1166 requires the complaint to set forth the facts supporting your claim and to describe the rental property with reasonable certainty.1California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure Section 1166 Pull these together first:
- The written lease and any addenda. For residential property, a copy must be attached to the complaint as Exhibit 1. If the agreement is oral, you’ll check a box on the form instead, but you still need to know the start date, rent amount, and payment schedule. If a written lease exists but you don’t have it, the form lets you explain why, but only in a case filed solely for nonpayment of rent.2Judicial Council of California. Complaint—Unlawful Detainer UD-100
- The termination notice you served and its proof of service. You cannot file until the notice period has expired without the tenant paying, curing, or leaving. The notice type depends on the reason for eviction: a 3-day notice to pay rent or quit, a 3-day notice to perform covenants or quit, a 3-day notice to quit for serious problems like illegal activity, or a 30-day or 60-day notice to end a month-to-month tenancy.3California Courts. Choose the Right Type of Eviction Notice
- Full names of every adult tenant you’re suing. The form also lets you name unknown occupants as “Does.”
- The full property address, including any unit number, matching what appears on the notice.
Walking Through the UD-100 Item by Item
The UD-100 revised January 1, 2026, is mostly checkboxes with short fill-in blanks. A handful of items require attachments, and a few carry consequences out of proportion to their size.
Caption and Party Information, Items 1 Through 5
The caption block at the top is standard for California civil filings: county and court address, your name as plaintiff, and each defendant. Item 3 asks for the property address. Item 4 asks whether the case is residential or commercial. That checkbox controls which body of law applies to the whole case, so pick carefully.
Item 5 asks whether the case is limited or unlimited civil. A case qualifies as limited civil in California only if the amount in controversy is $35,000 or less.4LegiScan. Bill Text CA SB71 2023-2024 Regular Session Chaptered Most unlawful detainer cases fall under that threshold. Above it, you file as unlimited civil and pay a higher fee.
Tenancy Agreement, Item 6
Item 6 is the heart of the complaint. Enter the date the tenancy began, the name of each defendant who agreed to rent, whether the tenancy is month-to-month or another arrangement, the rent amount, how often rent is due, and the day of the month it’s due.2Judicial Council of California. Complaint—Unlawful Detainer UD-100 Indicate whether the agreement was with you, your agent, or a predecessor in interest such as a prior owner.
Item 6c is where you flag subtenants or assignees who weren’t original signers. Item 6d covers later changes such as a rent increase. For residential property, Item 6e requires the written lease to be attached as Exhibit 1. Skip that attachment and the clerk may reject the filing.
Tenant Protection Act Disclosure, Item 7
California’s Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (Civil Code § 1946.2) limits when and why you can evict tenants in covered properties.5California Legislative Information. California Civil Code Section 1946.2 Item 7 asks whether the tenancy is subject to the Act. If the property is exempt, check 7a and identify the exact statutory subpart that exempts it. If it’s covered, check 7b. A tenant’s attorney will check this against the statute, and getting it wrong is one of the faster routes to dismissal.
Just Cause for Termination, Item 8
For tenancies covered by the Tenant Protection Act, Item 8 requires you to identify the eviction as either at-fault or no-fault just cause. At-fault reasons include nonpayment of rent, lease violations, nuisance, and criminal activity. No-fault reasons include the owner moving in, withdrawing the unit from the rental market, or complying with a government order.5California Legislative Information. California Civil Code Section 1946.2
No-fault evictions have an extra requirement that catches landlords off guard. Before filing, you must have either waived the final month’s rent or paid the tenant a direct relocation payment equal to one month’s rent. Item 8b asks which option you used, the dollar amount, and the name of each defendant who received the payment. If the tenant doesn’t leave after a no-fault termination, Item 8c lets you recover the relocation assistance as damages.2Judicial Council of California. Complaint—Unlawful Detainer UD-100
Notice Information, Item 9
Item 9 describes the termination notice you served. Check the notice type (3-day, 30-day, 60-day, or 90-day), state the date you served it, and explain how it was delivered: personally, by posting and mailing, or by another authorized method. If the notice demanded rent, list the exact amount demanded.
For residential property, Item 9e requires the notice to be attached as Exhibit 2.2Judicial Council of California. Complaint—Unlawful Detainer UD-100 When the Tenant Protection Act applies and two notices were required under Civil Code § 1946.2(c), attach copies of both. Item 10d then requires the proof of service for the notice as Exhibit 3. In a residential case, none of these attachments are optional.
Damages and Daily Rental Value
State the rent past due and the daily rental value. Calculate the daily rate by dividing the monthly rent by 30. The court uses that figure to compute holdover damages for each day the tenant stays past the notice’s expiration through the date of judgment. You can also claim other damages, such as repair costs for property damage beyond normal wear.
Verification
The last page is a verification the plaintiff or the plaintiff’s attorney signs under penalty of perjury. That signature converts the complaint into a sworn statement. Information you know to be false exposes you to perjury charges and civil sanctions. If an attorney signs on behalf of a corporate landlord or trust, the verification wording changes; the form provides checkboxes for those scenarios.
Companion Forms You File With It
The UD-100 doesn’t go to the clerk alone. You also file a Civil Case Cover Sheet (Form CM-010). California Rules of Court, Rule 3.220 requires the cover sheet with the first paper filed in any civil action, and skipping it can draw sanctions.6Judicial Branch of California. Rule 3.220 Case Cover Sheet On the CM-010, check “Unlawful Detainer” as the case type and mark limited or unlimited civil to match the UD-100.
After filing, the clerk issues a Summons (Form SUM-100) for you to serve on the tenant with the complaint.7California Courts. Summons SUM-100 You don’t fill it out; the clerk stamps it with the case number and court seal. Once service is done, the person who delivered the papers completes a Proof of Service of Summons (Form POS-010) that you file with the court.8California Courts. Proof of Service of Summons POS-010
Filing Fees
California’s statewide fee schedule sets three tiers for unlawful detainer filings based on the amount claimed:
- Up to $10,000: $240
- Over $10,000 to $25,000: $385
- Over $25,000: $435
These figures come from the Judicial Council’s current civil fee schedule.9Superior Court of California. Statewide Civil Fee Schedule If you can’t afford the fee, submit a Request to Waive Court Fees (Form FW-001). Eligibility depends on receiving public benefits, having low income, or not earning enough to cover basic needs and court costs.10California Courts. Request to Waive Court Fees FW-001
Getting the Papers to the Tenant
Once the clerk files the complaint and issues the summons, you have to get both documents into the tenant’s hands through formal service of process. California law is strict about who can do this: any person at least 18 years old who is not a party to the lawsuit.11California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure Section 414.10 You, the landlord, cannot serve the papers yourself. Use a friend, a family member who isn’t part of the case, or a professional process server.
Personal service, physically handing the summons and complaint to the tenant, is the preferred method. If the server tries multiple times and can’t find the tenant at home, substituted service is available. Under CCP § 415.20, the server can leave the papers with a competent household member at least 18 years old, inform that person of the contents, and mail a second copy by first-class mail to the same address.12California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure CCP Section 415.20 Substituted service isn’t complete until the tenth day after mailing, which adds time to the case.
Whoever serves the papers fills out the POS-010 and returns it to you for filing. Without a proof of service on file, the case can’t move forward.
What Happens After You File
After personal service, the tenant has 10 court days to file a written response, typically an Answer on Form UD-105. Court days exclude Saturdays, Sundays, and judicial holidays.13California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure Section 1167 If the tenant was reached by substituted service or through the Secretary of State’s address confidentiality program, they get an additional five court days.
If the response deadline passes with nothing filed, you can submit a Request for Entry of Default (Form CIV-100). The clerk then notes the default in the record, and the tenant loses the right to participate.14California Courts. Request for Entry of Default Application to Enter Default CIV-100 You can then request a default judgment for possession plus unpaid rent and damages. The court will still accept a late response from the tenant until you actually file the default request, so don’t sit on it.
If the tenant files an answer, the case heads toward trial. Either side can file a Request to Set Case for Trial (Form UD-150).15California Courts. Request/Counter-Request to Set Case for Trial—Unlawful Detainer UD-150 Under CCP § 1170.5, the court must schedule trial within 20 days of that request.16California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure Section 1170.5 Unlawful detainer trials are usually short, often a single hearing where the judge rules the same day.
Winning a judgment doesn’t remove the tenant on its own. After judgment, request a writ of possession from the clerk and deliver it with a lockout fee to the county sheriff. The sheriff posts a five-day notice on the door. When the five days run out, the sheriff returns to remove any remaining occupants and hand possession back to you. From delivering the writ to the final lockout, plan on roughly one to two weeks depending on the sheriff’s schedule.