Need a process server in Albany? Valpro Attorney Services serves summonses, complaints, subpoenas, family law papers, probate notices, small claims and eviction papers anywhere in the city. Albany is small: 20,271 residents at the 2020 Census, on about 1.8 square miles of land. The Census counts roughly twice as much water as land inside its limits.
We handle Albany requests from our Sacramento office, about 66.9 miles away, and there's no Albany branch. Papers arrive online, and you can get each update by email.
Albany's courts point in three directions
Albany has no courthouse, and its cases don't all go to the same one. The nearest court building is a specialist, and the general civil counters are farther south.
| Albany matter | Where it's filed | Straight-line distance from central Albany |
|---|---|---|
| Probate, conservatorship, guardianship | Berkeley Courthouse, 2120 Martin Luther King Jr. Way | About 2.8 miles |
| Civil lawsuit | René C. Davidson Courthouse, 1225 Fallon St, Oakland, or Hayward Hall of Justice, or e-file | About 7.0 miles to Oakland, 20.2 to Hayward |
| Unlawful detainer | Either civil location, or e-file; heard in Dept. 511, Hayward | Hayward, about 20 miles |
| Small claims | Oakland, Hayward or online; heard in person in Hayward | Hayward, about 20 miles |
| Family law | Hayward only; DVPA papers may also go to Davidson | Hayward, about 20 miles |
Court rules from the Alameda County Superior Court's probate, civil, small claims and family law pages, checked in October 2026.
The practical result: an Albany estate is handled almost next door, while an Albany eviction or small claims hearing means a trip of about 20 miles to Hayward. Plan the Service Request around the right one.
Probate a few minutes from Albany
Every probate filing in Alameda County, Albany's included, goes through one clerk's office in Berkeley. The probate counter is open in person Monday to Thursday until 3:00 p.m. and on Friday until 2:00 p.m. A drop box takes papers for the last hour or two, until 4:00 p.m.
The deadline that matters is the court's two-court-day rule: papers filed later than two court days before the hearing aren't considered. A supplement or a proof of notice that misses that line can push the hearing. Send us the documents and the hearing date, and we'll file at the counter or by e-filing and send back conformed copies. Our Alameda County court filings page lists what to include.
Albany family law papers
An Albany divorce, custody, support or parentage case is filed in Hayward. The court's family law page says all family law documents must be presented there, which puts the counter about 20 miles from Albany. There's one exception that helps Albany filers: papers in a domestic violence protective order case may also be filed at the René C. Davidson Courthouse in Oakland, about 7 miles away.
When those papers have to be served on the other party, a few details keep the attempt safe and quick. Give us the hearing date, a recent photo, the person's work schedule and a vehicle if you know it, and tell us if a temporary order is already in place. The proof of service comes back to you for filing. Our proof of service guide covers what the proof must say.
Albany rentals and eviction papers
An Albany unlawful detainer complaint is filed at either civil location or e-filed, and every one is assigned to Department 511 in Hayward. Tenant requests to stay an eviction are filed at a civil location too, and the court decides them without a hearing.
For an Albany eviction Service Request, send the notice and the summons and complaint, name every adult occupant, and give the unit and any entry details. If the building has a shared front door, tell us how to reach the unit.
Small claims from Albany
Alameda County's small claims page sets the limits at $12,500 for a natural person and $6,250 for a business, and attorneys can't appear for either side except on appeal. An Albany claimant can file the claim in Oakland, in Hayward or online, then has to have it served on the other side. The claimant can't hand it over personally; our guide on who can serve papers in California lists who can.
The hearing is the long part of the trip, in person at the Hayward Hall of Justice. The court's site has a digital evidence portal for uploading photos and documents before the hearing.
Papers to serve in Albany?
Where Alameda County ends
Albany sits at the northern edge of Alameda County. El Cerrito, about 2.2 miles from central Albany, and the unincorporated community of Kensington are both in Contra Costa County, which has its own court, its own courthouses and its own filing rules.
The Contra Costa where-to-file table sends El Cerrito (94530) and Kensington (94707) small claims and eviction cases to the George D. Carroll Courthouse in Richmond. General civil cases in that county go to Martinez. An Albany address stays with the Alameda County court.
The Census shows how close the line runs. A tiny part of Albany's 94706 ZIP Code area, about 0.3% of its land, falls inside Kensington, and so inside Contra Costa County. If an address near the city's north edge is unclear, check the city and county before filing. We serve on both sides. See our El Cerrito page and the Contra Costa County page.
Albany ZIP Code areas
Two ZIP Code areas touch Albany, according to the Census Bureau's 2020 ZCTA to place relationship file:
- 94706 is Albany's own. About 92% of its land is in Albany city, about 8% in Berkeley, and a fraction of a percent in Kensington.
- 94710 is mostly Berkeley. Only about 4% of its land is in Albany.
ZIP Code areas are Census approximations of postal ZIP Codes. A 94710 address can be in either city, and so can a 94706 address. The court is the same in both cases, but the city name on the papers should match the property.
University Village and student family housing
UC Berkeley runs University Village at 1125 Jackson Street in Albany. The university's housing page describes it as a neighborhood for UC Berkeley students with partners and families, about 3.5 miles from campus by direct bus. Residents get mail and packages through a housing front desk.
For papers addressed to a resident:
- Give the building and apartment number, not just the street address.
- Name the resident exactly as the papers do, and add any other adults in the household.
- Add their class or work hours if you know them.
The front desk handles packages for residents. It isn't the person your papers name, so the server needs the resident in person or another lawful method. If your case is against the university itself, our Berkeley page explains UC's own rules for serving The Regents.
Getting around Albany
Albany has no BART station inside its limits. BART says its El Cerrito Plaza station, at 6699 Fairmount Avenue in El Cerrito, serves northern Albany, along with southern El Cerrito, Kensington and nearby parts of Berkeley and Richmond.
That matters when the person commutes. Someone who rides BART may leave early and return in the evening, and a home attempt at those hours has a better chance. A workplace, a photo or a car description gives the server a second plan.
Serving an Albany business
Look up the company on the California Secretary of State's bizfile Online and send us its agent for service of process. A shop clerk or a restaurant host usually can't accept papers for the company. If the agent is a commercial registered agent, we serve that office, wherever it is. Our serving corporations page walks through each route.
Sending Albany papers
- Open a Service Request and attach up to 5 PDFs.
- Name each person or company to be served.
- Add every address, and say whether it's in Albany, Berkeley or El Cerrito.
- Pick Rush or Standard, and add a court filing if needed.
Call 855-582-5776 or write to Service@ValproAttorneyServices.com with questions. Starting January 1, 2027, AB 747 changes substituted service; our AB 747 guide explains how. We make no guarantees for service. If the person has left Albany, our skip tracing service can help locate them, and our post on serving a subpoena in California covers witness papers.
Cities around Albany
Straight-line distances from central Albany:
- Berkeley (2.0 miles) and Emeryville (3.7), in Alameda County
- El Cerrito (2.2) and Richmond (4.8), in Contra Costa County
- San Pablo (5.2), also in Contra Costa County
See every city we serve on the Alameda County page.