Alhambra is a city with a courthouse that most Alhambra residents will never file in. The Alhambra Courthouse at 150 West Commonwealth is less than a mile from the city's Census center point. Its directory lists two divisions, civil unlimited and criminal. Everything a landlord, a small business owner or a divorcing spouse usually files goes somewhere else, mostly to Pasadena.
That split shapes an Alhambra request more than the distance does. The request is run from Sacramento, about 365 miles north, and the papers are served at the Alhambra address you send. What changes from case to case is which building the summons names and where the proof is filed, Commonwealth Avenue or Pasadena, so put the case number and courthouse in the Letter of Instruction.
Alhambra filing locations, case by case
Los Angeles Superior Court sorts filings by case type and by the ZIP Code or community that sets venue. Its filing court locator returned identical results for 91801 and 91803 when we checked on October 29, 2026:
| Alhambra case | Filing courthouse | Straight line from central Alhambra |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited civil (over $35,000) | Alhambra Courthouse, 150 West Commonwealth | 0.8 mi |
| Limited unlawful detainer (eviction) | Pasadena Courthouse, 300 East Walnut Street, Pasadena | 4.6 mi |
| Small claims | Pasadena Courthouse | 4.6 mi |
| Family law | Pasadena Courthouse | 4.6 mi |
| Restraining orders | Pasadena Courthouse | 4.6 mi |
| Probate | Stanley Mosk Courthouse, 111 North Hill Street, Los Angeles | 6.6 mi |
| Limited civil, not a collection | Stanley Mosk Courthouse | 6.6 mi |
| Limited civil, collection | Chatsworth Courthouse, 9425 Penfield Avenue | 27.0 mi |
The locator also lists Pasadena for unlimited civil. The next section explains why the local rules send Northeast District unlimited cases to Alhambra instead.
Why unlimited civil lands on West Commonwealth
The court is divided into 12 districts under Local Rule 2.2, and Alhambra sits in the Northeast District. Local Rule 2.3, amended effective January 1, 2026, then sets these paths for an unlimited case:
- Northeast District filing. An unlimited civil action filed in the Northeast District must be filed at the Alhambra Courthouse, Rule 2.3(a)(1)(C).
- Central District option. Many unlimited civil cases may instead be filed in the Central District at Stanley Mosk.
- Personal injury. An unlimited personal injury case must be filed in the district where the incident arose.
- Countywide exceptions. Asbestos cases, class actions and most writs go to the Central District.
Every new civil filing also needs the Civil Case Cover Sheet Addendum and Statement of Location, form LACIV 109, which tells the court why you picked that courthouse. At Alhambra, the Civil Clerk's Office is on the second floor in Room 234. Attorneys must e-file unless they've been granted an exemption, according to the court's civil e-filing FAQ. Our Los Angeles County court filing page explains how we file and serve on one request.
Alhambra evictions go to the Pasadena hub
An Alhambra landlord files a limited eviction case at the Pasadena Courthouse, where the court's directory lists an Unlawful Detainer Hub in Room 102. That's also the small claims window.
The filing is in Pasadena, but the summons is served at the Alhambra unit. On the Service Request, give us:
- Each tenant's name as the summons spells it, plus any prejudgment claim of right to possession papers your attorney prepared.
- The unit number and the entrance, since many Alhambra apartment buildings have courtyard or rear entries.
- Parking or gate notes for buildings with secured garages.
- The filed papers, with the Pasadena case number and courthouse showing.
The court address on the summons should say Pasadena, not Alhambra. If it names the Commonwealth building, ask your attorney or the clerk before anything goes out. A tenant told to appear at the wrong building is a problem nobody wants at the hearing.
Family law and restraining orders in Pasadena
Alhambra divorce, custody and support cases are filed in Pasadena, and so are restraining orders. The court's Pasadena directory adds a deadline that matters for same-day relief: restraining order applications must be filed before 3:30 p.m. to be heard that day.
After the judge signs, the order and hearing papers must be handed to the restrained person. A domestic violence order is proved on form DV-200 and a civil harassment order on form CH-200, both titled Proof of Personal Service. Give us a recent photo, the person's usual hours, a workplace and the hearing date. A family law summons is usually proved on form FL-115, and the petitioner can't be the one who serves it.
Small claims filed in Pasadena, served in Alhambra
Small claims from both Alhambra ZIP Codes are filed at the Pasadena Courthouse. Once the claim is filed, the defendant must be served at least 15 days before the hearing if they live in Los Angeles County, or 20 days if they live outside it (CCP § 116.340). The server then completes form SC-104.
Alhambra small claims often involve a business on one of the commercial corridors. If the defendant is a company rather than a person, the claim should name the business the way the Secretary of State lists it. That's the name the server will be looking for.
Papers to serve in Alhambra?
Probate and limited civil downtown
Probate for an Alhambra estate is filed at Stanley Mosk, and so is any limited civil case that isn't a collection. Probate citations, notices of hearing and limited civil summonses can all be served at Alhambra addresses on the same request as the filing.
Collections are the outlier. A limited collection case under California Rules of Court rule 3.740 is filed at Chatsworth, in the far northwest corner of the San Fernando Valley, about 27 miles from Alhambra. The case is still served in Alhambra. Make sure the summons shows the Chatsworth address before the server takes it out.
Alhambra addresses and the city line
Alhambra's two ZIP Code areas line up closely with the city, which isn't true of every Los Angeles County suburb. From the Census Bureau's 2020 ZCTA to place relationship file:
- 91801 lies entirely inside Alhambra.
- 91803 is about 99.6% Alhambra, with a small slice in Monterey Park.
- Alhambra's own land dips slightly into ZIP Code areas centered on its neighbors, including 91755, which is mostly Monterey Park, and 91776, which is mostly San Gabriel.
So an address with a Monterey Park or San Gabriel ZIP Code can occasionally be inside Alhambra, and the reverse. The court routing for these neighbors may differ, so run the exact address through the locator when the ZIP Code isn't 91801 or 91803.
On the ground, Alhambra has a mix of single-family streets, older apartment courts and newer condo buildings with secured lobbies. For a secured building, tell us the name on the call box, the unit and the best time to find the person home. For a business, tell us the suite and the hours.
From January 1, 2027, the reasonable diligence needed before substituted service at a home or business is shown by attempting personal delivery on at least three occasions, on three different days at three different times (CCP § 415.20(b)(2)). Our AB 747 guide covers the details. We make no guarantees for service.
Witness subpoenas for Alhambra trials and depositions
The Commonwealth building hears criminal cases as well as unlimited civil, so Alhambra witnesses get subpoenaed for hearings there as well as for depositions in cases filed elsewhere. A subpoena that orders a person to appear is served by delivering a copy to the witness personally (CCP § 1987(a)). Leaving it with a relative at the door isn't enough.
A few things make an Alhambra subpoena go smoothly:
- Serve early. The hearing or deposition date is fixed, and a witness who works long or irregular hours may take more than one visit.
- Send the fee if one is due. A civil witness can ask for the statutory fee and mileage when served. If you're including a check, say so on the request so the server hands it over with the papers.
- Say who the witness is. A former employee, a neighbor or a records custodian each calls for a different approach, and a custodian of records can often be served at the business during office hours.
The court's Alhambra directory lists the criminal clerk at (626) 293-2199 and the civil clerk at (213) 633-6333, if you need to confirm a department or a date. Our post on serving a subpoena in California covers fees and deadlines in more depth.
Serving an Alhambra company
For a corporation or LLC, use bizfile Online to find the agent for service of process, then send us the agent's name and address as listed (Corporations Code § 17701.13 for LLCs). Many San Gabriel Valley businesses list a family member or the owner as agent, at a home address. Others list a commercial agent such as CSC or CT Corporation. Our serving corporations page covers both routes and what to do when the agent can't be found.
When the person or business has moved, skip tracing looks for a current address first. Our post on skip tracing for legal cases explains how that works.
Sending an Alhambra Service Request
- Upload up to 5 PDFs to the Service Request.
- Name every party to be served exactly as the papers do.
- List each Alhambra address, home and work, with unit, gate and call-box details.
- Pick Rush or Standard, and add a Pasadena, Alhambra or downtown filing if you need one.
Get status updates by email, or reach us at 855-582-5776 and Service@ValproAttorneyServices.com.
Cities near Alhambra
South Pasadena is 2.1 miles away, San Gabriel 2.3 and Monterey Park 2.4. San Marino is 3.0 miles off and Rosemead 3.2. Every city we serve in the county is on our Los Angeles County page, including the county seat, Los Angeles.