Colusa is a small county seat with a short courthouse map. The 2020 Census counted 6,411 people in the city, and the Superior Court's two buildings stand about a block apart downtown, at 547 Market Street and 532 Oak Street. Papers for a Colusa case go to one window, whatever the case type.
That keeps the filing side simple. The service side takes more planning, because the city's only ZIP Code, 95932, runs far past the city limits into farmland near the Sacramento River. Colusa is about 50 miles from our Sacramento office, and one Service Request can cover both a filing at Oak Street and service in town.
Oak Street takes the filings, Market Street holds the hearings
The court names a single Clerk's Office, inside the building it calls the Courthouse Annex, at 532 Oak Street on the corner of 6th and Oak. The location page lists building hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays and free street and lot parking. The Department 2 courtroom is in the same building.
The white colonial courthouse at 547 Market Street is Department 1. Its page lists "All Services," but the court doesn't name a filing counter there. The Self-Help Center and the Family Law Facilitator share space at that address and take their mail through Oak Street.
For a Colusa lawsuit, eviction, divorce, estate or small claims case, plan on the Oak Street counter. A few practical points from the court's Civil Division page:
- Endorsed copies. The court won't endorse a fact sheet by itself. Bring a copy of the entire document if you want it conformed.
- Copies from a file. Copies cost $.50 per page, plus $40.00 if certified. A mailed request needs the case number, or a $15.00 search fee per name, and a self-addressed stamped envelope.
- Fax. There's no direct fax line. A fax filing agency can file under California Rules of Court, rule 2.303, but each document must carry "BY FAX" under its title and be carried physically to the court.
- Handwritten forms. Accepted, if printed clearly in blue or black ink.
One caution. Colusa's Civil Division page still describes a limited civil case as $25,000 or less. Butte's Civil Division page and Lake's courthouse listing both use $35,000 as the dividing line, so confirm the classification on your cover sheet instead of relying on the Colusa page.
What proposed Rule 1.17 would change for Colusa filers
Right now nobody has to e-file in Colusa. The court's e-filing FAQ says e-filing is permissive and not required for any litigant, and that papers can still go in by mail or at the Clerk's Office during business hours. Filers choose any approved electronic filing service provider, and the court doesn't endorse one.
On September 30, 2026, the court posted a notice inviting comment on an amended set of local rules, to take effect January 1, 2027. The draft adds a Rule 1.17. As proposed:
- subsection (B) would require electronic filing and service in all civil, probate, family law and juvenile dependency cases
- self-represented litigants and non-parties would be exempt, though they could opt in
- subsection (C) would permit e-filing of later papers in criminal, traffic and juvenile delinquency cases
- subsection (F) would keep wills, bonds, subpoenaed documents, trial exhibits and some probate financial records off the system
Comments go to the court by email or mail and must arrive by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, November 13, 2026. The same draft proposes a Rule 1.18 requiring a prepaid, self-addressed envelope for the mailed return of conformed copies. Neither rule had been adopted when we checked in October 2026.
If Rule 1.17 takes effect, a Colusa landlord with an attorney would e-file the eviction instead of handing it across the Oak Street counter. Our Colusa County court filing service covers both routes. General information, not legal advice.
Colusa rules that run on the service date
The court's current local rules, revised July 1, 2015, attach several deadlines to service in general civil cases:
- Rule 3.03. Plaintiffs must serve every named defendant with the summons, the complaint and the notice of status conference, and file proof of service, within 60 days after the complaint is filed. The clerk adds the judge's name and the status conference date when the summons issues, so that notice belongs in the service packet.
- Rule 3.07. Ex parte applications need at least 24 hours' notice to the opposing party or counsel, plus a declaration explaining why the matter can't be heard on regular notice.
- No tentative rulings. Citing rule 3.1308, the Civil Division page says Colusa doesn't issue tentative rulings, and appearances are needed at law and motion hearings.
For residential evictions, Rule 5.02 says attorney fees normally won't exceed $300 on a default, or $400 when the tenant answers but doesn't contest the case at trial. After personal service of the summons and complaint, the tenant has 10 court days to answer. Serving early in the 60-day window leaves room for a second or third attempt. General information, not legal advice.
Papers to serve in Colusa?
Small claims: certified mail or a server
The Small Claims page gives the plaintiff a choice. You can't hand the claim to the defendant yourself, but the Clerk's Office will serve it by certified mail for a fee. The other route is personal service by an adult who isn't a party, who then completes form SC-104. Personal service doesn't depend on someone signing for an envelope.
The timing comes from statute rather than the court page. A defendant who lives in Colusa County must be served at least 15 days before the hearing, and one living in another county at least 20 days before (CCP § 116.340). Small claims papers can't be fax filed. The free small claims advisor works out of the Self-Help Center at 547 Market Street.
The Small Claims page also quotes a dollar limit that is out of date, so check the current figure on the California Courts self-help site before you file.
The Sheriff's Civil Unit and its queue
The Colusa County Sheriff's Civil Unit lists its physical address as 532 Oak Street, the same building as the court clerk, with mail going to 929 Bridge Street. The office keeps weekday hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Sheriff's Service Time page explains how the queue works. Most requests are handled in the order received, and some, restraining orders among them, take priority. It asks requesters to allow 3 to 4 business days before calling to check on a request. It describes due diligence as attempts on two or three different dates and times, followed by written notice if the person isn't served.
That's a useful benchmark for 2027. From January 1, 2027, three good-faith attempts at the home or workplace on three different days, at three different times, show reasonable diligence before substituted service (CCP § 415.20(b)(2)). The Sheriff's Civil page also notes that registered process servers can handle most civil process, and that in many cases, levies aside, any adult who isn't a party can serve. Our AB 747 guide explains the 2027 changes, including the public register of process servers.
Family cases and the Market Street help desk
Divorce, custody and support papers in a Colusa case are filed at Oak Street like everything else. Self-represented parents often start one block over, at the Self-Help Center and Family Law Facilitator's office at 547 Market Street. The Family Law page lists office hours of Monday through Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed from noon to 1:00 p.m., and says the facilitator can help prepare and file proofs of service. The office doesn't act as anyone's attorney and can't attend hearings.
Once the petition is filed, the other parent still has to be served by someone other than the filer. If that parent lives outside Colusa County, we can arrange service at the new address on the same Service Request.
ZIP 95932 reaches well past the city
Colusa has one ZIP Code area, and the city fills very little of it. The Census Bureau's 2020 ZCTA to place relationship file puts 95932 at about 143 square miles of land. About 2.4% is inside Colusa city limits and about 0.3% falls in the Princeton census area. The other 97% is outside any city or named community.
So a "Colusa, CA 95932" address can be a house a few blocks from the courthouse or a farmhouse miles out on a county road. For anything outside town, tell us:
- the cross road or mile marker, and which side of the road the driveway is on
- whether there's a gate, a locked yard or dogs
- whether the person works the property during the day or leaves early
- a phone number or vehicle description if you have one
Remote areas are subject to different timelines. A clear description keeps a rural first attempt from turning into a scouting trip.
Colusa businesses and their agents
For a corporation or LLC with an office in Colusa, look up its agent for service of process on the Secretary of State's bizfile Online search, and send us the name and address exactly as listed. A locally owned company often names its owner, at a home address in the county. A larger one usually names a commercial agent. Our serving corporations page explains service on an entity, including service through CT Corporation.
If the person you need has moved away from Colusa, skip tracing can look for a current address before an attempt. Our post on how to find a defendant in California walks through what helps.
Sending us a Colusa job
- Upload up to 5 PDFs with the Service Request: the filed papers plus any instructions.
- List each party exactly as the summons or order names them.
- Describe the address, with access details for anything outside town.
- Pick Rush or Standard, and tell us if the papers also need filing at Oak Street.
Get each update by email. Questions go to 855-582-5776 or Service@ValproAttorneyServices.com, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. When papers are served, the server signs a proof of service, and our proof of service guide shows what it contains. We make no guarantees for service.
Cities near Colusa
Williams is the closest, 7.8 miles west in a straight line. East of the river, Live Oak is 19.4 miles away, Gridley 20 and Biggs 21.3. Marysville is 23.3 miles off and Willows 23.6. Our Colusa County page lists every community we serve in the county.