Fontana has its own courthouse, and it's busy, but it doesn't take every Fontana case. The Fontana District at 17780 Arrow Boulevard handles small claims, limited evictions, probate and several kinds of restraining orders for a large part of the valley. A Fontana lawsuit for breach of contract, a personal injury case or a divorce is filed in San Bernardino instead.
Valpro Attorney Services handles Fontana Service Requests from Sacramento, 383.6 miles away in a straight line. We don't have a Fontana office or local staff. We assign a process server who makes the attempts at the Fontana address, and you get the signed proof of service when the papers are delivered.
What the Arrow Boulevard courthouse takes
The court's location page puts the Fontana District at the northeast corner of Arrow Highway and Alder Avenue, about 2.7 miles from Fontana's Census center point in a straight line. Building hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The court's Where Can I File page lists these filings there:
- Small claims
- Limited landlord-tenant cases, meaning evictions of $35,000 or less
- Probate, guardianships and conservatorship/LPS matters
- Civil harassment, workplace violence, gun violence and postsecondary school protective order petitions, by area
- Elder and dependent adult abuse restraining orders, by area
- CARE Act proceedings, which the court says are filed and heard at Fontana for the whole county
- Traffic infractions, traffic appeals and non-traffic infractions
Fontana is named on each of the area lists, so a Fontana resident's small claims, limited eviction, probate or civil harassment matter starts here. The same lists include Rialto, Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario, Chino, Upland and many mountain communities for some of these case types.
A drop box at the front entrance accepts properly completed documents. The court says anything deposited before 4:00 p.m. is received that same day. The location page also offers appointments for small claims and landlord-tenant filings.
Fontana cases that are filed outside the city
Three other buildings handle the rest. Distances are straight-line miles from Fontana's Census center point to each courthouse's Census Geocoder point.
| Case type | Where Fontana cases are filed | Straight line |
|---|---|---|
| Civil, limited and unlimited | Civil Division, San Bernardino Justice Center, 247 West 3rd Street, San Bernardino | 10.0 mi |
| Unlimited landlord-tenant (over $35,000) | Civil Division, San Bernardino Justice Center | 10.0 mi |
| Name change petitions | Civil Division, San Bernardino Justice Center | 10.0 mi |
| Divorce, custody, domestic violence orders, adoptions | Family Law Division, Historic Courthouse, 351 North Arrowhead Avenue, San Bernardino | 9.9 mi |
| Child support | Child Support Division, Historic Courthouse | 9.9 mi |
| Felonies and misdemeanors | Rancho Cucamonga District, 8303 Haven Avenue | 6.5 mi |
The last row surprises people. Fontana criminal cases are heard at Haven Avenue in Rancho Cucamonga, but Fontana civil cases aren't. The Haven Avenue civil list covers Alta Loma, Chino, Chino Hills, Montclair, Mt. Baldy, parts of Pomona, Rancho Cucamonga and Upland. Fontana isn't on it, so a criminal subpoena and a civil summons from the same city can carry two different courthouse addresses.
Confirm the assignment on the court's page before filing. The court notes that its districts differ by matter type.
Small claims and evictions filed at Fontana
The San Bernardino court's small claims page is direct about service. The plaintiff can't deliver the claim personally. Any adult who isn't a party can do it, as can a registered process server or the sheriff, and the court clerk can mail it by certified mail for a $15 fee. Certified mail only counts if the defendant signs and returns the green card, and a business must be named through its agent for service.
The page also sets the deadlines:
- Personal service at least 15 days before trial for a defendant who lives in the county, or 20 days for one who lives outside it.
- Other time frames for substituted service and certified mail, which the court's page points to.
- All proofs of service, usually form SC-104, filed 5 days before the hearing.
The same page warns that venue isn't about convenience. The rules don't let a plaintiff pick the courthouse closest to home, and a claim filed in the wrong court is dismissed unless every defendant appears and agrees. It also notes that a defendant can be served only inside California, with two exceptions for out-of-state drivers and property owners.
For evictions, the court's landlord-tenant page says a tenant has 10 days to respond in writing after service, and the complaint itself tells the tenant where to file the response. If either side wants witnesses, the page says a subpoena must be served in person with enough notice, and the proof brought to court. When an eviction summons can't be handed to the tenant, substituted service under CCP § 415.20 or a court order to post may follow. From January 1, 2027, the diligence needed before an eviction summons can be posted is shown by attempts on at least three occasions, on three different days at three different times (CCP § 415.45), as our AB 747 guide explains.
Rush is often the right choice for a small claims hearing less than a month away. Our post on rush legal document service explains when it makes a difference.
Papers to serve in Fontana?
Probate, guardianships and the CARE Act
Fontana is where probate is filed for a long list of communities, from Chino to Twentynine Palms. Estates, guardianships and conservatorships from Fontana, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, San Bernardino, Redlands and dozens of other communities are filed here, along with CARE Act matters from the entire county. Attorneys have been required to e-file probate documents since June 16, 2025.
Probate cases often involve notices or citations that must reach a family member, a proposed conservatee or another interested person by a set date. If the court or the statute calls for personal delivery, send us the document with the hearing date and every address you have for that person. Tell us in the Letter of Instruction if the person lives in a care facility, since staff may need to arrange the visit.
Civil and family filings in San Bernardino
Attorneys in San Bernardino civil cases have had to e-file since September 2, 2025, and judgments are included. Self-represented parties may still file on paper. Family law e-filing has been voluntary for attorneys and self-represented parties since February 26, 2024.
A Fontana divorce is filed at the Historic Courthouse, and the other spouse is served by an adult who isn't a party, usually proved on form FL-115. Our San Bernardino County court filing page covers how we file a case and serve it on one request.
Two clerk's offices moving inside the Historic Courthouse
Fontana families file in San Bernardino, and both offices they use changed floors in fall 2026. The court's notice of October 13, 2026 moved the Child Support Clerk's Office from the first floor of the Historic Courthouse to the second-floor Annex, effective October 19. Its public line is (909) 269-8789. A second notice, dated October 26, moves the Family Law Clerk's Office to the Annex's second floor as well, from November 9, 2026, with (909) 521-3136 as its number.
Only the counters move. The family law notice says courtrooms and scheduled hearings stay where they are, so the department on the hearing notice still governs. For anyone carrying a Fontana divorce petition or a support filing to the counter in person, the second floor of the Annex at 351 N. Arrowhead Avenue is the stop.
Serving at Fontana addresses
The Census Bureau assigns Fontana three ZIP Code areas: 92335, 92336 and 92337. The courthouse sits in 92335. For service, the street address is what matters, so send it exactly as you have it, with any unit or space number.
Give the server what saves a second trip:
- The unit or space number for apartments, condominiums and mobile home parks.
- Gate details for gated tracts: a call box listing, a code, or a note that you don't have one.
- The person's schedule, including night or weekend shifts.
- A second address, such as a workplace in Rialto, Ontario or Rancho Cucamonga.
- A photo or a vehicle description.
Each attempt is logged with the date and time, and every update comes by email. If the person has moved, ask about skip tracing.
How do you serve a company in Fontana?
A corporation or LLC is served through the agent for service of process listed with the Secretary of State (Corporations Code §§ 1502 and 17701.13). For a Fontana business, the agent may be a commercial registered agent in another county rather than anyone at the local site. Search bizfile Online, then send us the agent's name and address. Our serving corporations page explains the options when no agent can be found, and our CT Corporation page covers one of the common registered agents.
Cities around Fontana
Rialto, 4.3 miles away, shares Fontana's small claims, eviction and probate courthouse. Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario and San Bernardino are within 10 miles. Jurupa Valley, 7.4 miles south, is in Riverside County and files with that county's court. Every other city is on our San Bernardino County page.