Fresno County runs from the Coast Range on the west to the crest of the Sierra Nevada on the east, with the San Joaquin Valley floor between them. The 2020 Census counted 1,008,654 residents. Fresno, with 542,107, holds more than half, and Clovis (120,124) adjoins it to the northeast. The rest live in farm cities such as Sanger, Reedley, Selma and Kingsburg, in the West Side towns and in small mountain communities.
We handle Fresno County process serving, court filings and document retrieval from our Sacramento office. Send your documents on a Service Request or by email to Service@ValproAttorneyServices.com.
Every civil-side case goes downtown
Some large counties spread their civil work across branch courts. Fresno doesn't. The B. F. Sisk Courthouse at 1130 O Street takes civil limited and unlimited, unlawful detainer, small claims, probate, conservatorship and guardianship, family law, Family Court Services, restraining orders and alternative dispute resolution. The Self-Help Center is on its first floor.
The other court sites are criminal, traffic and juvenile:
- the downtown courthouse at 1100 Van Ness Avenue, for criminal and juvenile dependency
- the "M" Street Courthouse at 2317 Tuolumne Street, for traffic and criminal infractions
- the Jail Annex at 1265 M Street, Departments 95 and 96
- the Juvenile Justice Court at 3333 East American Avenue, for delinquency
Older case files are stored at the Archives Facility, 1963 "E" Street, which keeps short counter hours (Monday and Wednesday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Friday to noon).
The timing catch is at B. F. Sisk. The building opens 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., but its clerk's office closes at 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday and at noon on Friday. A paper filing due Friday has to be at the window by noon.
Who must e-file
Fresno is a mandatory e-filing court for represented parties. Local Rule 4.1.2(A)(1), in the July 1, 2026 publication of the local rules, requires documents filed by represented parties or entities in all civil actions, family law and probate to be e-filed unless the court excuses them. The rule names unlawful detainer initial filings, so a landlord's attorney can't walk a new eviction complaint to the window.
Self-represented parties aren't required to e-file, though the court encourages it. Filings go through an approved electronic filing service provider listed on the court's site.
Our Court Filings service files represented-party papers electronically and handles counter filings for self-represented parties and documents outside the e-file system. Send the court, case number and deadline with the PDFs. The Court Filings page lists what else helps. This is general information, not legal advice.
Four kinds of Fresno County address
Metro Fresno and Clovis. In a city this size, unit numbers and gate codes matter more than distance.
The Highway 99 farm cities. Sanger, Reedley, Selma, Kingsburg, Parlier and Fowler sit among orchards and vineyards. Rural parcels outside city limits may carry a Fresno or Reedley mailing address but sit miles from town on a county road.
The West Side. Kerman, Mendota, Firebaugh, San Joaquin, Huron and Coalinga are spread across the valley's western edge, with long drives between them. Farm labor schedules shift with the season, so the best time to find someone at home can change.
The Sierra foothills and lakes. Communities such as Auberry, Prather, Shaver Lake and Huntington Lake are reached on mountain highways. Winter weather can close roads at higher elevations. Remote areas are subject to different timelines.
For any of these, the Letter of Instruction does most of the work. Give the physical location as well as the mailing address, a description of the house or gate, the person's work schedule and every other address you have.
The Sheriff's Civil Unit
The Fresno County Sheriff's Civil Unit also serves civil process, and it describes its coverage area as 6,000 square miles. Its rules changed on January 1, 2026: anyone requesting service must arrive with a completed SER-001 (or SER-001A for enforcement). It serves only Fresno County addresses and attempts up to two addresses for the base fee.
Private service is the other option. Any adult who is at least 18 and not a party to the case can serve a summons; our who can serve papers guide covers the registration rule for people who serve for pay. This is general information, not legal advice.
Finding people and serving companies
A defendant's last known address may be months out of date. Skip tracing can look for a newer one before the server goes out. Our post on skip tracing for legal cases explains what records help.
For a corporation, LLC or partnership, service usually goes to the agent for service of process on file with the California Secretary of State. See serving corporations for how to find it.
The proof of service guide explains what you get back, and the AB 747 guide covers the documentation changes that take effect January 1, 2027.
Sending a Fresno County job
Start a Service Request, attach up to 5 PDFs and choose Rush or Standard. Each request gets a confirmation email, and every update comes in that thread. Call 855-582-5776 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Neighboring counties on our list include Madera County, Kings County, Tulare County and Merced County.