Lodi is one of San Joaquin County's court towns. We serve summonses, complaints, small claims, probate notices, family law papers, eviction papers and subpoenas at Lodi homes, offices and job sites, and we file with San Joaquin County Superior Court in Lodi, in Stockton, or through the court's e-filing portal.
Having a courthouse in town helps, but only for certain cases. Lodi's two court buildings handle a defined list of matters, and several common case types still have to go to Stockton. Here's how the work divides.
Two courthouse buildings on West Elm Street
The Lodi courthouse is split across two addresses about a block apart, roughly 1.3 miles in a straight line from the Census center point of the city.
| Building | Address | What the court lists there |
|---|---|---|
| Department L-1 | 217 W. Elm Street, 2nd floor | Criminal, small claims, civil harassment, civil name changes, municipal code matters, some probate |
| Department L-2 | 315 W. Elm Street | Probate |
Both buildings take mail at 315 W. Elm Street, Lodi, CA 95240. The clerk's office, phone lines and drop box are open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., excluding holidays, and courtroom proceedings generally run from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The phone numbers on the court's Lodi page:
- Civil limited, small claims and civil harassment: (209) 992-5522
- Probate: (209) 992-5696
- Criminal: (209) 992-5521
- Traffic: (209) 992-5520
From I-5 or Highway 99, the court's directions use the Kettleman Lane / Highway 12 exit, then north on Church Street to Elm Street and west to the courthouse. Parking is free in the lot across the street from the L-2 building.
What still goes to Stockton
Several Lodi matters are filed at the Stockton Courthouse, 180 E. Weber Avenue, about 11.6 miles south in a straight line:
- Evictions. The eviction page names the Civil Department window and civil drop box on the 2nd floor.
- New civil complaints. The Civil Department page gives the same 2nd floor address as its filing location. L-1 does list a civil limited phone line, so call (209) 992-5522 if you want to know whether a particular limited matter can be handled in Lodi.
- Divorce, custody and support. Family Law is on the 4th floor, with requests for orders filed at Suite 413.
The court's civil page posts a processing-date table every Friday. In late October 2026 it showed new limited complaints moving within a week but clerk default judgments still at late-July submissions, so a Lodi landlord or creditor counting on a quick default should allow for that.
Probate for the whole county, at L-2
Since February 3, 2025, the San Joaquin Probate Department has been in Lodi, at 315 W. Elm Street. Estates, guardianships of minors and conservatorships from every corner of the county are now filed and heard here. The court kept the same Zoom link for probate hearings and asks filers to make sure every hearing notice shows the Lodi location.
How the department works, from the court's probate page:
- Probate examiners review every document for legal sufficiency before the matter reaches the judge, and they also check attorney-prepared orders.
- Court investigators interview proposed conservatees and look into guardianships of minors. Their number is (209) 992-5696.
- Drop box timing. Papers placed in the probate drop box after 4:00 p.m. or on a court holiday are treated as filed on the next court day.
- Publication. The page links the court's list of newspapers approved for publishing probate notices.
The court is also behind on probate e-filings. Its notice asks anyone with a hearing in the next 30 days to file at the counter, and not to call about pending e-filings. Our San Joaquin court filing service can take a probate packet to L-2 in person.
Probate notices often have to reach heirs and other interested people at home. We serve them in Lodi and anywhere else in California.
Tentative rulings: a Lodi phone call, a Stockton email
San Joaquin's Local Rule 3-113 lets a tentative ruling become the court's order unless someone asks to argue. The rule handles the two court towns differently:
- Lodi branch (Rule 3-113(E)). Call (209) 992-5522 by 4:00 p.m. on the day before the hearing to say you plan to appear and argue.
- Stockton (Rule 3-113(D)). Email civilcourtclerks@sjcourts.org by 4:00 p.m. on the court day before, with the department, case number, case name, motion, the issues you'll argue, and a statement that you told the other side.
Tentative rulings go up on the court's website from 1:30 p.m. on the court day before the hearing. In both towns you also have to tell the other parties by 4:00 p.m. that you'll appear.
Small claims at L-1
San Joaquin's small claims page lists only one filing location for the entire county: Department L-1 in Lodi. That makes Lodi convenient for its own residents and a long drive for people in Tracy or Ripon. Individuals can claim up to $12,500.
A few practical points for a Lodi small claim:
- Filing. At the L-1 counter, through App File, or by mail to the Small Claims Department at 315 W. Elm Street. Enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope if you want papers mailed back.
- Service. The defendant has to be served by someone who isn't a party. The proof of service then goes to the court before the hearing.
- Hearing. Small claims, eviction and civil harassment hearings are in person unless the judge who will hear the case approves a remote appearance in writing.
- Settling it. The court offers Small Claims Online Dispute Resolution, and same-day mediation through Dispute Resolution Services of the San Joaquin County Bar Foundation may be available on the hearing date.
Papers to serve in Lodi?
Family law orders that have to be served
Lodi family cases are heard in Stockton, in Departments 4A, 4B and 5A, and court starts at 8:15 a.m. Two parts of the family law page come up often in service work:
Orders after hearing. If the other party was in the courtroom, a copy of the order can be mailed to them. If they weren't, the court says the order must be personally served, and the proof of service is filed afterward. Orders with no return envelope can be picked up for 30 days and are then shredded, so collect them promptly.
Interpreters. The court provides interpreters only in limited cases. If you don't qualify, bring your own, or the hearing may be postponed.
Minute orders cost $0.50 a page; the court suggests waiting at least two days after the hearing and calling Records Management at (209) 992-5697 before buying one. Our document retrieval service can pick up certified copies for you.
Help without a lawyer
The court's Self-Help Center, at the Stockton Courthouse in Suite 105, is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and Wednesday from 8:00 to 11:00 a.m. Its weekly workshops include divorce on Tuesdays at 8 a.m., custody and visitation on Wednesdays at 8 a.m., and an eviction workshop hosted by El Concilio on Wednesdays at 1 p.m., all first come, first served with same-day sign-up. The same page also lists the Lodi branch at 217 W. Elm Street, weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
For family and guardianship cases there's an online workshop: fill out a short questionnaire and staff reply with the forms and videos you need, usually within 3 to 5 business days. Serving the finished papers is a separate step, and our guide on who can serve papers in California covers who may do it.
Filing a Lodi case electronically
San Joaquin built its own portal, App File, and doesn't use outside e-filing service providers. Its FAQ says e-filing is presently optional, card payments go through nCourt with a convenience fee, and an accepted filing gets a stamp "ribbon" across the top right of its first page. Once accepted, the electronic record is the official court record, and other parties see it on the court's public portal or kiosks. Small claims, probate, family and civil filings are all supported. Eviction complaints are not. Our post on California court e-filing explains the general process.
Lodi evictions
A Lodi landlord files in Stockton, at the clerk's window or the civil drop box, and the eviction page says new complaints are processed within 24 hours. After the clerk issues the summons, the tenant has to be served by an adult who isn't a party, or by the sheriff.
The tenant's time to answer runs from service. Under the state court self-help page, it's 10 court days after personal delivery, not counting weekends or court holidays. If the papers were left with another adult or posted and then mailed, it's 10 calendar days plus 10 court days after the mailing. San Joaquin's eviction page still describes a shorter period, so go by the self-help page.
Send us the summons, complaint and notice, the names of every adult occupant, and the unit number. Our proof of service guide shows what the server's declaration includes.
Two ZIP Code areas and the towns around them
Lodi is split between two Census ZIP Code areas. About 54% of the city's land is in 95240 and about 46% in 95242, according to the Census Bureau's 2020 relationship file. Both ZIP Code areas reach well beyond the city:
- 95240 also takes in the Lockeford and Victor Census-designated places. About 86% of its land is outside any city or CDP.
- 95242 stretches west to the Terminous area in the Delta, and touches tiny pieces of Woodbridge and Stockton. About 92% of its land lies outside any city or CDP.
So a "Lodi, CA" mailing address may be a rural parcel, a Delta road or a house in Lockeford. The courthouse doesn't change, but the attempts do: add a map pin, cross streets and gate details. ZIP Code areas are Census approximations of postal ZIP Codes.
North across the Sacramento County line
Galt, about 10 miles north, is in Sacramento County, and so are the river towns of Locke, Walnut Grove and Isleton, each 15 to 17 miles away. Cases that belong in Sacramento County are filed with the Sacramento court. If your Lodi defendant works in Galt or lives on the other side of the line, put both addresses on one Service Request. The county line affects venue, not service.
Serving the City of Lodi
The City of Lodi is served as a public entity under CCP § 416.50, through its clerk, secretary, president, presiding officer or other head of its governing body. The city's website lists City Hall at 221 W. Pine Street, Lodi, CA 95240, phone (209) 333-6700. Name the exact entity and officer when you send the papers. Lodi businesses are served through their registered agent; our serving corporations page explains how to find one.
Sending Lodi papers
Open a Service Request, attach up to 5 PDFs, name each person or business exactly as the caption does, and give every address with unit numbers and the times they're usually there. If someone has moved away, skip tracing can look for a current address. Get the updates by email. We make no guarantees for service. Call 855-582-5776 or email Service@ValproAttorneyServices.com.
Near Lodi
Stockton, home of the main courthouse, is about 10 miles south. Galt is about 10 miles north, and Locke, Walnut Grove and Isleton are to the west in the Delta. Every place we serve in the county is on our San Joaquin County page.