Lynwood is one of the easier Los Angeles County cities to route. It has one ZIP Code, 90262, and the court's locator sends nearly every kind of Lynwood case to one building, the Compton Courthouse, about 2.4 miles south and west of the city's center. Only two kinds of case leave South Central: smaller collection suits go to Norwalk, and probate plus most other limited civil cases go downtown.
That simplicity makes the details inside the Compton building more important. It's a large courthouse with departments on many floors, and the notice in your file tells you exactly which one hears the case.
We serve summonses, complaints, subpoenas, restraining orders, family law papers and eviction notices at Lynwood homes, apartments and businesses. Start a Service Request with the papers attached, or email Service@ValproAttorneyServices.com.
Lynwood cases by courthouse
We ran 90262 through the Filing Court Locator in October 2026. It listed a single community, Lynwood, and returned this assignment. Distances are straight-line from the city's Census center point.
| Case type | Courthouse | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited civil | Compton Courthouse, 200 West Compton Blvd. | 2.4 mi |
| Family law | Compton Courthouse | 2.4 mi |
| Restraining orders | Compton Courthouse | 2.4 mi |
| Limited unlawful detainer | Compton Courthouse | 2.4 mi |
| Small claims | Compton Courthouse | 2.4 mi |
| Limited civil, collections | Norwalk Courthouse, 12720 Norwalk Blvd. | 7.4 mi |
| Limited civil, not collections | Stanley Mosk Courthouse, 111 North Hill Street, Los Angeles | 9.4 mi |
| Probate | Stanley Mosk Courthouse | 9.4 mi |
Local Rule 2.2 divides the court into 12 districts. Lynwood falls in the South Central District, and the rule lists exactly one courthouse for it: Compton. So when a summons for a Lynwood case names a different civil building, ask your attorney why before the papers go out.
How 90262 lines up with the city
The Census Bureau's 2020 file matching ZIP Code areas to places shows an unusually tight fit. About 99.9% of 90262's land is inside Lynwood. From the city's side, about 98.5% of Lynwood's land is in 90262. The leftover pieces are slivers in 90002, 90059, 90723, 90221 and 90222, each under 1% of the city.
In practice, a 90262 address is almost always a Lynwood address, and a Lynwood address is almost always 90262. If a document lists a Lynwood street with another ZIP Code, check it against the lease or the county assessor before service, because a mistyped ZIP is more likely than a real edge case.
Finding the right department at Compton
The court directory lists eight divisions in the Compton building: civil, criminal, family law, juvenile dependency, juvenile justice, small claims, traffic and unlawful detainer. For civil filers, the courtroom assignments matter as much as the clerk's windows. The directory shows:
- Department B, Room 906, 9th floor: small claims and unlawful detainer.
- Department E, Room 1004, 10th floor: general civil and small claims.
- Departments A (Room 904) and P (Room 1200): general civil.
- Departments 1 (Room 407), M (Room 408) and N (Room 504): family law.
The civil clerk's counter and the small claims window are on the 9th floor, with clerk hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The family law clerk opens at 8:00 a.m. Pay parking is in the structure at 400 South Acacia Avenue, on the corner of Myrrh Street, south of the courthouse. Jurors park there free.
Two smaller listings help people who have to appear. The Children's Waiting Room, Room 1103 on the 11th floor, takes children from 2½ to 13 years old. Interpreter Services is in Room 1009. If you're serving a party who will need an interpreter at the hearing, mention it in the Letter of Instruction so we can describe the delivery accurately.
Evictions from Lynwood rentals
A limited eviction for a Lynwood unit is filed at Compton and, under the directory, heard in Department B on the 9th floor. Before the complaint, there's usually a notice, and before the notice, a question about which rules govern the unit.
Los Angeles County's Department of Consumer and Business Affairs runs the County's Rent Stabilization and Tenant Protections Ordinance. DCBA describes it as covering eligible units in unincorporated Los Angeles County. Lynwood is an incorporated city, so a unit inside the city line isn't governed by that ordinance. Your attorney should confirm the state and local rules that do apply before the notice is drafted. If you aren't sure whether a property is in the city, DCBA points to the Registrar-Recorder's "District Map Look Up By Address" tool.
When you send the summons and complaint for service, include:
- Every adult occupant, named as on the summons.
- The prejudgment claim of right to possession, if you're serving one.
- The unit or space number, and which entrance the tenant uses.
- The date the notice was served, and by whom.
The tenant's answer period runs from service. After personal delivery it's 10 court days, not counting weekends or court holidays. After substituted service or posting followed by mailing, it's 10 calendar days plus 10 court days from the mailing. The court's e-filing FAQ also notes that a limited unlawful detainer complaint is automatically filed as confidential under Code of Civil Procedure § 1161.2.
Small claims on the 9th floor
Small claims for Lynwood parties are filed at Compton and heard in Department B or Department E. The calendar for service runs backward from the hearing date on the claim. Count the day before the hearing as day 1. Personal service must be finished by day 15 if the defendant lives in Los Angeles County, or by day 20 if they live in another county. If that day falls on a weekend or court holiday, the deadline moves back to the last court day before it.
Plan early if substituted service is a possibility. It must be completed 10 days before the personal-service deadline. The plaintiff can't serve the claim, but any adult who isn't a party can, and the server then fills out form SC-104.
Papers to serve in Lynwood?
Family law and restraining orders at Compton
Lynwood divorce, custody, support and parentage cases are heard in Departments 1, M and N, on the 4th and 5th floors. The petition and summons are served on the other party and usually proved on form FL-115.
Parents without a lawyer have two offices to know about. The Family Law Facilitator is in Room 200-F on the 2nd floor, reached through the cafeteria. Family law facilitators are court staff who assist parties handling their own family law case, and the directory links to that office's own information page. Family Court Services, in Room 1003, schedules custody mediation and handles evaluations. A mediation notice or an order after a mediation session often has to be served on the other parent, so add it to your upload with the petition.
Restraining orders are handled at Compton too. A temporary order is only as useful as its service, so send it to us with the hearing notice and every attachment the judge signed, the moment you have them. A domestic violence order is proved on form DV-200 and a civil harassment order on form CH-200. If the restrained person works nights or splits time between addresses, list both and the hours.
Larger civil suits and the injury rule
Lynwood's unlimited civil cases are filed at Compton. For most case types, Local Rule 2.3(a)(1)(B) gives the plaintiff a choice between the Central District and the district that fits the facts, such as where a contract was to be performed or where real property sits. For Lynwood, that second district is South Central.
Personal injury is different. Local Rule 2.3(a)(1)(A) makes it mandatory to file an unlimited case for bodily injury, wrongful death or personal property damage in the district where the incident arose. A collision on a Lynwood street is a South Central case, so it's filed at Compton, not downtown. Class actions and asbestos cases are the exceptions that always go to the Central District.
Every new civil complaint needs form LACIV 109, the Civil Case Cover Sheet Addendum and Statement of Location, and a copy of it must be served with the summons and complaint. Put it in the same PDF set you upload to us.
Collections in Norwalk, probate downtown
A limited civil case asks for $35,000 or less. If it's a collection case, the locator sends Lynwood to Norwalk. The directory puts Norwalk's Civil Clerk's Office in Room 101 on the first floor, with separate phone lines for general civil, limited collections and limited unlawful detainer. Limited civil departments Y and Z are on the 7th floor. Parking is in the City of Norwalk structure east of the courthouse, entered from Avenida Manuel Salinas.
Other limited cases, such as a small contract dispute that isn't a collection, are filed at Stanley Mosk downtown, along with every Lynwood probate, trust and guardianship matter.
Papers that still go to the counter
Attorneys must e-file in civil cases unless they have an exemption order, and outside the Central District that order comes from the district's supervising judge. Some papers can't be e-filed, though. The court's FAQ lists:
- Peremptory challenges and challenges for cause of a judge under CCP §§ 170.6 and 170.3.
- Bonds and undertakings.
- Trial and evidentiary hearing exhibits.
- Ex parte applications filed together with a new complaint.
- Documents submitted conditionally under seal.
If your Lynwood case needs one of these at Compton or Norwalk, we can take it to the window. Our Los Angeles County court filing page explains how filing and service fit together on one request.
Details that help the server in Lynwood
A complete address and a few facts about the person give the first attempt its best chance. Add these to the Letter of Instruction:
- Apartment, unit or space number, and the building letter in larger complexes.
- The hours they're usually home, or their work schedule.
- A workplace, even if it's in South Gate, Compton or Paramount.
- A description or photo, plus a vehicle and plate number.
- What happened at earlier attempts, if anyone else has tried.
- The hearing or response date, so the attempts are scheduled around it.
From January 1, 2027, reasonable diligence before substituted service 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 explains the change. We make no guarantees for service.
Lynwood businesses and people who've moved
For a company, start with its agent for service of process on the Secretary of State's business search. Our serving corporations guide covers agents, officers and registered agent firms. For a person who no longer lives at the address, skip tracing looks for a current one, and the papers go back out only after you approve it. Every update comes in the same email thread, and our proof of service guide explains what comes back to you. Our post on finding a defendant in California covers the search in more depth.
Cities around Lynwood
South Gate is 1.5 miles away in a straight line, Compton 2.5, Paramount 2.7 and Cudahy 3. Huntington Park is 3.9 miles away. The rest of the county starts from our Los Angeles County page.