Malibu has one main ZIP Code, 90265, and the Los Angeles court splits it into 12 community names. Most of those names lead to the same courthouses. A few don't. In October 2026 the court's Filing Court Locator sent evictions and small claims from Point Dume and Zuma Beach to Van Nuys, while the rows labeled Malibu sent the same cases to Santa Monica and Beverly Hills.
The city itself had 10,654 residents at the 2020 Census, a small share of the territory its ZIP Code covers. Much of 90265 is unincorporated land in the Santa Monica Mountains, and part of it crosses into Ventura County. This page sorts out the courts first, then covers what makes serving papers here different: private gates, canyon lots and the county line at the western end.
We serve summonses, subpoenas and every other legal document anywhere in Malibu and the surrounding canyons. Malibu requests are handled from our Sacramento office, about 352 miles north.
Three filing patterns inside 90265
Every 90265 row in the locator agreed on five case types: unlimited civil at Beverly Hills or Santa Monica, family law and probate at Stanley Mosk, restraining orders at Santa Monica, and limited collections at Chatsworth. The disagreement is over evictions and small claims.
| Community name in the locator | Limited unlawful detainer | Small claims |
|---|---|---|
| Malibu, Malibu Beach, Malibu Bowl, Malibu Hills, Malibu Park, Malibu Riviera, Malibu Vista, El Nido, Big Rock | Santa Monica Courthouse, 1725 Main Street | Beverly Hills Courthouse, 9355 Burton Way |
| Point Dume, Zuma Beach, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area | Van Nuys Courthouse East, 6230 Sylmar Avenue | Van Nuys Courthouse East |
| Pepperdine University (ZIP Code 90263) | Santa Monica Courthouse | Beverly Hills Courthouse |
Pepperdine is a small exception of its own. Its 90263 row listed only Santa Monica for unlimited civil, without Beverly Hills as a second choice.
Local Rule 2.3(a)(2) explains why the name matters. Small claims and limited eviction cases must be filed at the courthouse that serves the ZIP Code and community area where venue lies, as listed in the rule's appendices. The court publishes the locator so filers don't have to read those tables by hand. If your property could fit more than one row, call the clerk before you file.
Where each Malibu case type goes
Combining the rows gives a working list for a typical Malibu address:
- Unlimited civil: Beverly Hills Courthouse or Santa Monica Courthouse.
- Restraining orders: Santa Monica Courthouse, where the directory lists a Family Law/TROs office in Room 225.
- Limited eviction: Santa Monica, except the Point Dume, Zuma Beach and national recreation area rows, which go to Van Nuys Courthouse East.
- Small claims: Beverly Hills, with the same three exceptions going to Van Nuys East.
- Family law and probate: Stanley Mosk Courthouse, 111 North Hill Street, Los Angeles.
- Limited civil, not collections: Stanley Mosk Courthouse.
- Limited collections: Chatsworth Courthouse, 9425 Penfield Avenue.
Unlimited personal injury cases have a fixed rule. Local Rule 2.3(a)(1)(A) requires them to be filed in the district where the incident arose. A crash on Pacific Coast Highway inside Malibu belongs in the West District, which Local Rule 2.2 assigns to Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and the Airport Courthouse.
Not every 90265 address is Malibu
The Census Bureau's 2020 ZIP-to-place file shows how loosely the city and its ZIP Code fit. Malibu's land lies almost entirely inside 90265, but it covers only about 18% of that ZIP Code area. Nearly 79% of 90265's land falls outside any Census place, and small pieces belong to the Topanga and Pepperdine University census-designated places.
The county file adds a bigger surprise. About 31% of 90265's land is in Ventura County. A 90265 address at the far western end can therefore belong to the Ventura court, not Los Angeles Superior Court, and the Los Angeles locator won't flag it. Confirm the county from the parcel record before you file.
On the Ventura side, the rules change completely. The Ventura court's Hall of Justice, 800 South Victoria Avenue in Ventura, lists civil, family law, domestic violence and small claims among the cases it serves. Its small claims page says every small claims filing goes to the Hall of Justice, whatever the hearing location. 90265 isn't on the court's list of east county ZIP Codes heard in Simi Valley, so a 90265 claim from Ventura County would be set for hearing at the Juvenile Justice Center in Oxnard. For cases that turn out to be Ventura's, see our Ventura County page.
Topanga and the canyon ZIP Codes
Census data puts about 3% of 90265's land inside the Topanga census-designated place, which also has its own ZIP Code, 90290. The two don't route quite the same way. Every 90290 row the locator showed in October 2026, from Topanga and Fernwood to Old Canyon, Sylvia Park and Topanga State Park, listed only Santa Monica for unlimited civil, not Beverly Hills. Evictions went to Santa Monica and small claims to Beverly Hills, like most Malibu rows. A canyon address near the line between the two ZIP Codes is worth running through the locator both ways before you file.
Names that sound like Malibu can also sit in other ZIP Codes. The locator lists Malibu Lake and Malibu Junction under 91301, the Agoura Hills ZIP Code, with routing that differs from 90265. Malibu Lake, for example, sent limited evictions to Chatsworth and unlimited civil to Santa Monica. Go by the address on the papers, not the name.
Papers to serve in Malibu?
Gates, private roads and canyon lots
Malibu addresses often come with obstacles a server can plan for if you tell us about them. These details help most:
- How a visitor gets past a gate. A call box name, a guard station, a gate code you're allowed to share, or a contact who can buzz the server in.
- Which entrance to use. Lots on canyon roads can have a driveway on one street and a mailbox on another.
- What's on the lot. A main house plus a guest unit, or several structures, means the server needs to know which door.
- Dogs and long driveways. Say so, so the server can plan the approach.
- Other places the person goes. A workplace, a gym, a second home elsewhere, and the hours for each.
If the person might be at another home for part of the year, send every address you have, and we'll plan attempts at each. A server can't force a gate, and a closed gate on its own doesn't count as service. If repeated attempts show the person is avoiding service, we report what happened so your attorney can decide on the next step.
From January 1, 2027, the AB 747 amendments to CCP § 415.20(b)(2) say that attempting personal delivery on at least three occasions, on three different days at three different times, shows the diligence needed before substituted service. Posting an eviction summons falls under CCP § 415.45. Our AB 747 guide has more.
Santa Monica and Van Nuys counters
Most Malibu evictions start at the Santa Monica Courthouse. Its directory lists the Civil Clerk's Office in Room 102 on the first floor, with weekday clerk hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Public parking is next to the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, south of the courthouse.
Point Dume and Zuma Beach evictions and small claims go to Van Nuys Courthouse East instead. The court lists civil, family law, small claims and unlawful detainer there, with the civil clerk in Room 107 and paid parking in the structure at 6170 Sylmar Avenue.
Whichever court takes the case, a tenant who's handed an eviction summons has 10 court days to answer, according to the California courts' self-help guide.
Small claims for Malibu disputes
Beverly Hills hears most Malibu small claims, and the directory there lists a Small Claims line at (310) 281-2496 and paid courthouse parking. The plaintiff can't serve the claim personally. Any adult who isn't in the case can, and so can we. The server signs form SC-104.
For a claim from a Point Dume or Zuma Beach address, the locator names Van Nuys Courthouse East for filing and hearing. Its directory lists a Small Claims Clerk's Office at (818) 901-4600, open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays. If you're unsure which row fits, ask the small claims clerk before the claim is filed.
Family law, probate and downtown filings
Divorce, custody and support cases from every 90265 row go to the Stanley Mosk Courthouse. The directory places the Family Law Clerk's Office in Room 426 on the fourth floor, opening at 8:00 a.m., and Probate Operations in Room 429. Restraining orders stay on the Westside in Santa Monica, and the papers must be handed to the restrained person.
New civil cases in Los Angeles County must include form LACIV 109, the Civil Case Cover Sheet Addendum and Statement of Location, and a copy is served with the summons and complaint. Our Los Angeles County court filing page explains how we file at the counter or electronically.
Serving the City of Malibu or a local business
When the city is the defendant, CCP § 416.50 allows service on a public entity through its clerk, secretary, president, presiding officer or another head of its governing body. Malibu City Hall is at 23825 Stuart Ranch Road, Malibu 90265-4861, and the main number is 310-456-2489.
For a restaurant, shop or company with a Malibu address, find the agent for service of process on California Secretary of State bizfile Online. Our serving corporations page covers what to do when the agent is a commercial service or can't be found.
When the person has moved on
If the server finds an empty house or a vacant lot at the address, we report it rather than guess. Skip tracing searches for a current address and reports it to you first. Get each update by email, and see the proof of service guide for what you'll receive. We make no guarantees for service.
Near Malibu
Westlake Village is 8.3 miles away, Agoura Hills 8.5 and Calabasas 9.2. Thousand Oaks, in Ventura County, is 13.3 miles off, and Santa Monica, where most Malibu evictions are filed, is 15. For the full county, see Los Angeles County. Ready to send papers? Start a Service Request.