Marina del Rey isn't a city. The Census Bureau lists it as a census-designated place with 11,373 residents in 2020, and Los Angeles County runs it as unincorporated territory. The County's Department of Beaches and Harbors says the County owns the land and leases it to private companies, which build and manage the apartment towers, hotels, restaurants and marinas that line the basins.
For a process server, that setup changes three things. The landlord on a lease is usually a private lessee, not the County. The rent rules are the County's, not those of Los Angeles or Santa Monica. And many people who give a Marina del Rey address live or keep a boat behind a gated dock. We cover each one below, after the court routing.
We serve summonses, subpoenas and every other legal document at Marina del Rey homes, slips and businesses. Requests are handled from our Sacramento office, about 362 miles north.
Which courthouse takes a Marina del Rey case
Los Angeles Superior Court assigns filing locations by case type and ZIP Code area. Its Filing Court Locator shows two community labels for 90292, "Marina del Rey" and "Los Angeles", and in October 2026 both returned the same list.
| Kind of case | Courthouse named by the locator |
|---|---|
| Limited unlawful detainer | Santa Monica Courthouse, 1725 Main Street, Santa Monica |
| Restraining orders | Santa Monica Courthouse |
| Unlimited civil | Beverly Hills Courthouse, 9355 Burton Way, or Santa Monica Courthouse |
| Small claims | Beverly Hills Courthouse |
| Family law | Stanley Mosk Courthouse, 111 North Hill Street, Los Angeles |
| Probate | Stanley Mosk Courthouse |
| Limited civil other than collections | Stanley Mosk Courthouse |
| Limited civil collections | Chatsworth Courthouse, 9425 Penfield Avenue, Chatsworth |
Local Rule 2.2 places Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and the Airport Courthouse in the West District. The Airport building on La Cienega is a criminal courthouse, so it doesn't appear in the civil routing above.
Why the 90292 label matters less than the street
The Census Bureau's ZIP-to-place file shows that Marina del Rey sits entirely inside the 90292 ZIP Code area, yet it covers only about 41% of that area's land. Roughly 57% of 90292 lies in the City of Los Angeles, and a sliver of under 2% falls in Culver City.
For filing, that split doesn't matter, because the locator sends both 90292 labels to the same courthouses. For everything else it does. An apartment on Via Marina or Admiralty Way is on County land, while a house a few blocks inland with the same ZIP Code may be inside Los Angeles. The two places have different rent laws, different notice-filing rules and different government offices. Give us the full street address as it appears on the lease or the papers, including the unit or slip, and we serve that address.
Leases on County land
The County owns the ground, but it doesn't run the buildings. Beaches and Harbors lists 18 apartment communities on its Marina del Rey apartments page, from Admiralty Apartments on Admiralty Way to Wayfarer Apartments and Marina on Palawan Way. Four of them, Capri, Esprit, Marina Harbor and Monte Carlo, list themselves as "Apartments & Anchorage", and Wayfarer adds "+ Marina". A tenant there may rent the unit and the slip under one name. If you can't tell who manages a parcel, the department's FAQ lists a number for that question, (424) 526-7726.
That matters when a tenant sues a landlord, or a vendor sues a building. The defendant is normally the private lessee or its management company, not Los Angeles County. Look up the company on California Secretary of State bizfile Online and send us the agent for service of process exactly as listed. If the agent is a commercial service such as CSC or CT Corporation, the papers go to that agent's office, which may be nowhere near the marina. Our serving corporations page explains the options when no agent is listed.
Boat slips, dockmasters and the Harbor Master
Beaches and Harbors says Marina del Rey has over 4,600 boat slips in 23 marinas. Each anchorage is managed on its own by a management company, yacht club, hotel or apartment group. Anchorage 47 is the exception, run directly by the department. Every anchorage has a dockmaster who manages, prices and leases the slips there.
When the person to be served lives aboard or spends time on a boat, these details help the server:
- Anchorage or marina name, and the slip number. A vessel name helps too.
- Whether the dock has a locked gate. If you know the dockmaster's name or how visitors get in, say so.
- A recent photo and a description of the person.
- Hours the person is usually aboard, and a shoreside address or workplace if there is one.
The department sends questions about boating, harbor and liveaboard rules to the Marina del Rey Harbor Master, which is the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department at 13851 Fiji Way, (310) 482-6000. Abandoned vessels fall under the Sheriff's Harbor Patrol as well. Visiting boats can stay overnight at the Burton Chace Park guest docks for up to 7 nights in any 30-day period, after registering with the park office, so a person staying at a guest dock may not be there long.
Papers to serve in Marina del Rey?
Rent rules for marina tenants
Because the marina is unincorporated, the County's housing rules govern its rental units. Beaches and Harbors points apartment residents to the County's rent stabilization program, which the Department of Consumer and Business Affairs runs. DCBA states that from April 16, 2026, a termination of tenancy for non-payment can proceed only when unpaid rent exceeds two months of Fair Market Rent, and that this applies only in unincorporated Los Angeles County. DCBA also describes a Tenant Right to Counsel program that has offered free eviction defense to eligible tenants in unincorporated areas since January 1, 2025.
None of this changes how a notice or summons is served. It changes what the notice must say and when a case can be filed, which is your attorney's call. What we add is a proof of service showing the date, time, place and method, so every deadline that runs from service has a firm start.
Evictions: Santa Monica filing, marina service
A limited unlawful detainer for a Marina del Rey unit is filed at the Santa Monica Courthouse. The court's directory puts the Civil Clerk's Office in Room 102 on the first floor and gives clerk hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays.
The summons and complaint are then served at the unit. The California courts' self-help guide gives a tenant 10 court days to answer after the papers are handed over, and 10 calendar days plus 10 court days, counted from the mailing date, after substituted service or posting and mailing. Starting January 1, 2027, AB 747 changes several service rules. Three tries at personal delivery, on three different days at three different times, will show the reasonable diligence needed before papers can be left with someone else (CCP § 415.20(b)(2)). Posting an eviction summons falls under CCP § 415.45. Our AB 747 guide covers both.
Small claims at Burton Way
Small claims from 90292 go to the Beverly Hills Courthouse, 9355 Burton Way. The directory lists a Small Claims line, (310) 281-2496, and says there's a charge for courthouse parking with metered spaces on nearby streets.
The person suing can't serve the claim personally. An adult who isn't part of the case can, and so can we. The server signs the small claims proof of service, form SC-104. Our guide to who can serve papers in California lists the rules.
Family law and probate downtown
Divorce, custody and support filings for a Marina del Rey resident go to the Stanley Mosk Courthouse, 111 North Hill Street. The directory places the Family Law Clerk's Office in Room 426 on the fourth floor, opening at 8:00 a.m. Probate filings for the marina also go to Stanley Mosk, where the directory lists Probate Operations in Room 429.
Restraining orders are different. They're filed in Santa Monica, and the order and hearing papers still have to be handed to the restrained person, which is why a slip number or a workplace can make the difference.
Injury claims from the harbor
Local Rule 2.3(a)(1)(A) requires an unlimited personal injury action to be filed in the district where the incident happened, using the locator to find it. A fall on a marina dock or a crash on Admiralty Way belongs in the West District. Every new civil filing also needs form LACIV 109, the Civil Case Cover Sheet Addendum and Statement of Location, and the rule says a copy must be served with the summons and complaint. Upload it with the other PDFs.
For filing help, see our Los Angeles County court filing page.
Venice and Playa Vista labels next door
Paralegals working the Westside often get address lists that mix the marina with its neighbors. The locator treats them differently, so check each one.
Venice, ZIP Code 90291, routes like the marina: evictions and restraining orders to Santa Monica, small claims to Beverly Hills, family law to Stanley Mosk. Playa Vista, in 90094, is less tidy. In October 2026 the locator showed two rows for 90094. The row labeled "Playa Vista" sent limited evictions to Santa Monica and small claims to Beverly Hills. The row labeled "Los Angeles" sent both to the Inglewood Courthouse instead. Same ZIP Code area, two answers, decided by the community name.
When a list includes 90094, run each address through the locator with the community name printed on the lease or the complaint, and call the clerk if the two rows could both fit. We serve wherever the address is. The filing court is a decision for whoever signs the complaint.
People who have left the marina
Short leases and boat moves mean some defendants are gone before the papers arrive. Skip tracing looks for a current address and reports back before anything is served. For a boat owner, pass along the vessel name and its registration or documentation number if you have them, because a boat that left its slip may now be berthed in another harbor. Once papers go out, each update comes to you by email, and the proof of service guide explains what you receive. We make no guarantees for service.
Nearby
Venice is 1.1 miles away, Santa Monica 3.6 and Culver City 3.7. El Segundo is 4.8 miles south. For the surrounding city, see Los Angeles, and for the full county, the Los Angeles County page. Ready to send papers? Start a Service Request.