Montague is an incorporated city in Siskiyou County, close enough to Yreka that the two are often treated as one place. They aren't, for legal purposes. Montague has its own city limits, 1,226 residents at the 2020 Census, and a ZIP Code that reaches far into the open county around it. The courthouse is in Yreka, about 5.6 miles west by straight line from Montague's Census center point to the courthouse coordinates.
So a Montague case is usually simple to file and sometimes hard to serve. Filing happens a few minutes away. Service may mean finding a ranch house miles out on a county road, or a person who has crossed the state line. We coordinate Montague requests from Sacramento, about 222 miles south in a straight line.
A small city in a very large ZIP Code
The Census Bureau's 2020 ZCTA to place relationship file shows how lopsided 96064 is:
| Part of ZIP Code area 96064 | Land area | Share of the ZIP Code |
|---|---|---|
| City of Montague | about 1.8 square miles | about 0.4% |
| City of Yreka | a sliver | under 0.1% |
| Outside any city or named community | about 485 square miles | about 99.6% |
| Total | about 487 square miles | 100% |
The whole City of Montague lies inside 96064. But nearly every square mile of the ZIP Code is unincorporated county land. A "Montague, CA 96064" address on a lease, a contract or a DMV record could be a house on a city street or a property a long drive out.
Remote areas are subject to different timelines, and for most of 96064 that applies. The Census Bureau's road data shows State Route 3 and Montague Road near the city's center point. For an address outside town, send the road, the nearest cross road, a gate description and any landmark you know.
The courthouse on Fourth Street
The Siskiyou County Superior Court has one courthouse, at 411 Fourth Street in Yreka. Its location page lists no branch, so Montague cases of every type go there. The court posts its hours as Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Phone lines run 8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., except traffic, which answers 10 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. The main number is (530) 842-0411.
The Sheriff's main office, where the Civil Division works, is at 305 Butte Street in Yreka. By the Census Geocoder's coordinates, it and the courthouse are both about 5.6 miles from central Montague.
Our Siskiyou County court filing service can file at the windows and pair the filing with service on the same request.
Paper or e-file under Rule 2.23
Siskiyou Local Rule 2.23 makes e-filing permissive in civil, probate, family law and small claims cases. The court's File Online page lists the same case types and adds adoptions, and it names the approved e-filing service providers. Paper is still accepted at the clerk's windows.
A few rules apply either way:
- Civil, probate, family and small claims papers aren't accepted by email or fax. Domestic violence and gun violence restraining orders can go to an email address the court posts.
- An e-filed document received any time on a court day, up to 11:59:59 p.m., is deemed filed that day if it's in proper form. A filing received on a weekend or holiday counts as filed the next court day.
- E-filed PDFs must be text searchable and page numbered, and longer documents with exhibits need bookmarks.
- Original wills and codicils, bonds, lodged exhibits, subpoenaed documents and copy requests must be filed on paper.
The court posted draft local rules for January 1, 2027, in October 2026. In that draft, Rule 2.23 keeps the same substance: e-filing stays optional and the windows still take paper.
The first filing needs a Case Party Information sheet
Local Rule 2.21 is easy to miss. Every initial civil, probate and family law filing in Siskiyou has to be accompanied by a completed Case Party Information form, which appears in Appendix 4 of the local rules. If you're filing a Montague case yourself, include it with the complaint or petition.
That sheet helps the clerk set up the case. The defendant doesn't need it served on them, but the papers you upload for service should match what was filed: the conformed summons, the complaint and any notices the clerk issued.
Montague evictions run on a 15-day clock
Siskiyou has a tighter eviction timetable than most courts. Local Rule 4.08 sets a goal of disposing of every unlawful detainer within 90 days of filing and builds in two early deadlines:
- Day 15. Within 15 days after the complaint is filed, the landlord must file a proof of service of the summons and complaint, or an application for a posting order, unless the tenant has already responded. Missing it triggers an OSC re status, issued within 10 days of the missed date, and possible sanctions or dismissal.
- Day 25. Within 25 days after filing, the landlord must file a memorandum to set the case for trial, unless a request for entry of default or a dismissal has been filed.
The tenant's answer is due 10 court days after personal service. Those two local deadlines mean service on a Montague tenant has to happen in the first days after filing, not the first weeks. If the tenant lives in town, that's usually manageable. If the rental is out in 96064, tell us right away.
The Sheriff's Civil Division lists $50 for serving landlord and tenant notices and a summons and complaint, and $180 for an eviction, split into $105 for posting and $75 for restoring possession. It requires the original writ of possession plus three copies, and a letter of instruction signed by the attorney or the plaintiff. General information, not legal advice.
Papers to serve in Montague?
Asking the Sheriff to serve a Montague address
The Siskiyou County Sheriff's Civil Office serves process in every city in the county and in the unincorporated areas, so a Montague address is within its reach. Its Civil Division page sets out what it needs:
- a letter of instruction, signed and dated by the attorney of record, or by the plaintiff if there's no attorney, naming the person to be served and the physical address
- a copy of each document, front and back, for every person to be served, plus one more copy for the office's file
- the fee or a fee waiver with the papers, since all fees are collected in advance
Fees are charged per service. Two defendants at the same address count as two services. A wage levy needs an application for earnings withholding order instead of a letter of instruction. A private server is the alternative when the deadline is short or the person may be found outside the county.
Small claims cases with defendants outside the county
Local Rule 5.13 sets the court's aim for small claims: decide every case within 30 days of filing when all defendants live in Siskiyou County, and within 60 days when any defendant lives elsewhere. Hearings are set inside those windows when practicable.
The rule also admits the obvious problem. Service often can't be completed before the hearing date. If the plaintiff contacts the court before the hearing, the hearing will be continued for a reasonable time to allow proper service. If the plaintiff doesn't show up and hasn't properly asked for a continuance, the claim is dismissed without prejudice. So if a Montague defendant hasn't been served and the date is close, call the court before the hearing, not after.
When the person has moved to Oregon
Siskiyou County borders Oregon, so a former Montague resident can end up across the state line. If the California court has jurisdiction, CCP § 415.40 allows two routes:
- Any method the service article allows, such as personal delivery at the new address.
- First-class mail requiring a return receipt. Service by that mail is deemed complete on the 10th day after mailing.
Mail is cheap, but it depends on the person signing for it. Personal delivery gives you a server's declaration. If you have an Oregon address, include it with the Montague one, and say which you want tried first. Jurisdiction over an out-of-state defendant is a separate question for the lawyer handling the case. General information, not legal advice.
When nobody can find them: publication under Rule 5.12
Some defendants can't be found at all. Siskiyou Local Rule 5.12 explains how the court handles a request to serve by publication:
- The application goes to the clerk for ex parte review by a judicial officer.
- It needs declarations showing all due diligence in trying to find the person. The rule lists the kinds of searches that may be expected: recent inquiries of relatives, friends and others likely to know where the person is, and searches of telephone directories, tax rolls, DMV records and voter records.
- Once the order is signed, the summons is published in a California newspaper of general circulation most likely to give actual notice, once a week for four consecutive weeks.
- After publication, the plaintiff files the proof of publication and the request to enter default. An indigent party with a fee waiver may ask for an alternative method instead.
Before that step, skip tracing can often turn up a current address, and our post on how to find a defendant in California explains which records are used. Documented failed attempts by a server also help the diligence declaration. General information, not legal advice.
Starting a Montague Service Request
Open the Service Request and attach up to 5 PDFs. Give each name exactly as the papers do, every address you have, including any outside California, and the deadline that matters most, whether that's the 15-day eviction proof, a small claims hearing or an answer date. Choose Rush or Standard.
The updates come to you by email. Who may serve is covered in our guide on who can serve papers in California, and the AB 747 guide explains that from January 1, 2027, three good-faith attempts at personal delivery on 3 different days at 3 different times show reasonable diligence. We make no guarantees for service. Reach us at 855-582-5776 or Service@ValproAttorneyServices.com, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Around Montague
Yreka is about 5.2 miles away. Fort Jones is about 18 miles, Weed 23.1 and Mount Shasta 30.2. Dorris, near the Oregon line, is about 35.4 miles. Every community we serve in the county is listed on the Siskiyou County page.