Nevada County runs from the Sierra foothills up and over the crest of the range. The 2020 Census counted 102,241 residents. The western side holds Grass Valley (14,016) and the county seat, Nevada City (3,152), along with Penn Valley, Lake Wildwood, Rough and Ready and the North San Juan Ridge. The eastern side is the Town of Truckee, the county's largest incorporated place at 16,729 residents, plus the Donner Summit area.
That split shapes every job here. Valpro Attorney Services coordinates Nevada County process serving and court filing from our Sacramento office, about 50 miles from Grass Valley. Send the papers on a Service Request or email them to Service@ValproAttorneyServices.com.
Two branches, one dividing line
Nevada County Superior Court sits in two buildings. The Nevada City Branch is the courthouse at 201 Church Street. The Truckee Branch is in the Joseph Government Center at 10075 Levon Avenue. Under Local Rule 2.05, five judges regularly sit in Nevada City and one in Truckee, and a commissioner serves both.
The court draws the line on the map. Rule 2.05(C) says a case that would be venued in Nevada County and arises from an occurrence or residence in Truckee is filed in the Truckee Branch. For this rule, Truckee means all of eastern Nevada County, east of where Interstate 80 meets State Highway 20. Every other case goes to Nevada City. A judge can move cases between branches to balance the workload, and the clerk notices that transfer to the parties who have appeared.
The civil and family law division pages both describe cases filed at Nevada City and at Truckee. That covers limited and unlimited civil, evictions, small claims, probate and family law. A new Nevada City courthouse is planned, and the court points to the Judicial Council's project page for its status.
Hours. The court lists clerk's office hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on weekdays and building hours until 5:00 p.m. The Self-Help Center in Nevada City keeps shorter hours and visits Truckee on the second Wednesday of each month.
Nevada County's e-filing rule
Attorneys must e-file in civil cases. The court's Electronic Filing page says e-filing runs 24/7 for civil, family law, probate, mental health, adoption and small claims through an approved provider, and that it's mandated for attorneys on civil cases. Local Rule 1.06 dates the mandate to July 1, 2022 and exempts self-represented parties. Criminal and juvenile papers go through the court's portal, where e-filing is permissive.
A few details in Rule 1.06 catch filers off guard:
- No email or fax goes directly to the court. Fax filing works only through a fax filing agency, and only where e-filing isn't mandated.
- Every pleading and form needs a current email address for the attorney or party, or it may be rejected.
- PDFs must be text-searchable, and documents over 10 pages with multiple exhibits need bookmarks.
- A submission over 50 pages also needs a printed courtesy copy the same day.
Originals that must be on paper, such as bonds, undertakings, wills and writs, go in with an electronic courtesy copy, and the original follows within 10 court days. For counter filings, the clerk endorses the original and one copy and mails them back if you include a stamped, addressed envelope.
Our Nevada County court filing service files at either branch. The Court Filings page lists what to send. General information, not legal advice.
Papers to serve in Nevada County?
Foothill roads and the Sierra crest
West-county addresses sit along State Routes 49 and 20 and a web of rural roads. Grass Valley and Nevada City are compact, but property in Penn Valley, Rough and Ready or out on the San Juan Ridge can be long, winding drives apart, with private roads and gates.
East of the crest, Truckee spreads across neighborhoods, subdivisions and mountain roads near Donner Lake. The trip between the two halves of the county crosses the Sierra, and winter storms can bring chain controls or closures on the passes. Remote areas are subject to different timelines.
A good Letter of Instruction for Nevada County names the physical address rather than a P.O. box, describes the gate or driveway, and gives any workplace in Grass Valley, Truckee or across the line in Placer County.
The Sheriff's Civil Services unit
The Nevada County Sheriff's Office runs Civil Services from the Eric Rood Administrative Center, 950 Maidu Avenue, Suite 280, Nevada City. The office lists hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays, excluding holidays, and asks requesters to use its E-Services Portal. Documents and fees can also be mailed or brought in. The Sheriff attempts service three times on different days and times, then mails a proof of service or a proof of due diligence.
A private server is the other route. Any adult who is at least 18 and not a party may serve a summons; our guide on who can serve papers in California explains the registration rule for paid servers. The proof of service guide covers the form that's filed after service.
From January 1, 2027, AB 747 says three good-faith attempts on 3 different days at 3 different times show reasonable diligence for substituted service (CCP § 415.20(b)(2)), and county clerks' process server registers become public (Bus. & Prof. Code § 22355). Read the AB 747 guide. General information, not legal advice.
When a Nevada County address turns out to be old, skip tracing can look for a current one. A company is usually served through its agent for service of process; see serving corporations. For subpoenas, our post on serving a subpoena in California walks through the steps.
Starting a Nevada County request
Start a Service Request, upload up to 5 PDFs, choose Rush or Standard, and tell us which side of the county the address is on. Get each update by email, or call 855-582-5776, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Next door: Placer County, Yuba County and Sierra County.