Richmond had 116,448 residents at the 2020 Census, second in Contra Costa County behind Concord, and it is the largest city on the county's western shore. Unlike most cities in the county, it has its own courthouse for small claims and evictions. We serve summonses, complaints, subpoenas, eviction papers, restraining orders and family law documents at Richmond homes and businesses.
We have no Richmond office. Our Sacramento office handles the work, 65.4 miles away in a straight line, and each update comes to you by email.
Richmond's courthouse and what it takes
The George D. Carroll Courthouse sits at 100 37th Street, about 1.7 miles from the center of the city. Its street address can mislead a first-time visitor. The court's page says the entrance is around the corner, off Bissell Avenue, and it's the only way in.
The court lists these communities as served by Richmond: Crockett, El Cerrito, El Sobrante, Hercules, Kensington, North Richmond, Pinole, Point Richmond, Port Costa, Richmond, Rodeo, Rollingwood, San Pablo and Tilden Park North.
| Richmond case | Where it goes |
|---|---|
| Small claims | Filed and heard at the Carroll Courthouse, Richmond |
| Unlawful detainer (eviction) | Filed and heard at the Carroll Courthouse, Richmond |
| Limited civil ($35,000 or less) | Assigned to Dept. 14 in Richmond since 1/5/26; drop-off in Richmond only with 3+ court days to spare, otherwise Martinez, Room 103 |
| Unlimited civil (over $35,000) | Wakefield Taylor Courthouse, 725 Court St, Martinez, about 13 miles away |
| Family law and most restraining orders | Spinetta Family Law Center, 751 Pine St, Martinez |
| Probate, guardianship, conservatorship | Wakefield Taylor Courthouse, Martinez |
Source: Contra Costa County Superior Court location, where-to-file, limited civil and civil department pages, checked October 2026.
Clerks in Richmond take filing fees and traffic payments and sell court forms. In-person service runs 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and the phones at (925) 608-1000 are answered from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
The limited civil change in 2026
This is the detail most likely to trip up a Richmond collection or contract case. The court's limited civil page says that, effective January 5, 2026, all limited civil cases were reassigned from Department 34 to Department 14 in Richmond. The court's list of general civil departments places Dept. 14 at the George D. Carroll Courthouse.
Filing still has a catch. You can drop limited civil forms off in Richmond only if the next hearing or deadline is at least 3 court days away. Anything tighter has to go to Room 103 at the Wakefield Taylor Courthouse in Martinez. If a Richmond hearing is close and the papers aren't filed yet, plan on Martinez or eFiling, and tell us which on the request.
Attorneys mostly avoid the question. Under Local Rule 2.87 and the Ninth Amended Standing Order (February 2, 2026), represented parties must e-file in limited and unlimited civil, family law, probate, small claims, unlawful detainer and appeal cases, as they have since July 5, 2022. Civil harassment and workplace violence restraining order papers are the exception and still go in on paper. Our Contra Costa County court filing page covers both routes, and our post on California court e-filing explains how it works.
A Department 14 hearing doesn't always need the trip to the courthouse. The court's civil page says civil departments are open for in-person hearings, parties may appear remotely, and Zoom is now its only remote platform; CourtCall is no longer supported. Before a collection or contract hearing, the file itself is often online: the court's records page says public documents in cases filed after November 13, 2007 are on its Public Portal, while older files sit off site and take about 10 business days to arrive.
Papers to serve in Richmond?
Evictions and small claims in Richmond
Richmond landlords file unlawful detainer cases in their own city. The court's landlord-tenant page says hearings are in person, and, under current state law, the tenant has 10 court days to respond after personal service (the court's page still says 5 days). If an Answer comes in, trial follows about 20 days later. Only the Sheriff can carry out a lockout.
Small claims hearings are in person too. A remote appearance needs CCP § 367.75 compliance and form RA-010. On the court's small claims and landlord-tenant pages, one Zoom link is shared by Richmond and Walnut Creek, listed as Department 50. Papers for a remote hearing still have to reach the clerk by hand, drop box or overnight delivery 3 court days ahead, because the court doesn't take them electronically.
For an eviction, give us the full names of all adult occupants, the unit, the building if the complex has several, and any gate or lobby code. Say whether we should also file the complaint in Richmond or by eFiling.
Richmond ZIP Codes reach into neighboring communities
Richmond's five Census ZIP Code areas overlap unincorporated West County and two neighboring cities. From the 2020 ZCTA to place relationship file:
- 94801 (which the court's table also gives for Point Richmond and North Richmond): about 88% of the land is in Richmond, and the rest is the unincorporated community of North Richmond.
- 94803: about 60% Richmond, with El Sobrante taking about 23% and a small piece in San Pablo.
- 94804: nearly all Richmond.
- 94805: about 65% Richmond and about 31% East Richmond Heights.
- 94806 (listed by the court for Hilltop Mall and San Pablo): under half Richmond. San Pablo takes about 31%, and Tara Hills, Montalvin Manor, Bayview, Rollingwood and El Sobrante share the rest.
A slice of Richmond also sits inside El Cerrito's ZIP Code area, 94530. Because the Carroll Courthouse serves Richmond, San Pablo, El Sobrante, North Richmond and Rollingwood alike, the ZIP Code rarely changes the court. It can change whether the address is in the city, though, so copy it exactly from the papers.
What a Richmond request should include
Richmond mixes downtown blocks, hillside homes, apartment complexes and waterfront businesses. A few notes save a wasted trip:
- Apartments and condos. The building letter and unit, the name on the call box, and whether a leasing office is on site.
- Hillside streets. Roads in Richmond's hill neighborhoods curve, and house numbers can be hard to read from the street. A cross street helps.
- Workplaces near the shoreline. Industrial and port-side businesses often keep a guarded gate or a separate shipping entrance. Say which door the person uses and what shift they work.
- Downtown. BART describes its Richmond station, at 1700 Nevin Avenue, as part of the "Iron Triangle," a largely residential area that includes the downtown business district along Macdonald Avenue.
From January 1, 2027, under AB 747, the diligence needed before substituted service is shown by personal delivery attempts on at least 3 occasions, on 3 different days at 3 different times (CCP § 415.20(b)(2)). Every attempt will need a photo with an automatic date, time and GPS stamp (CCP § 417.10). Our AB 747 guide explains what changes.
Papers for a Richmond company
To serve a corporation or LLC with Richmond operations, start with the California Secretary of State's bizfile Online. Copy the exact entity name and the agent for service of process from the record. A plant supervisor or store manager usually can't accept for the company. Large companies often name a commercial registered agent, such as CSC or CT Corporation, in another city.
Our guide to serving corporations explains the officer route and what to do when the listed agent can't be found. If you also need a subpoena served on a Richmond business for records, see our post on serving a subpoena in California.
If the person isn't at the Richmond address
A lease or invoice address can go stale quickly. Skip tracing looks for a current address from what you have: an old address, a phone number, a car, an employer. We send you the result, and with your approval the papers go back out.
For copies from an existing case file, use document retrieval. We make no guarantees for service.
West County cities near Richmond
- San Pablo, 1.2 miles
- El Sobrante, 3.5 miles
- El Cerrito, 3.9 miles
- Pinole, 4.1 miles
- Hercules, 6.2 miles
Across the county line, we serve Berkeley, where cases go to the Alameda County court. The full list for this county is on Contra Costa County process servers.