San Carlos is an incorporated city in San Mateo County, with about 5.4 square miles of land on the Peninsula just north of Redwood City. The 2020 Census counted 30,722 residents, and the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate is 29,261. Valpro Attorney Services serves summonses, complaints, subpoenas, family law papers, probate notices and eviction documents at San Carlos homes, apartments and businesses, and serves the City itself when it's a party.
San Carlos requests are handled from our Sacramento office, about 88 miles away, with every attempt made at the San Carlos address.
94070 and the land around the city
San Carlos has one ZIP Code area, 94070, and all of the city's land is inside it. The reverse isn't quite true. The Census Bureau's 2020 ZCTA-to-place file splits 94070 like this:
- About 88.4% inside San Carlos.
- About 11.3% outside any city or census-designated place, meaning unincorporated land governed by the County of San Mateo.
- Slivers inside Belmont and Redwood City.
For a summons on a person, the difference doesn't change where the case is filed; every part of 94070 is in San Mateo County. It does change which government is involved when a local ordinance, a permit or the City is part of the dispute, and which agency patrols the street. Census ZIP Code areas approximate postal ZIP Codes, so check the parcel when it matters.
Policing by the Sheriff, and why it matters for subpoenas
San Carlos gets its police services from the county. The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office runs the San Carlos Police Bureau out of 600 Elm Street, open weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for reports, vehicle releases and clearance letters.
That arrangement shows up in the court's own geography. The Superior Court's judicial district page assigns cases by agency. San Carlos isn't on either branch's list by name. The Sheriff's Office, "including any cities and special districts within the jurisdiction that the SO contracts with for police services," is listed under the Northern Branch, 1050 Mission Road, South San Francisco. Neighboring Belmont and Redwood City, which have their own entries, are listed under the Southern Branch in Redwood City.
So a traffic or criminal matter that starts with a San Carlos stop may be heard in South San Francisco, about 14 miles away, rather than in Redwood City. If you're sending us a witness subpoena for one of those cases, check the case number and department on the subpoena, and tell us whether the witness is a civilian or a deputy. A records request to the Bureau is a separate process from a subpoena and doesn't serve anyone.
Serving the City of San Carlos
City Hall is at 600 Elm Street, San Carlos. The City's contact directory lists the City Clerk's in-person counter at 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday, with remote assistance only on Fridays. The City Attorney's office uses the same Elm Street address. The City Clerk's page describes San Carlos as a General Law City and the clerk's office as keeper of its official records.
Under CCP § 416.50, a summons on a public entity can be delivered to its clerk, secretary, president, presiding officer or other head of its governing body. Our server plans a City of San Carlos summons for the Monday-to-Thursday counter hours and records the name and title of the person who accepts it.
Before a damages suit, a written claim to the City normally has to be presented and acted on. That's your attorney's step, not ours, but it's worth confirming before the papers come to us.
Sheriff or private server for San Carlos papers
The San Mateo County Sheriff's Civil Enforcement Bureau, 330 Bradford Street, Redwood City, serves restraining orders and carries out evictions and levies countywide, but its Will Not Serve list includes summonses, small claims claims and dissolution papers. Its page lists what it needs and how it works:
| Topic | What the Bureau's page says |
|---|---|
| Hours | Office open weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; normal service hours weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| What to send | A signed letter of instruction from the plaintiff or attorney, enough copies and the fees |
| Address | A physical service address is required |
| Attempts | At least two, on different days and at different times |
| Searching | No stakeouts and no computer inquiries such as DMV or arrest records |
| Fees | None for restraining orders in domestic violence, elder abuse, workplace violence and some civil harassment cases |
The Bureau's own page says that when a person isn't available during normal business hours, a private process server may be worth considering. From January 1, 2027, AB 747 adds a number to that decision: three good-faith attempts at personal delivery, on three different days at three different times, show reasonable diligence for substituted service (CCP § 415.20(b)(2)). Plan the attempts with that pattern in mind.
The same bill changes what an eviction proof of service carries. For an unlawful detainer summons served personally, by substituted service or by posting, the proof is to include at least one photo of the site with a readable date, time and GPS stamp, when the server can take it safely, or a detailed statement where there's no GPS or cellular signal. Substituted service is complete on the 10th day after the follow-up mailing, which can go by first-class mail, Priority Mail with tracking or certified mail. Our AB 747 guide explains the full change. We make no guarantees for service.
Papers to serve in San Carlos?
Filing a San Carlos case in Redwood City
Civil, family law, probate and small claims papers for San Carlos are filed at the Hall of Justice and Records, 400 County Center, Redwood City, about 3.9 miles from the Census Bureau's internal point for San Carlos. The clerk's counter for those divisions works by appointment only, weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., in Room A on the first floor. The after-hours drop box outside Room A is emptied at 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., and a filing dropped before 4:00 p.m. is treated as filed that court day.
Three civil division rules shape a San Carlos filing:
- Judgments are e-filed. Under Local Rule 2.1.8, attorneys must e-file civil judgments, and since August 11, 2025, the court accepts paper judgment packets only from self-represented parties.
- Ex partes go to the assigned judge. Outside eviction cases, an ex parte application goes to the assigned judge's department on its ex parte days, under Local Rule 3.1202(a). Local Rule 3.500 allows remote appearance at ex parte hearings, subject to California Rules of Court, rule 3.1207.
- Case management packets. The notice of case management conference refers parties to form CMC-110 and the court's ADR information sheet and stipulation form.
Our San Mateo County court filing service can make the appointment or e-file, and then serve the filed papers.
San Carlos evictions
An eviction for a San Carlos rental is filed with the civil clerk in Redwood City or e-filed, and the hearings go to the Central Branch, 800 North Humboldt Street, San Mateo, about 6.7 miles away. Pretrials are Tuesdays at 8:30 a.m., court trials Fridays at 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., and eviction ex partes Tuesdays and Fridays at 1:30 p.m. Ex parte fees can be paid at Room A in Redwood City or by phone.
The court's eviction page adds two requirements that catch people out. Reply briefs, oppositions and summary judgment motions in eviction cases are also emailed to the court's law and motion reply-brief address, because e-filed papers can take time to reach the judge. And when a settlement ends the whole case, the plaintiff files form CM-200, Notice of Settlement of Entire Case, before the court will sign a stipulated judgment.
For service, send the summons, the complaint and the notice, with every adult occupant named and the unit number. A tenant served personally has 10 court days to respond.
Family law and restraining orders
San Carlos divorce, custody and support cases are filed at the Hall of Justice through the same appointment system as civil cases. Urgent papers don't wait for a slot: the court says its clerk's office continues to accept emergency ex partes, domestic violence petitions and all temporary restraining order petitions.
Once a judge signs a temporary restraining order, the restrained person has to be personally served before the hearing, by an adult who isn't a party. You have two routes. The Sheriff's Civil Enforcement Bureau serves domestic violence, elder abuse and workplace violence orders, and some civil harassment orders, without a fee, according to its page. A private server works from your instructions and returns a signed proof of personal service. For either one, send the filed request, the notice of hearing, the temporary order, a photo and the person's home and work addresses.
Family Court Services answers by phone only, at (650) 261-5080, on weekday mornings and early afternoons. After filing a petition, the other party is served wherever they live now.
What a San Carlos request should include
The more the server knows, the fewer return trips. For a San Carlos address, send:
- The building or complex name and unit, or a note that the person lives in a back unit or an accessory dwelling.
- Stairs, steep drives or a side entrance, if the front door isn't the one used.
- Work hours. A person who leaves early and returns late is easier to reach on a weekend.
- A vehicle description, if you have one, so the server can tell whether someone is home.
- Every adult at the address, with names.
- A photo, especially when roommates or relatives share the home.
Small claims for a San Carlos dispute
Small claims papers are filed at the Small Claims Clerk's Office, Room A, Hall of Justice, by appointment. Hearings are in person at the Hall of Justice or the Northern Branch, with Zoom for hardship. The court lists form SC-100, the Plaintiff's Claim, and form SC-103 for a fictitious business name. Small claims mediation is offered by Zoom. Once the claim is filed, send it to us with the hearing date, and the defendant gets served by a non-party adult with a signed proof of service.
Serving a San Carlos business
For a company with a San Carlos office, look up its agent for service of process on the Secretary of State's bizfile Online, and send us the agent's name and address exactly as listed. Commercial agents such as CSC and CT Corporation accept service at their own offices. Our serving corporations page covers officers and out-of-state companies, and skip tracing can track down a person who has moved.
Sending San Carlos papers
Start a Service Request, upload up to 5 PDFs, list each party with unit numbers and access notes, and choose Rush or Standard. Get the updates by email, call 855-582-5776, or email Service@ValproAttorneyServices.com.
Places near San Carlos
Redwood City is 3.2 miles away and Foster City 4.6. Atherton is 4.7 miles, San Mateo 4.8 and Hillsborough 6.4. The full list is on our San Mateo County page.