San Mateo is a mid-Peninsula city of 105,661 people (2020 Census) between Burlingame and Belmont. We serve summonses, subpoenas and every other legal document there, on individuals at home or at work and on businesses through their agents.
We work from our Sacramento office and have no office in San Mateo. A Service Request carries everything the server needs. You upload the PDFs, add the addresses and a Letter of Instruction, and the proof of service comes back to you when the job is done.
How do I send papers for service in San Mateo?
Open a new Service Request, upload up to 5 PDFs and pick Rush or Standard. Name the person or business, list each San Mateo address you have, and explain in the Letter of Instruction when the person is usually there. We assign the request and return the completed proof of service.
- Choose the service. Pick Process Service, or add Court Filing if the complaint still needs to be filed in Redwood City first.
- Attach the documents. Combine each set into a PDF. For a subpoena, include any attachments and the deposition or hearing date.
- Add the party and addresses. A San Mateo apartment usually needs a unit number. An office needs a suite and a company name.
- Fill in the Letter of Instruction. Work schedule, physical description, parking garage or entry details and any earlier failed attempts.
- Check your inbox. Every update comes by email. Reply to your confirmation to ask about a step.
Which courthouse handles a San Mateo case?
The Hall of Justice in Redwood City handles almost all San Mateo filings. The court lists civil, family law, probate and small claims at its Southern Branch, 400 County Center in Redwood City, about 6 miles away. San Mateo's own Central Branch hears civil matters but has no clerk's office or drop box.
| Building | Address | What happens there |
|---|---|---|
| Southern Branch: Hall of Justice and Records | 400 County Center, Redwood City | Civil, family law, probate and small claims filing (Room A, 1st floor), plus criminal |
| Central Branch | 800 North Humboldt Street, San Mateo | Civil hearings, including unlawful detainer ex partes in Department 30, Courtroom H |
| Juvenile Branch | 222 Paul Scannell Drive, San Mateo | Juvenile matters |
| Northern Branch | 1050 Mission Road, South San Francisco | Criminal and traffic, plus some small claims hearings |
The court's geographical-areas page places the city of San Mateo in the Southern Branch area, with Redwood City, Belmont and Foster City. Northern Branch cities such as Burlingame, Millbrae and Hillsborough fall on the other side of that line. Court facts checked October 2026 at sanmateo.courts.ca.gov.
What are the clerk's hours at the Hall of Justice?
In-person filing in civil, family law and probate runs Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m., by appointment. Phones for the civil clerk are answered in the same window. The court limits each appointment to one new petition or initial filing, and it points other new filings to the drop box or mail.
That short window shapes how a San Mateo case moves. A complaint brought in person needs an appointment slot, and the summons has to be issued before service can start. Attorneys skip the counter because e-filing is mandatory for them. The civil drop box outside Room A is checked at 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., and anything placed before 4:00 p.m. counts as filed that court day.
Our San Mateo County court filing page shows how we file there and return endorsed copies.
Does San Mateo County Superior Court require e-filing?
Yes, for attorneys. The court says it requires that all attorneys electronically file into civil, complex civil and small claims cases, and into family law and probate cases. Self-represented litigants are encouraged, but not required, to e-file. Civil judgments by attorneys must be e-filed, and since August 11, 2025, paper judgment packets are refused except from pro pers.
The court still wants paper for a few items. In general civil cases that list includes civil restraining orders, abstracts of judgment, writs of execution, possession or attachment, subpoenas and administrative records. In small claims, any document that needs to be issued, such as a subpoena or a writ, goes in on paper. If a San Mateo subpoena needs issuing by the clerk before we serve it, plan for a hard-copy filing at Room A.
Our blog post on California court e-filing covers e-filing providers and timing in general.
Papers to serve in San Mateo?
What should I know about San Mateo addresses?
San Mateo covers 3 Census ZIP Code areas: 94401, 94402 and 94403. The city runs from the bayfront east of Highway 101 to hillside streets west of El Camino Real, and State Route 92 crosses it toward the San Mateo Bridge. Most addresses are on city streets, but apartments and office buildings need extra detail.
- Downtown and near the Caltrain stations. Many apartment buildings use a call box. The resident's name as it appears on the directory and the unit number help the server get to the door.
- Office buildings along Highway 92 and near Hillsdale. Give the company name, the floor and the suite. A reception desk can call up, but only if the server knows who to ask for.
- Bayfront condos and townhomes. A complex east of Highway 101 can have several buildings under one street number. Add the building letter or a parking space if you know it.
- Hillside homes. West of El Camino Real the streets climb toward Highway 280. Note the house color, a side entrance, a second unit or a dog.
Workplaces matter on the Peninsula. Someone who commutes by Caltrain or on Highway 101 may only be home early in the morning or in the evening. If you know the employer, put it in the Letter of Instruction as a second address.
How do I serve a business in San Mateo?
Start with the company's Secretary of State record. California corporations and LLCs have to name an agent for service of process (Corporations Code §§ 1502(b) and 17701.13), and bizfile Online shows that agent's name and address. Send us the record or the details, and we serve the agent or another person the law allows.
A San Mateo storefront or office is not always where the agent sits. A company with a San Mateo office may name a registered agent firm elsewhere in California, and then the papers go there. When the agent is an individual at a San Mateo address, put that person's name in the Letter of Instruction so the server asks for them by name. Read our corporate service guide for officers who can accept and what to do when no agent is listed.
When does the response clock start for a San Mateo defendant?
A civil summons gives the defendant 30 days after service to respond in writing (CCP § 412.20(a)(3)). The start date depends on the method. Personal delivery is complete right away, and substituted service is complete 10 days after the follow-up copy is mailed. The proof of service records which one happened.
From January 1, 2027, AB 747 adds two requirements. Reasonable diligence before substituted service is shown by attempts on at least 3 occasions, on 3 different days at 3 different times (CCP § 415.20(b)(2)). Proofs of service will need photos with date, time and GPS stamps (CCP § 417.10(a)(1)). Our guide to the 2027 service changes has the detail. This is general information, not legal advice.
What if the San Mateo address is wrong?
Tell us what you learned. If the server finds that the person moved out, our skip tracing and investigations service can look for a current address. You approve the new address before the papers go back out.
For copies of records already in a San Mateo County court file, use our document retrieval service. Our post on serving a subpoena in California covers the basics for witnesses and records.
Cities near San Mateo
Neighboring cities we serve: Foster City, Burlingame, Hillsborough, San Carlos and Redwood City, where the Hall of Justice sits. Every other city in the county is listed on the San Mateo County process server page.