San Mateo County's court runs on appointments and e-filing more than walk-up counters. Knowing that before you send papers saves a wasted trip. We serve at any address in the county and file in Redwood City, at the counter by appointment, in the drop box or electronically. Send up to 5 PDFs with a Service Request, email Service@ValproAttorneyServices.com, or call 855-582-5776, Mon–Fri 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m.
Redwood City is the filing address
The Southern Branch, the Hall of Justice and Records at 400 County Center, Redwood City, is where the court's civil, family law, probate and small claims clerks work. The eight-story building sits at Marshall and Hamilton Streets in downtown Redwood City. Civil and small claims filings go to Room A on the first floor.
Counter service there is limited. The civil and small claims offices are open 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on weekdays, by appointment only, with phones answered during the same hours. The civil drop box outside Room A is the walk-up option: papers in the box before 4 p.m. are deemed filed that court day.
The other branches have narrower jobs:
- Northern Branch, 1050 Mission Road, South San Francisco: criminal and traffic clerk services, plus some small claims hearings.
- Central Branch, 800 North Humboldt Street, San Mateo: eviction hearings, with no clerk's office and no drop box.
- Juvenile Branch, 222 Paul Scannell Drive, San Mateo: juvenile delinquency, dependency and adoptions, inside the Youth Services Center.
Eviction cases split between two cities
An unlawful detainer case in San Mateo County is filed in Redwood City but heard in San Mateo. Pretrials and court trials are at the Central Branch, and unlawful detainer ex parte hearings run Tuesdays and Fridays at 1:30 p.m. in Courtroom H there. Ex parte fees can be paid by phone or by check to the courtroom clerk.
One detail landlords' counsel should know: when a stay of eviction is approved, the court's page says the tenant must post the rent due with the Civil Clerk's Office in Redwood City the same day. General information, not legal advice.
If you're starting an eviction, send us the summons and complaint and we serve the tenant, then return the proof of service for filing. Our proof of service guide explains what the form needs.
Small claims hearings north or south
Small claims cases are filed at Room A in Redwood City, and hearings happen at either the Hall of Justice or the Northern Branch in South San Francisco. The court's small claims advisor works by appointment, and new appointment slots open each Tuesday morning.
E-filing is the default for lawyers
Family law and probate went mandatory for attorneys on January 21, 2020. Civil, complex civil and small claims entered the mandatory phase on June 1, 2020. Juvenile dependency, adoption and juvenile justice cases followed on January 1, 2022.
Probate has one more step. Along with the e-filed papers, the court wants an editable Word version of the proposed order, not a PDF, emailed to probate@sanmateocourt.org so the judge can revise it. General information, not legal advice; the local rules list documents that still have to be filed on paper. We handle both through San Mateo County court filing, and the California e-filing post explains filing service providers.
The Sheriff's Civil Enforcement Bureau
The San Mateo County Sheriff's Civil Enforcement Bureau is at 330 Bradford Street in Redwood City, at (650) 363-4497, and keeps 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekday hours. It needs a signed letter of instruction, enough copies and the fees with every service or levy request, and it serves domestic violence and several other restraining orders for free.
The Bayside, the Coastside and the hills
San Mateo County had 764,442 residents in the 2020 Census. The city of San Mateo (105,661) and Daly City (104,901) are the largest, with Redwood City, the county seat, next at 84,292. From our Sacramento office the county runs from about 81 miles straight-line at Brisbane to about 95 at Portola Valley.
Most addresses are on the Bayside, along U.S. 101, El Camino Real and I-280. For an apartment or office building, list the unit or suite number, a buzzer name or gate code, and any workplace.
The Coastside is different. Pacifica and Half Moon Bay are cities, but Montara, Moss Beach, El Granada, Pescadero and La Honda are unincorporated, and some of those addresses sit up canyon roads or on farm and ranch land. Remote areas are subject to different timelines.
Before sending the request
Name the person or business, every address, the best times and a description. When an address no longer works, skip tracing can look for a current one; our post on finding a defendant explains the steps. For a company, find its agent for service of process on the Secretary of State's bizfile Online search and see serving corporations.
Get status updates by email. The AB 747 guide covers the service rules starting January 1, 2027. For nearby counties, see San Francisco County, Santa Clara County and Santa Cruz County.