Tehachapi is an incorporated city in eastern Kern County with about 10.3 square miles of land, according to the Census Bureau's 2020 Gazetteer. Around it sits a much larger area of unincorporated mountain communities that use the same mailing ZIP Code. We serve summonses, family law papers, small claims, eviction papers and subpoenas in town and out to those communities, from our Sacramento office about 293 miles north.
Two things shape most Tehachapi service jobs: the case is usually heard in Mojave rather than Bakersfield, and many "Tehachapi" addresses are well outside the city, some behind a gate.
Kern's venue table sends Tehachapi to Mojave
Kern County Superior Court assigns cases to its courthouses by ZIP Code under Local Rule 1.7.4, using a table published as Appendix A. Under ZIP 93561 it lists eight names, and all of them go to the Mojave Multi-Divisional Courthouse:
- Tehachapi
- Golden Hills
- Stallion Springs
- Bear Valley Springs
- Sand Canyon
- Monolith
- Claraville
- Sageland
Keene (93531) and Caliente (93518) are on the Mojave list as well. The courthouse is at 1773 State Highway 58 Business, Mojave, phone (661) 610-7400, open 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8:00 a.m. to noon on Friday. Measured from the map point on the court's page, it's about 17.4 miles from Tehachapi's Census center point and about 19.9 miles from Golden Hills.
The table doesn't follow distance. Bear Valley Springs sits about 23.7 miles from the Bakersfield Justice Building and about 30.1 miles from Mojave, yet its cases go to Mojave. Stallion Springs is the same: about 28 miles from either building, and assigned to Mojave. If a filing for a mountain address went to Bakersfield by mistake, check the table before anything is served.
What Tehachapi sends to Bakersfield
Local Rule 1.7.5 pulls some case types to the Metropolitan Division no matter which ZIP Code the parties live in:
| Case type | Where it goes | Straight-line distance from Tehachapi |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited civil, over $35,000 | Justice Building, 1215 Truxtun Ave, Bakersfield | About 35.9 miles |
| Probate, guardianship, conservatorship | Juvenile Justice Center, 2100 College Ave, Bakersfield, per the venue table | About 33.9 miles |
| Adoption, abandonment and child support agency cases from the Mojave venue | Metropolitan Division, Family Law (Rule 1.7.5(g)(3)) | About 35.9 miles |
There is one exception that matters in the mountains. Rule 1.7.5(b) lets a quiet title action on property outside metropolitan Bakersfield be filed at the branch courthouse that covers the property's ZIP Code. For a quiet title case on land around Tehachapi, Golden Hills or Sand Canyon, that branch is Mojave. A quiet title case can name several defendants, some known only by an old address, so send everything you have on each one and ask about skip tracing for anyone who has moved.
Tehachapi family law papers in the Mojave courthouse
The Mojave courthouse hears divorce, legal separation, annulment, paternity, custody, support and domestic violence cases for the 93561 communities, according to the venue table. Kern's rules for family motions have firm service steps:
- Proof before the call (Rule 6.5(a)). A Request for Order or Order to Show Cause is calendared when it's filed, and the proof of service must be on file before the matter is called. Without it, the court may hear the matter only if both parties show up and agree.
- DCSS copies (Rule 6.5(b)). If a party receives cash aid such as CalWORKs or Medi-Cal and the motion involves child support, the moving party must also serve the papers on the Department of Child Support Services.
- Ex parte timing (Rule 6.4(b)). Notice goes to all counsel and unrepresented parties by 8:30 a.m. the court day before. The paperwork goes to the clerk by noon that day, and copies must be served by 1:00 p.m.
A domestic violence request under the DVPA is exempt from the family venue rules, under Rule 1.7.5(g)(5). Child support cases filed by the child support agency are a different matter: for the Mojave venue they go to Bakersfield.
For hearings held remotely, the court's remote hearing page asks for family law exhibits by email to FamilyLawExhibits@kern.courts.ca.gov five court days ahead, and again before any continued date. The Family Law Facilitator, for parties without a lawyer, works from 1215 Truxtun Avenue in Bakersfield, Monday through Thursday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Friday until noon. Our proof of service guide shows what the server's declaration covers.
Small claims from the 93561 communities
A Tehachapi small claims case is heard in Mojave. The court's civil and small claims page gives three ways to file: in person at the courthouse where the claim will be heard, through an electronic filing service provider, or by mail to that courthouse. A mailed claim needs the original Plaintiff's Claim and Order plus one copy for each defendant and one for you, with a self-addressed stamped envelope for the clerk to send copies back. Individuals may claim up to $12,500.
After filing, the claim still has to be served on each defendant before the hearing. Send us the filed claim, the hearing date and every address you have, early enough for the proof of service to reach Mojave in time.
Papers to serve in Tehachapi?
Probate, guardianship and conservatorship papers
A Tehachapi estate, guardianship or conservatorship is not heard in Mojave. The court's probate page says venue for probate, guardianship, conservatorship, minor's compromise with no civil case, and fact of birth, marriage or death cases is the Juvenile Justice Center at 2100 College Ave, Bakersfield. The probate office is reached at (661) 610-6000, option 1, then option 5.
A few points on that page shape the paperwork around service:
- Examiner review. Probate examiners check every filing against the Probate Code, the local rules and court policy, and post notes before the hearing. Their line is (661) 610-6970.
- Investigations. For relative guardianships, Family Court Services investigates the proposed guardian, and since January 2, 2020 it runs background checks on petitioners and every other adult in the home. A court investigator handles conservatorships.
- Remote hearings. Probate appearances by video use the J1-Probate link under the Juvenile Justice Center, and the page asks people to join 30 minutes early. Some probate matters are set in Courtroom T1 at 3131 Arrow St.
- Copies of a will. A mailed request needs a court order for production of the will or a certified copy of the death certificate.
The civil page adds a related rule: a name change or gender change petition for a minor under guardianship belongs in the court where the guardianship is pending. When notices of hearing or citations have to reach relatives in Tehachapi or elsewhere in California, send them with the hearing date so the proofs come back in time.
The 93561 ZIP Code area is mostly outside the city
The ZIP Code area named for Tehachapi is large. In the Census Bureau's 2020 relationship file, 93561 covers about 302 square miles of land, and the City of Tehachapi holds only a small share:
| Place | Share of the 93561 land area |
|---|---|
| Outside any city or Census-designated place | About 74.9% |
| Bear Valley Springs | About 12.8% |
| Stallion Springs | About 4.5% |
| Golden Hills | About 3.6% |
| City of Tehachapi | About 2.5% |
| Mountain Meadows | About 1.4% |
Bear Valley Springs, Stallion Springs, Golden Hills and Mountain Meadows are Census-designated places, not cities. They're unincorporated, so the County of Kern is the local government there, while inside the city limits it's the City of Tehachapi. That matters if a public agency is a party to your case.
Remote areas are subject to different timelines. For a ranch road in Sand Canyon or a lot near Claraville, send these in the Letter of Instruction:
- The street address and the assessor's parcel number if the lot has no posted number
- A map pin for the driveway or gate
- Which structure the person lives in, if there is more than one
- Gates, dogs and whether a gate is usually locked
- The person's work schedule
Bear Valley Springs and its gate
Entry to Bear Valley Springs is through a gate. Its homeowners association, the Bear Valley Springs Association, explains on its FAQ page that two bodies govern the area. The association runs the amenities. The Bear Valley Community Services District, at 28999 S. Lower Valley Rd., handles water, roads, the gate operations and the Bear Valley Police Department, and it's the place for gate pass information.
The FAQ makes one distinction that helps when planning a visit: an amenity guest pass is not the same as the Road Use Pass that gets a person through the gate. When the address is inside, tell us on the Service Request. Add the resident's gate instructions if your client has them, and a second address outside the gate, such as a workplace, in case entry takes more than one trip.
The California Correctional Institution
The state prison in Tehachapi is the California Correctional Institution. CDCR's facility page lists it at 24900 Highway 202, Tehachapi, CA 93561, main phone (661) 822-4402. That address is about 7.4 miles from the city's Census center point. Mail is different: the institution uses P.O. Box 1031 in ZIP 93581, and inmate mail goes to a separate post office box for each facility, A through E, with the person's name and CDCR number.
CDCR's history note says CCI opened in 1933 and has housed men since 1954, and that its original minimum facility was deactivated in September 2021. If papers are for someone held there, say so on the Service Request, include the CDCR number and facility letter if you know them, and call 855-582-5776 before you submit. Delivery inside a prison isn't the same as a house call, and we can't promise access.
ZIP Code 93581
The second Tehachapi ZIP Code area is small. The Census file shows 93581 at about 2.6 square miles of land, all of it inside Tehachapi city limits, making up about a quarter of the city's land. CDCR uses 93581 for the prison's post office boxes. Kern's venue table, however, has no 93581 row; it lists Tehachapi under 93561, and that line points to Mojave. Census ZIP Code areas approximate postal ZIP Codes, so treat these figures as a guide.
Serving a Tehachapi business
For a corporation or LLC, find the agent for service of process on the Secretary of State's bizfile Online and send us the name and address it shows. A local business may list its owner at a Tehachapi address, while a larger one may use a commercial agent such as CSC or CT Corporation. Our serving corporations page explains the options.
Sending Tehachapi papers
- Start a Service Request and attach up to 5 PDFs.
- Name every party exactly as the papers do, with the CDCR number for anyone in custody.
- Give each address with gate, parcel and structure details.
- Pick Rush or Standard, and add a Kern County court filing if papers also need to reach Mojave or Bakersfield.
Get each update by email, call 855-582-5776, or email Service@ValproAttorneyServices.com. Our guide to who can serve papers covers the basics for people handling their own case. We make no guarantees for service.
Near Tehachapi
Keene is 11.3 miles northwest and Caliente 14.5 miles northwest. Mojave is 17 miles east, Arvin 22 miles away and Rosamond 23.2 miles southeast. Every place we serve in the county is on our Kern County page.