Tehama County sits in the northern Sacramento Valley, where I-5 and the Sacramento River run between the Coast Range and the Lassen foothills. The 2020 Census counted 65,829 people. Red Bluff, the county seat, has 14,710. Corning has 8,244, and the small city of Tehama has 435. Most other residents live in unincorporated towns and on rural land.
Valpro Attorney Services handles Tehama County process serving, court filings and document retrieval from our Sacramento office. To get started, attach the documents to a Service Request or email Service@ValproAttorneyServices.com.
Where Tehama County cases are filed
Every Tehama County case goes to one address: Tehama County Superior Court, 1740 Walnut Street, Red Bluff. The court's location page says the building serves all cases. Its Civil & Family Law Division handles civil cases, family law, probate, guardianships, conservatorships, minor's compromises, small claims and adoptions. Criminal, traffic and juvenile matters are heard there too.
The counter is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays. The Civil & Family Law line is (530) 527-6441.
A drop box gives a little more room. Under Local Rule 7.B.3, documents left there Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. are deemed filed the same day once the clerk reviews them for completeness.
E-filing: mandatory for one case type
Tehama's e-filing rule, Local Rule 7.A, took effect January 1, 2026. It splits case types into two groups.
Mandatory. Represented parties must e-file in all unlimited civil matters, except civil harassment.
Permissive. Everything else may be e-filed: limited civil, probate, family law except adoption, juvenile justice and dependency, and subsequent criminal and traffic filings.
Self-represented parties are exempt from the mandatory part. Some papers can't be e-filed at all, including wills, bonds, subpoenas, exhibits, writs and abstracts. E-filings go through an approved provider listed on the court's site.
Local Rule 11 also permits filing through a fax filing agency, as California Rules of Court, rule 2.303 allows.
For a case classified as limited civil, such as a limited eviction or collection suit, that means paper at the Red Bluff counter is still an option. Our Court Filings service can e-file or file in person. See Court Filings for what we need. General information, not legal advice.
The Sheriff's Civil Division
The Tehama County Sheriff's Civil Division is at 22840 Antelope Boulevard in Red Bluff. It keeps weekday hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and serves every city and the unincorporated county.
Two steps stand out on its page. First-time filers are asked to call (530) 529-7930 before sending documents. Documents can then be emailed to civil@tehamaso.org, with fees paid in advance by cash or check. Evictions are usually carried out on Wednesdays.
Private service is the other path for a summons or other papers. Any adult who is at least 18 and not a party to the case can serve, and paid servers who serve more than 10 papers a year register with a county clerk. Read who can serve papers in California for the details.
Valley floor and the foothills
Along I-5. Red Bluff, Corning, Tehama, Gerber and Los Molinos are on or near the freeway and the river. These are the quickest Tehama County addresses to reach.
East toward Lassen. State Route 36 climbs from Red Bluff toward Manton, Mineral and the Lassen Volcanic National Park area. Homes up there are spread out, and snow can affect the higher roads.
West toward the Coast Range. Paskenta, Flournoy and ranch land west of Corning sit on county roads with long distances between parcels.
Remote areas are subject to different timelines. For foothill and mountain addresses, we confirm timing with you before you choose Rush.
Facts to put in the Letter of Instruction
A street number alone can leave a server guessing on rural land. Include:
- the physical location and the nearest cross road
- the parcel's gate, fence or driveway, and any animals
- the vehicle the person drives, if known
- where the person works and the usual shift
- any other address in Shasta, Glenn or Butte County
When a defendant has moved, skip tracing can search for a new address; see our post on skip tracing for legal cases.
Landlords, businesses and AB 747
For an unlawful detainer, the tenant's answer is due 10 court days after personal service. A business defendant generally gets served through its agent for service of process, not at a Red Bluff or Corning storefront; see serving corporations.
When AB 747 takes effect on January 1, 2027, three good-faith attempts on 3 different days at 3 different times show reasonable diligence for substituted service under CCP § 415.20(b)(2). The county clerk's register of process servers also becomes public under Bus. & Prof. Code § 22355. Our AB 747 guide and proof of service guide go further. General information, not legal advice.
Get Tehama County papers moving
Start a Service Request, upload up to 5 PDFs, and choose Rush or Standard. Get each update by email. Questions go to 855-582-5776, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Neighboring counties: Shasta County, Glenn County and Butte County.