Travis Air Force Base is a military installation east of Fairfield in Solano County. It isn't a city, and it doesn't have its own Census population count. In Census geography the base lies inside the city of Fairfield, and its ZIP Code is 94535. What makes it different for anyone serving legal papers is the gate. The base decides who comes in, and its posted visitor rules don't have a category for a process server arriving without a sponsor.
Below is what we could verify on the base's own pages and the Solano County court's pages, and how that shapes service on someone who lives or works at Travis. We serve summonses, complaints, subpoenas, family law papers and other legal documents on people connected to the base, wherever they can lawfully be reached, and we file in Fairfield.
What the base's visitor rules say
The base's frequently asked questions page, in its most recent archived copy from August 2026, lays out the access rules for visitors:
- Visitor Center hours. 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Questions go to (707) 424-1462.
- Identification. A REAL ID compliant ID, or another ID plus a second document such as a Social Security card, U.S. birth certificate or U.S. passport.
- Background check. Every visitor gets a criminal history check when the pass is made, and access can be denied on any finding.
- Sponsor. All visitors must have a military-affiliated sponsor.
- Commercial traffic. The Visitor Center doesn't process commercial traffic. Commercial drivers use the South Commercial Gate, open 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on weekdays and 6:00 a.m. to noon on Saturday, closed Sunday, and need a bill of lading, a work order or a military-affiliated sponsor. Vehicles may be inspected.
- Denials. A visitor who received a denial letter and comes back without completing the modification process can be charged with trespassing.
The base's ride sharing page, archived in April 2026, shows how this works for one kind of outside driver. Drivers without base ID get a temporary pass at the Visitor Control Center on Air Base Parkway and then a Defense Biometric Identification System card at Pass and Registration, and they must have a sponsor who already has access. The page says that card is valid only at Travis.
We didn't find a page on the base's site that describes how civil process servers are handled. We won't describe a procedure we couldn't confirm, and we won't try to get through a gate without the access the base requires.
Serving someone who lives or works on base
Because a server can't count on getting a pass, most service on Travis personnel and residents is planned around reaching them somewhere else, or around a method that doesn't need a hand-off at the door. California law offers several:
- Personal delivery off base. If the person has an off-base home, a second job, a regular place they go or a scheduled court date, any of those can be a place to hand them the papers. Tell us everything you know.
- Substituted service off base. When personal delivery can't be made with reasonable diligence, CCP § 415.20(b) allows leaving the summons and complaint at the person's home or usual place of business with a competent household member or a person apparently in charge, at least 18, and then mailing a copy there. Service is complete on the 10th day after the mailing. From January 1, 2027, reasonable diligence is shown by attempting personal delivery on at least three occasions, on three different days at three different times (CCP § 415.20(b)(2)); our 2027 service of process guide explains the change.
- Notice and acknowledgment by mail. CCP § 415.30 lets a summons be mailed along with two copies of a notice and acknowledgment form and a prepaid return envelope. Service is complete when the person signs the acknowledgment. If they don't return it within 20 days, they may be liable for the cost of serving them another way. It only works if the person signs.
- Acceptance through an attorney. If the person has a lawyer in the matter, ask whether the lawyer will accept service.
For each request, we tell you what was tried and where. We make no guarantees for service.
Where Travis cases are filed
When a case belongs in Solano County, it goes to the Superior Court of California, County of Solano. The court's locations page says all three of its main courthouses are in downtown Fairfield, about 6 miles in a straight line from the base's mapped point. Its Vallejo courthouse handles other matters.
- Civil, small claims and unlawful detainer: the civil and small claims clerk at the Old Solano Courthouse, 580 Texas Street, Fairfield.
- Family law: the Hall of Justice, 600 Union Avenue, Fairfield.
- Probate, conservatorship and guardianship: the Hall of Justice, 600 Union Avenue.
The court's locations page lists the courthouses as open 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with the clerk's offices taking drop-ins from 8:00 to 11:30 a.m. or appointments from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The civil division's phones are answered from 8:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., and the unlawful detainer line, (707) 207-7330, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
This assumes the case belongs in Solano County. Where a case is filed depends on the case, not only on where the defendant is stationed, so confirm venue with the attorney on the case before filing.
Papers to serve in Travis Air Force Base?
E-filing and paper filings in Fairfield
Local rule 20 made e-filing mandatory for attorneys in civil, family and probate cases from January 2, 2025. The court's e-filing page says documents must be filed and served electronically, except where personal service is required by statute or rule, and except for ex parte applications. Self-represented parties and non-parties are exempt but encouraged to e-file, and the court accepts e-filing in every non-criminal case type, small claims included.
For paper filings, the civil division's FAQ asks for an original and two copies, says the court doesn't take fax filings except through a fax filing agency, and prefers typed forms. Some civil hearings can be attended by phone through CourtCall, under California Rules of Court rule 3.670, for a fee charged by the provider. Ex parte matters are heard only by appointment through the assigned judge's assistant.
Defaults and the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act
Cases against people on active duty have an extra federal step. Under 50 U.S.C. § 3931, in a case where the defendant doesn't appear, the court must require the plaintiff to file an affidavit before entering judgment. The affidavit either states whether the defendant is in military service, with facts to support it, or says the plaintiff can't determine that. If it appears the defendant is in military service, the court can't enter judgment until it appoints an attorney to represent the defendant.
Good service doesn't replace that step. Once the proof of service is filed, plan for the military status affidavit before asking for a default. When you send the request, tell us what you know about the person's status and any off-base address. Our proof of service guide explains what the server's signed proof contains.
Off-base evictions and civil trials
When a landlord sues a tenant who serves at Travis but rents off base, the eviction is filed with the civil clerk at the Old Solano Courthouse. The California Courts self-help guide gives the tenant 10 court days to answer after personal service. After substituted service or posting and mailing, it's 10 calendar days from the mailing, then 10 court days. If the tenant doesn't answer, the military status affidavit described above comes before any default.
The civil division's FAQ adds a cost to plan for if a case goes to trial: a party demanding a jury pays a nonrefundable $150 fee, due by the initial case management conference, or in an unlawful detainer at least five days before the trial date.
Small claims involving Travis personnel
Small claims papers are filed with the clerk at the Old Solano Courthouse, and the court's small claims page lists the calendar in Courtroom 303 at the Hall of Justice, Monday through Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. A natural person can claim up to $12,500. The free Small Claims Advisor gives phone consultations only, Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., at (707) 863-1643.
The court's filing instructions add two points that matter for service. The plaintiff can't serve the claim personally. And the completed proof of service has to be returned to the clerk at least five days before the hearing. Allow for that when you pick the hearing date, especially when the defendant can only be reached off base at certain times.
Family law for military households
Divorce, custody, support and domestic violence cases are filed at the Hall of Justice in Fairfield. The court's family law page says ex parte applications and domestic violence restraining orders must be ready for submission before noon each day, and that there's no fee to submit a domestic violence restraining order.
The date of service starts an important clock. The same page says a California divorce can't become final until at least 6 months and 1 day after the respondent is served. The petitioner can't serve the respondent personally. Another adult does, and the family law proof of service of summons is usually form FL-115. The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act affidavit applies here too if the respondent doesn't appear.
Probate and estate papers
Probate, conservatorship and guardianship cases are handled at the Hall of Justice, with the probate clerk reachable at (707) 207-7341. The court's probate page notes that under Probate Code section 8200 the custodian of an original will has 30 days to lodge it with the probate clerk's office. We serve probate notices and citations on heirs and interested people, on or off the base as access allows, and can deliver filings to the Hall of Justice.
The base's ZIP Code
The Census Bureau's 2020 ZCTA to place relationship file shows the 94535 ZIP Code area as about 79% inside the city of Fairfield and about 21% outside any city. For filing, all of it is Solano County. For service, if the only address you have is in 94535, ask whether it's on the installation. If it is, look for an off-base address before sending the request. If the person has moved or been reassigned, skip tracing can look for a current address.
Sending a Travis-related request
Open a Service Request and upload up to 5 PDFs. In the instructions, list every address you have, on base and off, plus the person's work schedule, any off-base activity you know of, and whether they have an attorney. Say whether mail acknowledgment under CCP § 415.30 is acceptable for your case. Choose Rush or Standard and get the updates by email. Call 855-582-5776 or email Service@ValproAttorneyServices.com with questions.
Near Travis Air Force Base
Suisun City is about 4.4 miles away and Fairfield 5.4 miles. Elmira is 6 miles off and Vacaville 6.5. For the rest of the county, see Solano County process servers and Solano County court filings.