Valencia is a name on a lot of mail and on no city charter. The U.S. Geological Survey lists it as a populated place, and the Census Bureau publishes no population for it. Most of the land in Valencia's ZIP Code lies inside the City of Santa Clarita, but parts of the same ZIP Code are unincorporated Los Angeles County. A process server needs the street address either way. The paralegal needs to know which government is involved, and which courthouse.
Here's the short answer for the courthouse: city or county, Valencia cases go to Chatsworth. The rest of this page covers where the city line runs, why it matters for evictions and for serving a public entity, and what to send us. Valencia requests are handled from our Sacramento office, about 330 miles north.
City of Santa Clarita or unincorporated county?
The Census Bureau's 2020 ZCTA to place file ties ZIP Code area 91355 to one incorporated place, the City of Santa Clarita, which holds about 75% of its land. The remaining quarter isn't in any city or census-designated place, which means it's unincorporated county land. The court's locator also lists Valencia under 91354, where about 65% of the land is in the city, and under 91385. The Census Bureau publishes no ZIP Code area at all for 91385, so an address in that ZIP Code may be a post office box. CCP § 415.20 excludes a U.S. Postal Service box as a place to leave papers for substituted service, so send the residence or business street address too.
To see how that plays out on the ground, we ran a sample of addresses written as Valencia through the Census Geocoder in October 2026:
| Address tested | Census ZIP Code area | City of Santa Clarita? |
|---|---|---|
| 24300 Town Center Drive | 91355 | Yes |
| 23920 Valencia Boulevard (City Hall) | 91355 | Yes |
| 27200 Tourney Road | 91355 | Yes |
| 28470 Avenue Stanford | 91355 | Yes |
| 28305 Livingston Avenue | 91355 | No, unincorporated |
| 28700 Witherspoon Parkway | 91355 | No, unincorporated |
| An address on Magic Mountain Parkway | 91381 | No, unincorporated |
| 27650 The Old Road | 91381 | No, unincorporated |
The USGS map point for Valencia itself also fell outside the city in our check. So the label on an envelope doesn't settle the question. If it matters to your case, run the exact address through the geocoder or ask the city before you rely on city rules.
Which government serves which part
- Inside the city: the City of Santa Clarita is the local government, and the city is the public entity named in a claim about city property or decisions.
- Unincorporated areas: the County of Los Angeles is the local government, through its Board of Supervisors and county departments.
To serve either one, CCP § 416.50 allows delivery to the clerk, secretary, president, presiding officer or other head of the governing body. Santa Clarita City Hall is at 23920 Valencia Boulevard. For a county matter, name the department and the person the papers are addressed to in the Letter of Instruction, and we'll confirm the delivery point before the attempt.
Where Valencia cases are filed
The locator's Valencia rows in 91354, 91355 and 91385 returned the same courthouses, and so did the Bouquet Canyon, Del Valle and Santa Clarita rows in 91355. Distances are straight lines from the USGS Valencia point:
| Case | Courthouse | Miles |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited civil, evictions, small claims | Chatsworth Courthouse, 9425 Penfield Avenue | 14.2 |
| Family law and restraining orders | Chatsworth Courthouse | 14.2 |
| Limited civil collection | Chatsworth Courthouse | 14.2 |
| Probate | Stanley Mosk Courthouse, 111 North Hill Street | 34.0 |
| Limited civil, not collection | Stanley Mosk Courthouse | 34.0 |
For the 91381 rows, which cover the Magic Mountain Parkway and Old Road addresses above, the answers are identical. Chapter 2 of the court's Local Rules, effective July 1, 2026, sets the underlying filing rules, including the option to file many unlimited cases in the Central District and the rule keeping an unlimited personal injury case in the district where the incident arose.
The courthouse on Valencia Boulevard
There is a courthouse in Valencia, at 23747 West Valencia Boulevard, about 3.9 miles from the USGS point. The court calls it the Santa Clarita Courthouse, and its directory lists two divisions there: criminal and traffic. A Valencia civil summons, family petition or eviction complaint will name Chatsworth. A criminal subpoena may name the Valencia Boulevard building, so read the caption before the server sets out. The directory's main number for the building is (661) 253-5600.
At the Chatsworth counter
Chatsworth's directory routes civil unlimited, civil collections, restraining orders, family law, small claims and limited unlawful detainer through Room 1200 on the 1st floor, (818) 407-2200. The family law clerk has its own line, (213) 633-6363. The courthouse opens at 8:00 a.m. and the clerk's office at 8:30 a.m. Eviction ex parte applications at Chatsworth are filed in a short morning window before the 8:30 a.m. calendar, so a same-day request needs the papers early. Attorneys e-file civil cases unless exempted, and we can file at the counter or electronically through our Los Angeles County court filing service.
Papers to serve in Valencia?
Valencia evictions and the county line
The courthouse is the same on both sides of the line, but the rules for the notice may not be. The Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs runs the county's Rent Stabilization and Tenant Protections Ordinance for unincorporated areas. Its page says that since April 16, 2026, a nonpayment termination for a covered unit in unincorporated Los Angeles County can proceed only if unpaid rent exceeds two months of Fair Market Rent. The county also funds free eviction defense for eligible tenants in unincorporated areas through Stay Housed LA. A rental inside the City of Santa Clarita isn't in that program area, so confirm the address before relying on either set of rules.
After the summons is served in person, the tenant has 10 court days to respond, per the Self-Help Guide. From January 1, 2027, posting an eviction summons under CCP § 415.45 depends on reasonable diligence, and three good-faith attempts on three different days at three different times show it. Our AB 747 guide explains the new rules. Send us:
- Each tenant's name as the summons spells it.
- The unit, building and entrance, especially in a complex with several numbered buildings.
- Gate or guard instructions, including a resident or manager who can let the server in.
- The Chatsworth case number and any hearing date.
Family law and restraining orders
Valencia divorce, custody and support cases are filed at Chatsworth, and the locator sends restraining orders there too. The directory lists civil harassment and domestic violence restraining orders at the Room 1200 counter, and a Family Law Facilitator reachable through the courthouse's main line, (818) 407-2200, for self-represented parents working on support forms.
Restraining orders and their hearing notices are delivered to the restrained person in hand. The server's proof is DV-200 for a domestic violence order or CH-200 for civil harassment. A family law summons is usually proved on FL-115, and the petitioner can't be the one who delivers it. With a hearing date already set, the useful details are a recent photo, the person's work location and schedule, the car they drive, and any safety concern the server should know about.
Small claims for Valencia parties
A Valencia small claim is filed at Chatsworth's Room 1200, whether the plaintiff lives in the city or on county land. The California Courts Self-Help Guide puts the usual limit at $12,500 for an individual and $6,250 for a business. Once the clerk sets a hearing, the claim has to reach the defendant at least 15 days ahead if they live in Los Angeles County, or 20 days ahead if they live elsewhere (CCP § 116.340). The plaintiff can't serve it personally. Our server signs form SC-104, and the proof goes to Chatsworth.
Collections in the Chatsworth hub
The court runs two countywide hubs for limited collection cases under California Rules of Court rule 3.740, and Valencia's rows go to Chatsworth. The directory lists civil collections at Room 1200 and collections hub motions in Department F43, booked through the court's online Court Reservation System. A creditor in Valencia, or a debtor living there, deals with one building for filing, motions and the proof of service.
Probate downtown
Probate for a Valencia estate goes to the Stanley Mosk Courthouse, 111 North Hill Street, about 34 miles away. The directory lists the Probate Filing Window at (213) 830-0800 and Probate Records in Room 112 on the 1st floor, and the building opens at 7:30 a.m. Notices and citations in the estate are still served at Valencia addresses, so tell us which documents need filing first and which go straight out for service.
Business parks and workplaces
The geocoder table shows Valencia addresses on both sides of the city line, so a company's Valencia office may be in the city or on county land. For a corporation or LLC, serve the agent for service of process listed on the Secretary of State's bizfile Online search, not a receptionist (Corporations Code § 1502). If you need a person served at work, give us the building, the suite and the hours they're on site. Our serving corporations page and our pages on CSC and CT Corporation cover the common agents.
Substituted service at a Valencia home
If personal delivery fails after diligent tries, the papers can be left with a competent adult household member, or with the person apparently in charge at a business, and then mailed (CCP § 415.20(b)). Under the 2027 version, service is complete 10 days after the mailing. In a consumer debt case, the 2027 statute calls for at least one attempt at the debtor's home when that address is known or can be found. Note any gate or HOA access rules on the request so the server can reach the door.
Hard-to-find defendants
When a Valencia address turns out to be old, skip tracing looks for a current one, and you approve the new address before the next attempt. Our post on how to find a defendant in California lists what helps. Each update comes to you by email.
Sending a Valencia request
Open a Service Request, attach up to 5 PDFs, choose Rush or Standard, and list every address with unit and gate notes. Tell us whether the property is inside Santa Clarita if you know, and which courthouse issued the case. Questions go to 855-582-5776 or Service@ValproAttorneyServices.com. We make no guarantees for service.
Nearby communities
Castaic is 2.5 miles from the Valencia point, Stevenson Ranch 4.1, Newhall 6.1 and Canyon Country 8.0. We also serve the City of Santa Clarita, and every place we serve in the county is on the Los Angeles County page.