Los Angeles Superior Court: Courthouses, Filing, Appointments and Hearing Services

The Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles handles civil, criminal, family law, juvenile, probate, small claims, traffic, mental health, and certain appellate matters. This guide helps you find the appropriate courthouse, arrange clerk or self-help assistance, choose a filing service, and prepare for a hearing.

Independent information guide: This website is not affiliated with the court. Court staff and official systems handle filings, case records, appointments, hearing arrangements, and court orders. This guide provides procedural information rather than legal advice.

Choose Your Court Service

Start with the action you need to take. Searching a case, filing a document, uploading evidence, and arranging a remote appearance are separate tasks.

Starting points for common court tasks

Your task	Where to start	Information to prepare
Find a case number, hearing date, or available record	Use our Court Case Search guide and the court's official case-access services.	Case type, case number if known, and party names when using a name search.
Find where to file or attend a hearing	Check filing location or existing case assignment.	Case type, latest court notice, assigned courthouse, department, and hearing date.
Visit a clerk's office	Review appointment options for the appropriate courthouse.	Case number, requested service, and relevant documents or notices.
Get help representing yourself	Choose a supported Self-Help Center service.	The issue, documents received, existing case number, and any upcoming hearing or response deadline.
Submit documents for filing	Review the filing rules for your case division.	Correct forms, case identifiers, required attachments, and applicable fee or fee-waiver information.
Attend a hearing remotely	Check the instructions for your particular hearing.	Case number, hearing date and time, courthouse, department, and connection equipment.
Request language assistance or a disability accommodation	Use the court's designated request process.	Proceeding details and the assistance requested.
Submit evidence for a scheduled small claims hearing	Review the evidence exchange instructions and Digital Evidence System.	Case number, party name, hearing date, exhibits, and the opposing party's contact information.

Find the Correct Courthouse

Los Angeles Superior Court operates multiple courthouses, and each location offers particular services. The closest courthouse is not necessarily the correct place to file documents or attend a hearing.

For an Existing Case

1. Check your most recent court notice for the case number, courthouse, department, and hearing date.
2. Compare those details with current official case information.
3. Use the Courtroom Directory when you need contact information for the assigned department.
4. If the notice and online information differ, contact the assigned courthouse or department to clarify the location.

Confirm both the courthouse and department. Large courthouses contain multiple courtrooms and service units, so the building address alone may not identify where you need to go.

For a New Filing

Use the Filing Court Locator and instructions for the applicable case type on the official court website. Filing location can depend on the nature of the case and applicable assignment rules.

Juvenile dependency and juvenile justice are separate divisions. Appeals also follow different routes depending on the underlying case; not every appeal is handled by the Superior Court's Appellate Division.

Check Current Department Assignments

Judicial assignments and department numbers can change. Verify the current department rather than relying only on a saved telephone number or older hearing notice. Use the court's Courtroom Directory and Judicial Officer Search for the relevant courthouse.

Case Information and Records

Use our Court Case Search guide for case-number searches, name searches, calendars, and steps to take when a record cannot be found.

Case access and record copies serve different purposes. An online result may identify a case or hearing without providing every filed document. Certified copies, transcripts, recordings, and archived files may require separate requests through the services listed on the official court website.

Public access depends on the case and record type. Do not assume that juvenile, sealed, confidential, or restricted materials can be obtained through a public search.

Clerk's Office Appointments

The official clerk appointment system asks you to select a courthouse and then an appointment type. Available categories vary by location.

Before Scheduling

• Identify the courthouse that handles your case or requested record.
• Have the complete case number available if a case already exists.
• Choose the correct division, such as civil, family law, probate, traffic, juvenile dependency, or juvenile justice.
• Identify the specific clerk service you need.
• Keep the relevant court notice or document nearby.

A clerk appointment is not a hearing reservation or a Self-Help Center appointment. Select the service that matches your task and save the appointment confirmation and any preparation instructions.

If no suitable appointment appears, check that you selected the correct courthouse and division, then contact that location about available arrangements. Scheduling an appointment does not extend a filing deadline or change a hearing date.

Self-Help Services

The Los Angeles Superior Court Self-Help Center provides information and assistance for people proceeding without an attorney. Supported topics include evictions, family law, small claims, consumer debt, guardianships, conservatorships, name changes, restraining orders, and other listed matters.

Choose the Specific Topic

Select the service that matches what you need to do, such as responding to an eviction, requesting custody orders, or starting a small claims case. Forms and procedures for one type of case may not apply to another.

For information and appointments for additional remote services, call 213-830-0845. Check the Self-Help website for current in-person locations, hours, and appointment arrangements.

Prepare for Assistance

• Bring or have available the documents you received and any forms already completed.
• Provide the case number and upcoming hearing information when applicable.
• Explain the action you need to take and identify any deadline shown on your notice.
• Ask which forms, filing steps, and service instructions apply to the task.

Self-help assistance does not replace compliance with court orders, deadlines, or requirements to serve documents on other parties.

Filing Court Documents

Start with the instructions for your case division. The court's electronic filing page provides separate guidance for supported categories, including civil, complex civil, family law, probate, small claims, appellate, adoption, CARE Court, juvenile dependency, and certain mental health matters.

Before Submitting

1. Confirm whether electronic filing is required, optional, or available for your case and filer category.
2. Use the filing service or provider identified in the applicable court instructions.
3. Check the case number, party information, document titles, attachments, and filing location.
4. Review applicable fees and fee-waiver procedures.
5. Check whether filing, service on other parties, or hearing arrangements require separate steps.

Submission is not the same as acceptance. After sending documents, check the service for the court's acceptance or rejection notice. Keep the submission receipt and any accepted, file-stamped documents. If a filing is rejected, review the reason and applicable correction instructions promptly.

Protect Confidential Identifiers

For public court filings, California Rule of Court 1.201 generally requires Social Security and financial account numbers to be omitted or redacted unless otherwise provided by law or ordered by the court. Where inclusion is required, the rule generally limits these identifiers to their last four digits.

Follow the instructions for the particular form and record type. Review attachments as well as the main document before transmission; sensitive identifiers may appear in supporting records.

Filing and Evidence Uploads Are Separate

The Small Claims Digital Evidence System uploads exhibits for scheduled hearings. It does not file a claim, response, request, or other court pleading. Use the applicable filing procedure for documents that must become part of the filed case record.

Remote Hearings and Reminders

Check Your Hearing's Appearance Instructions

The court provides LACourtConnect for supported remote appearances. Use the Remote Hearings service on the official court website to find the instructions for your hearing.

• Confirm the case number, hearing date, time, courthouse, and department.
• Check whether your appearance may be remote and whether any request, notice, or other preparation is required.
• Follow the current check-in instructions rather than instructions saved from an earlier hearing.
• Test your internet connection, audio, and any required video functions beforehand.
• Keep the courtroom's contact information available in case you cannot connect.

Availability of remote appearances does not establish permission for every hearing. Follow your notice, court orders, and the applicable appearance instructions. Do not photograph, record, or broadcast a proceeding without court authorization.

Use Hearing Reminders as a Backup

The Hearing Reminder Service allows users to request email or text reminders for public hearings two weeks before, two days before, or at both intervals.

A case number is required. Registration has no court fee, although carrier text-message charges may apply. Reminders supplement official notices and case calendars; they do not change an appearance obligation.

Interpreters and Accessibility

Court Interpreter Requests

Use the Request an Interpreter service linked from the official court website. Review the process for your hearing and provide the requested language, case number, courthouse, department, and hearing details.

Website translation is different from interpretation during a proceeding. Automated translations may contain errors and may not translate every form, PDF, or application. Confirm important instructions, dates, and form names using the official materials or appropriate language assistance.

Disability Accommodations

Use the court's Americans with Disabilities Act information and designated accommodation request process. Follow its timing and submission instructions and identify the assistance needed for the proceeding or court service.

Use the designated process for sensitive accommodation information rather than adding it unnecessarily to public case filings.

Small Claims Evidence

Small claims eligibility depends on the applicant and claim. Individuals and sole proprietors generally may seek up to $12,500, while other business entities generally have a $6,250 limit, subject to applicable rules and exceptions. Review the California Courts small claims guidance before selecting this procedure.

For a scheduled Los Angeles small claims hearing, the Digital Evidence System allows eligible parties to upload, share, view, and present exhibits. Use of the system is encouraged but is not mandatory.

Prepare the Case and Exhibits

• Have the case number, party name, and current or future hearing date available.
• Use an email address or cell phone number for account registration.
• Check that you selected the correct case, hearing, and party before uploading.
• Prepare each photograph or document as an individual exhibit with a brief English description, following the system's current instructions.
• Keep your own copies of the exhibits and submission records.

Upload and Exchange Evidence

The court's published instructions require evidence intended for the hearing to be shared with the court and opposing side at least ten days before the hearing. This requirement concerns the small claims evidence exchange process discussed here, not filing deadlines for every court case.

Small claims evidence exchange options

Your situation	Action	What to verify
You have the opposing party's required contact details, including an email address	Upload the exhibits and complete the electronic sharing steps within the required period.	The exhibits appear under the correct hearing, and the system confirms successful sharing.
You do not have the information needed for electronic sharing	You may upload for the court, but must also mail evidence to the opposing party as instructed and complete LACIV 278, Exchange and Submission of Evidence (Small Claims).	Compliance with the current Standing Order, mailing requirements, and form submission instructions.
You choose to submit and exchange evidence by mail	Follow the current Standing Order for providing evidence to the court and opposing party. Portal upload is not mandatory.	The required timing, destination, and supporting form requirements.

Read the current Standing Order and LACIV 278 linked from the Digital Evidence System page. Uploading evidence for the court does not by itself establish that it was shared with the opposing party. Failure to comply with advance exchange requirements may affect whether evidence is considered or whether the hearing proceeds as scheduled.

Confirm the Hearing and Submission

Check that the correct case, hearing date, and exhibits appear in the Court Hearings panel. Retain the exhibit numbers and sharing confirmation for use during the hearing.

If the hearing is continued, verify that the evidence appears for the new date. Evidence from the original hearing does not automatically carry over in the Digital Evidence System to a small claims appeal hearing. If you use the system for the appeal, upload and share the exhibits again, following the applicable evidence exchange instructions.

For upload errors, account access, browser requirements, and other technical details, use the troubleshooting guidance on the official system page.

Settlement and Alternative Dispute Resolution

The court's Alternative Dispute Resolution resources describe settlement programs for supported civil, family law, and probate matters.

Select your case type to review available programs. Mediation helps parties work toward an agreement with a neutral participant; other processes, including settlement conferences and arbitration, have different procedures and effects. Review the program terms before participating.

Do not assume that discussing settlement changes a filing deadline or hearing date. Continue following court instructions unless an applicable order or procedure provides otherwise.

Court Contacts

Choose a contact based on the question. A technical support desk cannot resolve the substance of a case, and a particular courtroom's telephone number is not a general courthouse contact.

Where to direct court and online-service questions

Question or service	Contact or official entry point	Purpose
Case-specific hearing, filing, or clerk question	Use Contact the Court, the courthouse directory, or Courtroom Directory on the court website.	Locate the clerk or department responsible for the assigned case. Have the case number available.
Self-help information and remote service appointments	213-830-0845 Self-Help Center	Assistance for supported matters involving people representing themselves.
Clerk's office appointment	Clerk appointment system	Select a courthouse and an available clerk service.
Hearing Reminder Service technical assistance	213-830-0400 Hearing Reminder Service	Questions about the reminder service. Check its published support hours.
Digital Evidence System account or technical problem	213-830-0400 Digital Evidence System	Account access and technical assistance. Use the courthouse for case-specific questions.
Attorney Portal assistance	Attorney Portal	Portal services for attorneys, including validated access and authorized delegates. Use its help resources for portal questions.

If you find an outdated service detail or broken link in this guide, please report it to our website editor. Questions about a case, filing, hearing, or court order should go to the responsible court office.