All California courts use the same basic set of forms for small claims. You can find the most commonly-used forms on this page. If you are not sure which forms to use, find out from your court or small claims advisor.
Some courts have special local forms too. To see if you will need any special local forms, contact your court clerk or check your court’s website.
Looking for copies of an order from your case? Contact the court where you filed the case.
Fill and file forms and pay a fee to start a small claims case. Then, have a copy of the forms delivered (served) to whomever you're suing.
| Form Name | Form Number | Purpose | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plaintiff's Claim and Order to Go to Small Claims Court | SC-100 |
Tells the court who you are, who you're suing, why, how much you are suing for, and why you're suing in this county. |
Fill out forms to start a small claims case |
| Other Plaintiffs or Defendants (Attachment to Plaintiff's Claim and ORDER to Go to Small Claims Court) | SC-100A |
Gives you more space to provide information about other people or businesses in the case (if any). |
|
| Fictitious Business Name (Small Claims) | SC-103 |
If you're suing on behalf of a business, tells the court and tenant about your business Fictitious Business Name, if you have one. |
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| Attorney Fee Dispute (After Arbitration) (Attachment to Plaintiff's Claim and ORDER to Go to Small Claims Court) | SC-101 |
Tells the court that the case is about an attorney fee dispute for less than $5,000 and that you went to arbitration. |
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| Authorization to Appear on Behalf of Party | SC-109 | Tells the judge you're allowed (authorized) to appear for someone in a small claims case. | |
| Proof of Service | SC-104 |
Tells the court you had the other side served with the papers you filed to start the Small Claims case. The person who delivered the papers (your server) must sign the form. |
Serve your small claims forms |
Fill out more forms if you need a fee waiver. There's a $30 to $100 filing fee. If you can't afford the fee, you can ask for a fee waiver.
| Form Name | Form Number | Purpose | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plaintiff's Claim and Order to Go to Small Claims Court | SC-500 |
Tells the court who you are, who you're suing, why, how much you are suing for, and why you're suing in this county. |
Fill out forms to start a COVID-19 small claims case |
| Other Plaintiffs or Defendants (COVID-19 Rental Debt) | SC-500A |
Gives you more space to provide the information about other people or businesses in the case (if any). |
|
| Fictitious Business Name (Small Claims) | SC-103 |
If you're suing on behalf of a business, tells the court and tenant about your business Fictitious Business Name, if you have one. |
|
| Authorization to Appear on Behalf of Party | SC-109 |
Tells the judge you're allowed (authorized) to appear for someone in a small claims case. For example, you are the property manager. |
|
| Proof of Service | SC-104 |
Tells the court you had the other side served with the papers you filed to start the Small Claims case. The person who delivered the papers (your server) must sign the form. |
Serve your COVID-19 rental debt small claims forms |
Fill out more forms if you need a fee waiver. There's a $30 to $100 filing fee. If you can't afford the fee, you can ask for a fee waiver.
If you're sued, you may be able to sue the other side back if you think they owe you money. There are rules about when and what you can sue for. Find out more in Suing the other side back in small claims court.
| Form Name | Form Number | Purpose | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defendant's Claim and Order to Go to Small Claims Court | SC-120 |
Tells the court who you are, who you're suing, why, how much you are suing for, and why you're suing in this county. |
Fill out forms to start a COVID-19 small claims case |
| Other Plaintiffs or Defendants | SC-120A |
Gives you more space to provide information about other people or businesses in the case (if any). |
|
| Fictitious Business Name (Small Claims) | SC-103 |
If you're suing on behalf of a business, tells the court and other side about your business Fictitious Business Name, if you have one. |
|
| Proof of Service | SC-104 |
Tells the court you had the other side served with the papers you filed to start the Small Claims case. The person who delivered the papers (your server) must sign the form. |
Serve your Defendant's Claim |
Fill out more forms if you need a fee waiver. There's a $30 to $100 filing fee. If you can't afford the fee, you can ask for a fee waiver.
Once you have a court date, you may need to ask the judge to make a decision about something. For example, to change the court date or change the name of the defendant on your forms.
| Form name | Form number | Purpose | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Request to Postpone Trial (Small Claims) | SC-150 |
Asks the Small Claims judge if you can change your court date. |
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| Proof of Service by Mail | SC-112A |
Tells the court that you served Small Claims forms by mail. |
| Form name | Form number | Purpose | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Request to Amend Party Name Before Hearing (Small Claims) | SC-114 | Asks the court to correct a party's name (plaintiff or defendant). |
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| Form name | Form number | Purpose | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Small Claims Subpoena for Personal Appearance and Production of Documents at Trial or Hearing and Declaration |
SC-107 | Tells someone to come to your court date or bring paperwork that will help your case, or both. Before filling out, bring the form to the Small Claims court clerk court who must "issue" it. | Get information to help your case |
| Notice to Consumer or Employee and Objection | SUBP-025 | Tells a consumer or employee that a subpoena is requesting their records, and provides a form for them to object to the subpoena. |
In some cases, you can have someone else go to the trial for you. This is only allowed sometimes, the person must have an authorization to appear. For example, a landlord could have their property manager go for them to a trial about a security deposit. The property manager is authorized to appear for the landlord.
| Form name | Form number | Purpose | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Authorization to Appear (Small Claims) |
SC-109 |
Tells the judge you're allowed (authorized) to appear for someone in a small claims case. Or, asks the court for permission to appear for someone who can't properly speak for themself. |
| Form name | Form number | Purpose | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Request for Court Order and Answer (Small Claims) | SC-105 |
Asks a judge to make a decision about something before or after your Small Claims trial date. You can also use it to tell the court your side when someone else in the case has filled out this form to ask the judge to make a decision. |
|
| Proof of Service by Mail | SC-112A |
Tells the court that you served Small Claims forms by mail. |
If you started a small claims case or filed a Defendant’s Claim against the other side and you don't want to finish the case, you can ask the court to dismiss it.
| Form Name | Form Number | Purpose | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Request for Dismissal | CIV-110 | Tells the court and the other side that you do not want to go forward with the case. You also need to use Notice of Entry of Dismissal and Proof of Service (form CIV-120). | How to dismiss your small claims case |
| Notice of Entry of Dismissal and Proof of Service | CIV-120 | Tells the other side about the court's decision to dismiss the case and that more details about the dismissal are shown on Request for Dismissal (form CIV-110). |
After there is a judgment, you may need to ask the judge to fix something in the judgment (like the spelling of a Defendant's name) or even to cancel the case if you missed the trial date for a good reason.
Correct or cancel
You can ask to correct or cancel a judgment if there was a clerical error or the judge applied the wrong law.
| Form name | Form number | Purpose | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Request to Correct or Cancel Judgment and Answer (Small Claims) |
SC-108 | Asks the judge to fix or cancel their decision in your Small Claims case. If the other side asked the judge to fix or cancel the decision, use this form to tell the judge what you think should be done. |
Vacate (cancel because you missed the trial date)
If you missed the trial date for a really good reason, you can ask the judge to vacate the decision.
| Form name | Form number | Purpose | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notice of Motion to Vacate Judgment and Declaration (Small Claims) | SC-135 | Asks the Small Claims judge to cancel the decision they made in your case. Can be used if you missed the court date. | Ask to cancel (vacate) the judge's decision |
If you were sued in a small claims case and the judge decided you owe money, you can challenge that decision by filing an appeal if you don't agree.
| Form name | Form number | Purpose | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Notice of Appeal (Small Claims) |
SC-140 | Asks the judge to fix or cancel their decision in your Small Claims case. If the other side asked the judge to fix or cancel the decision, use this form to tell the judge what you think should be done. | Appeal the judge's decision |
If the judge decided that one side owed the other money, you will need to fill out forms to let the court know when the money is paid. If the money is not paid, there are many forms you can use to help collect the money or to let the court know why you can't pay.
| Form Name | Form Number | Purpose | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acknowledgment of Satisfaction of Judgment | SC-290 |
Tells the court the side that owed you money paid off the entire judgment. |
What to do when you get paid |
| Order to Produce Statement of Assets and to Appear for Examination | SC-134 |
Asks the Small Claims court to tell a person who lost your Small Claims case to come to court to tell you about their job, what they own, and where they keep their money. |
How to get a debtor's examination |
| Small Claims Subpoena and Declaration | SC-107 |
Tells the debtor to bring documents to the Debtor's examination. Before filling out, bring the form to the Small Claims court clerk court who must "issue" it. |
How to get a debtor's examination |
| Writ of Execution | EJ-130 |
Tells the sheriff to take action to enforce a judgment. Used with instructions to the sheriff to levy bank accounts, garnish wages, or take possession of personal property. |
How to get a Writ of Execution |
| Application for Earnings Withholding Order (Wage Garnishment) | WG-001 | Asks the sheriff, marshal, or constable of a county to garnish the wages of someone you have a judgment against. Must first obtain a Writ of Execution from the court. | Collect money from someone's pay |
| Notice of Opposition to Claim of Exemption and Notice of Hearing on Claim of Exemption | EJ-170 and EJ-175 | Asks the court to deny a claim of exemption and set a hearing date for the court to consider whether the claimed property is exempt from collection. Is filed with the court and served to the judgment debtor and sheriff or other levying officer. | |
| Memorandum of Costs after Judgment, Acknowledgment of Credit, and Declaration of Accrued Interest | MC-012 | Tell the court the costs you had to pay to enforce the court’s decision (judgment) that you are asking the other party to pay you back for, any amount you already got back, and any interest that you are owed on the amount that has not yet been paid back. | Add cost and interest to what's owed |
| Abstract of Judgment – Civil and Small Claims | EJ-001 | Describes the basic terms of a money judgment. Once issued by the clerk of the court, it can be recorded with a county to create a lien against the judgment debtor. | Put a lien on property |
| Application for and Renewal of Judgment and Notice of Renewal of Judgment | EJ-190 and EJ-195 | EJ-190 tells the court that you want to renew your Judgment and how much interest and costs to add to the total that's owed. EJ-195 let's the other side know that you've renewed the Judgment and tells them how to respond if they disagree. | Renew a small claims judgment |
| Form Name | Form Number | Purpose | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Judgment Debtor's Statement of Assets | SC-133 |
Tells the person who won your small claims case about your job, what you own, and where you keep your money. |
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| Request to Make Payments (Small Claims) | SC-220 |
Asks the judge if you can make payments on what you owe in a Small Claims case. |
Ask the judge if you can make payments |
| Request to Pay Judgment to Court (Small Claims) | SC-145 |
Asks the Small Claims judge if you can pay what you owe to the court instead of to the other side, if you lost your case. The court charges a fee, usually $25.00, to process the payment and send it to the other side. |
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| Claim of Exemption (Wage Garnishment) | WG-006 |
Asks the sheriff to reduce or stop garnishing wages because you cannot afford the basic necessities of life with the garnishment. If a claim of exemption is opposed, this form is forwarded by the sheriff to the court. |
Respond to a wage garnishment |
| Financial Statement (Wage Garnishment - Enforcement of Judgment) | WG-007/EJ-165 | Explains your financial situation so the judge and other side can see why you need the exemption. | Respond to a wage garnishment or Respond to a bank levy |
| Claim of Exemption (Enforcement of Judgment) | EJ-160 | Claims that some or all of your property being levied is exempt from collection of a judgment. This form is not filed with the court, but instead is filed with the sheriff or other levying officer. | Respond to a bank levy |
