Eviction Defense Resources by County — Southern California
If you are a tenant facing eviction in Southern California, the information on this page is specifically for you. The unlawful detainer process varies by county — each county has its own courthouse locations, filing procedures, and local rules that affect how your case will proceed.
Tenant Eviction Defense serves tenants throughout Orange County, Los Angeles County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, and San Diego County. Below you will find county specific information about the unlawful detainer process, courthouse locations, and resources available to tenants in each county.
If you have received an Unlawful Detainer Summons in any of these counties call our office immediately at (657) 510-6534. Our staff is available Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. to discuss your situation and help you understand your rights and options.
Orange County Eviction Defense Resources
Orange County is one of the most active counties in Southern California for unlawful detainer filings. If you are a tenant facing eviction in Orange County it is critical that you understand your rights and the specific procedures that apply to your case.
All Unlawful Detainer cases in Orange County fall under the jurisdiction of the Central Justice Center Courthouse in Santa Ana, California. Hearings and trials for Unlawful Detainer cases are primarily held in departments C61, C62, and C66. Departments C61 and C62 hold hearings and trials for Unlawful Detainer Cases where the amount sought by the plaintiff is under $35,000.00. Department C66 holds hearings and trials for Unlawful Detainer Cases where the plaintiff seeks damages of $35,000.0 or more. If there is an overflow of Unlawful Detainer Matters the Court may assign your case to a different department.
The department that serves as the venue to your Unlawful Detainer Case may be found on the first page of your Unlawful Detainer Summons and also the first page of your Unlawful Detainer Complaint. The contact information for the Courthouse, and the contact information for Departments C201, C2102, and C66 is as follows:
Central Justice Center Courthouse 700 West Civic Center Drive Santa Ana, CA 92701-4045 (657) 622-6878
Department C61: (657) 622-5261
Department C62: (657) 622-5262
Department C66: (657) 622-5266
Unlawful Detainer Records are sealed for 60 days from the date of filing CCP § 1161.2 & AB 2819. However, the Central Justice Center Courthouse offers online access to Unlawful Detainer Records only to the parties on the case (the plaintiff and defendant) within the 60 day period during which the records are sealed.
To access the copies of documents filed, and the records of all actions that have taken place for your case online you may follow this link to the Central Justice Courthouse Online Case Access System.
After selecting the link above select “Accept Terms” near the bottom of the webpage. On the following page select the option for “Unlawful Detainer.” A form will expand with spaces for inputting the case number, the names of the plaintiff and defendant, and the address to the property that is subject to the Unlawful Detainer Case.
Important Note: You must input the case information (the names of the parties and the address that is subject to the case) into the online form exactly as the information is stated on the first page of your Unlawful Detainer Complaint for the online system to recognize and locate your case. If any spelling, capitalization, punctuation, or abbreviation alters from how the content is stated on the first page of the Unlawful Detainer Complaint the online system will not locate your case. If the online system can not locate your case after you enter the case information on the form exactly as it is stated on the first page of the Unlawful Detainer Complaint it is possible that the Court clerk input the case information into the Court’s online system slightly different than how the case information is stated on the Unlawful Detainer Complaint.
Orange County Tenant Protections: Several cities within Orange County have enacted local tenant protection ordinances that may provide additional rights beyond state law. These include just cause eviction protections and rent stabilization ordinances in certain cities. Call our office to discuss whether any local ordinances apply to your specific situation.
Tenant Eviction Defense proudly serves tenants throughout Orange County including Anaheim, Santa Ana, Irvine, Huntington Beach, Garden Grove, Orange, Fullerton, Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Mission Viejo, and surrounding cities.
Los Angeles County Eviction Defense Resources
Los Angeles County has the highest volume of unlawful detainer filings in California. If you are a tenant facing eviction in Los Angeles County it is essential that you act quickly and understand the specific procedures and tenant protections that apply to your case.
If you believe that an Unlawful Detainer may have been filed against you, but you have not yet received service of an Unlawful Detainer Summons you may consider visiting the Courthouse with jurisdiction over your Unlawful Detainer case to collect a copy of your Unlawful Detainer Summons and Complaint. You may determine which Los Angeles County Courthouse presides over the zip code where your residence is located by referring to this chart.
Los Angeles County Courthouse Locations for Unlawful Detainer Cases:
Stanley Mosk Courthouse 111 North Hill Street Los Angeles, CA 90012
Inglewood Courthouse One Regent Street Inglewood, CA 90301
Compton Courthouse 200 West Compton Blvd., Compton, CA 90220
Long Beach Courthouse 415 West Ocean Boulevard Long Beach, CA 90802
Norwalk Courthouse 12720 Norwalk Boulevard Norwalk, CA 90650
Pasadena Courthouse 300 East Walnut Street Pasadena, CA 91101
Santa Monica Courthouse 1725 Main Street Santa Monica, CA 90401
Torrance Courthouse 825 Maple Avenue Torrance, CA 90503
East Van Nuys Courthouse 6230 Sylmar Avenue Van Nuys, CA 91401
All Courthouses listed above are open Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m..
Unlike Orange County, The Los Angeles County Courts do not provide online access to Unlawful Detainer Cases until 60 days after the case has been filed. To gather information about your Unlawful Detainer Case in Los Angeles County you must either call the Los Angeles County Courts Civil Division Call Center or visit the Courthouse presiding over your case in person.
If you would like to speak with a Court Clerk regarding your Unlawful Detainer Case on the telephone you may call the Los Angeles County Courts Civil Division Call Center at: (213) 633-6333. Follow the prompts to connect to a Civil Division Court Clerk. The Court Clerk will require that you provide the names of the plaintiff and defendant, in addition to the address of the property that is subject to the Unlawful Detainer Case, and the Case Number. Without providing these three items of information the Court Clerk will not discuss any information related to the case with you over the telephone.
The names of the parties, the address subject to the Unlawful Detainer Case, and the Case Number may be found on the Notice of Unlawful Detainer that the Court mails to you within 2 or 3 days after the plaintiff files their Unlawful Detainer. This information may also be found on the first page of the Unlawful Detainer Complaint (Form UD-100)
If you believe that an Unlawful Detainer may have been filed against you, but you have neither received a Notice of Unlawful Detainer in the mail from the court, nor have you received service of an Unlawful Detainer Summons, you may consider visiting the Court that presides over evictions that are filed in the zip code where your residence is located (determined by referring to the LA Zip Code Table for Unlawful Detainer Cases). If you visit the Court in person, and provide your name and address to a Court Clerk, the Clerk will search their database for your Unlawful Detainer Case and then discuss information about the case with you and release a copy of the Unlawful Detainer Summons and Complaint to you without your having to provide the clerk with your case number.
Los Angeles County Tenant Protections: Los Angeles County and many of its cities have some of the strongest tenant protection ordinances in California. The City of Los Angeles has its own Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) which provides significant protections for tenants in rent controlled units. The County of Los Angeles also has a just cause eviction ordinance that applies to unincorporated areas of the county. Additional local ordinances exist in cities including Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Inglewood, Pasadena, and others. These local protections may significantly affect your rights and your landlord's ability to evict you. Call our office to discuss whether any local ordinances apply to your specific situation.
Tenant Eviction Defense proudly serves tenants throughout Los Angeles County including Los Angeles, Long Beach, Glendale, Pasadena, Torrance, Burbank, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Inglewood, Compton, Carson, Hawthorne, El Monte, Pomona, and surrounding cities.
Riverside County Eviction Defense Resources
Riverside County is one of the fastest growing counties in California and has seen a significant increase in unlawful detainer filings in recent years. If you are a tenant facing eviction in Riverside County it is critical that you understand your rights and the specific procedures that apply to your case.
Unlawful Detainer cases in Riverside County are filed at the courthouse closest to where the rental property is located. There are six courthouse locations that preside over Unlawful Detainer cases in Riverside County:
Corona Courthouse 505 S. Buena Vista, Room 201 Corona, CA 92882
Moreno Valley Courthouse 13800 Heacock Street, Building D #201 Moreno Valley, CA 92553
Southwest Justice Center 30755-D Auld Road Murrieta, CA 92563
Banning Justice Center 311 East Ramsey Street Banning, CA 92220
Blythe Courthouse 265 North Broadway Blythe, CA 92225
Palm Springs Courthouse 3255 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262
The Courthouses listed above are open from 8:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
To discuss your Unlawful Detainer case with a Court Clerk over the telephone you may call the Riverside County Courts Civil Division Call Center at: (951) 777-3147 between the hours of 7:30 a.m. through 2:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Riverside County Tenant Protections: California's statewide AB 1482 Tenant Protection Act applies to many rental units throughout Riverside County, providing just cause eviction protections and annual rent increase limits for qualifying tenants. Several cities within Riverside County have also enacted additional local tenant protection ordinances. Call our office at (657) 510-6534 to discuss whether state or local tenant protections apply to your specific situation.
Tenant Eviction Defense proudly serves tenants throughout Riverside County including Riverside, Corona, Moreno Valley, Temecula, Murrieta, Palm Springs, Hemet, Perris, Menifee, Lake Elsinore, Indio, Cathedral City, Palm Desert, Banning, Beaumont, and surrounding cities.