Short answer. Cases go to the Superior Court. 10 court days after personal service to file an Answer (weekends and court holidays don't count); more if served another way. Who carries out a lockout: sheriff.
At a glance
- Court
- Superior Court. The superior court of the county where the rental is (an unlawful detainer case).
"Superior Court of California, County of San Diego"
Source 4 - Filing fee
- $240 when the amount demanded is $10,000 or less; $385 over $10,000 up to $35,000 (statewide schedule effective January 1, 2026).
"Complaint or other first paper in unlawful detainer (amount up to $10,000)"
Source 7 - Time to answer or appear
- 10 court days after personal service to file an Answer (weekends and court holidays don't count); more if served another way.
"You have 10 court days to file an Answer form or other legal forms after you're handed (served)"
Source 2 - Writ to lockout
- After the writ, the sheriff serves a Notice to Vacate that gives 5 days to move out.
"this gives you 5 days to move out."
Source 1 - Who carries out the lockout
- Sheriff. The sheriff serves the Notice to Vacate and locks out a tenant who stays.
"If you don't move out, the sheriff can lock you out of your home."
Source 1 - Right to counsel (statewide)
- No statewide right to counsel for tenants in eviction cases (as of November 2026, per the National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel): its tracker of enacted laws lists no statewide law here. Local: San Francisco (2018), Los Angeles County (2024) and the City of Los Angeles (2025) have their own right-to-counsel laws.
"An eviction right to counsel is created by an enacted law that, at a minimum:"
Source 8, National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel (secondary source)
Sample timeline: filed Monday, December 7, 2026
Earliest under the statute; courts' calendars often take longer.
Need the other side served? Process serving with an affidavit of service.
- Answer due (if served the day of filing): Monday, December 21, 2026
- Hearing or trial: no date (The official pages don't give a period for setting the hearing)
- Judgment: no date (Follows the hearing, which isn't dated here)
- Writ or warrant of possession: no date (Not confirmed on an official page)
- Earliest lockout: no date (5 days after the writ, which isn't dated here)
Another date: open the estimator.
Want us to handle it?
A runner files your papers in person at the clerk's window and sends you a scan of the stamped copy. We file what you prepared; we don't give legal advice.
Price: Outside New Jersey it goes through our contractor network: quote-based, confirmed before any work starts, and booked once a local contractor accepts. In New Jersey it is from $75 per filing, court fees at cost. Starting rates. Your exact price is quoted after we confirm a local notary/runner, before you pay.
Help the official pages point to
- Local legal aid, law library or the court's self-help center (source 1)
- Bay Area Legal Aid, the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley and the court's Self-Help Center (Santa Clara County's list) (source 6)
Worth knowing
Riverside's chart says the trial is typically set within 20 days; that is a county description, not a statewide rule, so no hearing range is used here. The state guide says a tenant approved for rental help may be able to stop the eviction.
Not stated on the pages we read: hearing after filing, judgment to writ, paying to stop the case, diversion or mediation (statewide).
Sources
- California Courts Self-Help Guide: What happens if you lose your eviction case (checked November 2026)
- California Courts Self-Help Guide: Summons-Unlawful Detainer-Eviction (form SUM-130) (checked November 2026)
- California Courts Self-Help Guide: Eviction cases in California (checked November 2026)
- Superior Court of California, County of San Diego: Tenant Frequently Asked Questions (checked November 2026)
- Superior Court of California, County of Riverside: Tenant's Unlawful Detainer Chart (checked November 2026)
- Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara: Evictions (Unlawful Detainers) (checked November 2026)
- Superior Court of California: Statewide Civil Fee Schedule (effective January 1, 2026), posted by the Butte County court (checked November 2026)
- National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel (secondary source): National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel: Enacted Eviction Right to Counsel and Eviction Defense Programs (last modified November 2026) (checked November 2026)
Sourced from official pages; a few facts from vetted secondary sources, marked "(secondary source)".
General information, not legal advice; we are not lawyers. Not a court form. Earliest under the statute; courts' calendars often take longer.
Common questions
Which court hears eviction cases in California?
Superior Court. The superior court of the county where the rental is (an unlawful detainer case).
How long does a tenant in California have to respond?
10 court days after personal service to file an Answer (weekends and court holidays don't count); more if served another way.
How long between the writ and a lockout in California?
After the writ, the sheriff serves a Notice to Vacate that gives 5 days to move out.
Who carries out an eviction in California?
Sheriff. The sheriff serves the Notice to Vacate and locks out a tenant who stays. The officer acts on the court's order.
What does it cost to file in California?
$240 when the amount demanded is $10,000 or less; $385 over $10,000 up to $35,000 (statewide schedule effective January 1, 2026).
Anything else to know about California evictions?
Riverside's chart says the trial is typically set within 20 days; that is a county description, not a statewide rule, so no hearing range is used here. The state guide says a tenant approved for rental help may be able to stop the eviction.
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