Important: San Francisco Superior Court requires different means of delivery depending on the case category and case type of your filing and whether you are initiating a new case or filing into an existing case.
As of July 1, 2021, Civil Limited and Civil Unlimited case initiation and subsequent filings will be directly eFiled with the Court. For other filings, One Legal staff will review your submission and ensure that it is either physically filed or electronically delivered through the File&ServeXpress portal on your behalf. Please consult the table below to determine how your documents will be filed.
Services
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eFiling Maximum file size: 35 MB per document / 60 MB total |
Civil Limited (Mandatory for case initiations and subsequent filings as of July 1, 2021) Civil Unlimited (Mandatory for case initiations and subsequent filings as of July 1, 2021) Unlawful detainers (Mandatory—subsequent filings only—case initiating filings must be physically filed) |
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eDelivery Where required by rules of court, filings are submitted on your behalf through the court's portal Maximum file size: 20 MB per document / 120 MB total |
Civil Limited Civil Unlimited Civil Complex, including Asbestos Probate—Trust and Descendants Estates Family Law—Dissolution cases |
| eService | Available (Where eFiling is mandatory CA Rules of Court require that—with the exception of documents that must be personally served—documents be eServed) |
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Physical Filing Maximum file size: 25 MB per document / Unlimited total |
Probate—Trust and Descendant's Estates (Mandatory—case initiating filings until July 1, 2021) Probate—Other case types, e.g. Guardianships & Conservatorships Unlawful detainers (case initiating filings only—subsequent filings will be eFiled) Family Law—Non-Dissolution cases Small Claims Other case initiations not eligible for eFiling. See list>> |
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Courtesy Copy Delivery Maximum file size: 25 MB per document / Unlimited total |
Available |
Court locations
| Court address | Services |
|---|---|
|
Civic Center Courthouse (San Francisco-Family; San Francisco-McAllister) 400 McAllister Street San Francisco, CA 94102 (415) 551-4000 |
eFiling Deadline: Before 11:45 p.m. (For delivery same court day) eDelivery Deadline: Before 12:00 p.m. (For delivery same court day) Physical Filing Deadline: Before 12:00 p.m. (For delivery same court day) Area surcharge: +$40 Courtesy Copy Delivery Deadline: Before 12:00 p.m. (For delivery same court day) Area surcharge: +$40 |
Contact information
| Department | Phone number |
|---|---|
| Civil filings - Physical | (415) 551-3876 |
| Civil filings - Electronic | (415) 551-4030 |
| Probate / Appeals filings | (415) 551-5795 |
| Family Law | See options>> |
View the divisions for additional contact information>>
Useful resources
FAQs
How much does it cost to file in San Francisco?
| eFiling—direct eFiling for subsequent civil filings | $12/filing |
| eDelivery—where mandated, filing delivered on your behalf through the File&ServeXpress portal | $40/filing |
| Physical filing—Where neither eFiling nor eDelivery are available and papers must be printed and physically delivered | From $107.50/filing (see the pricing page for full details) |
How should Probate filings be submitted?
San Francisco County Superior Court has specific requirements for Probate documents and which case subcategories must be eFiled and physically filed.
| Probate subcategory | Case initiations | Subsequent filings |
|---|---|---|
| Estate Matters | Will be eDelivered on your behalf using the court's approved vendor. (As of July 1, 2021) | Will be eDelivered on your behalf using the court's approved vendor. |
| Trust Matters | Will be eDelivered on your behalf using the court's approved vendor. (As of July 1, 2021) | Will be eDelivered on your behalf using the court's approved vendor. |
| Conservatorships | Must be physically filed, offered by One Legal. | |
| Guardianships | Must be physically filed, offered by One Legal. | |
Which documents are exempt from eFiling?
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Documents Issued by Clerk
- Issuance of summons and writs
- Abstracts
- Out of State Commissions
- Certificate of Facts RE: Unsatisfied Judgment
- Order of Examinations
- Non-electronic Exhibits or Other Items
- Exhibits to declarations or other documents that are non-text articles
- physical objects or other documents not readily susceptible to E-filing (a notice of such filing must be filed and served electronically.)
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Documents served by hand in open court during trial:
- Motions, Memoranda of points & authorities, and other matters presented to the Court in writing for decision) may be served conventionally.
- The document and proof of service must be E-Filed before the Close of Business on the court day following service by hand in open court.
- In addition, the proof of service must reference the date the document was originally served in open court.
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Motions with Jurisdictional Time Limits
- The following may be filed and served conventionally: Motions with jurisdictional time limits including motions for new trial, motions JNOV, motions to quash service for personal jurisdiction, any notice of appeal, and petitions for writs. The Court’s service copy of any petition to the Court of Appeal for extraordinary relief must be served electronically.
- Request to Waive Court Fees**; Request to Waive Additional Court Fees; Order on Court Fee Waiver
- Original Bonds
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Petition for Guardian ad Litem
- A Petition for Guardian ad Litem must be submitted in original form to the Presiding Judge’s department. The filing fee must be paid in the Clerk’s Office, Room 103, before submission of the petition.
**Despite the above listed in the Court's local rules, the Court's FAQ reads "Applications for waiver of court fees and costs are accepted electronically in cases that are electronically filed. Per CRC 2.252 (f) The court must permit electronic filing of an application for waiver of court fees and costs in any proceeding in which the court accepts electronic filings."
As of June 12, 2020. Review the list>>
What cases are not subject to mandatory eFiling?
- Small Claims
- Initiating Unlawful Detainers
- Civil Harassment
- Name/Gender petitions
- Probate Conservatorships and Guardianships
- Judgments related to Sister State
- Confession, Labor, and Summary cases are not subject to the mandate
How do I pay Court Reporter fees in San Francisco?
For hearings where the moving party must pay a fee for a court reporter provided by the court, the following procedures must be followed to ensure the court is able to access the fee.
The firm representing the moving party must submit a cover letter or notice in the same eFiling transaction as the moving papers. If the cover letter/notice is not submitted with the moving papers, the entire eFiling transaction (including the moving papers) will be rejected.
The cover letter/notice should specify the case name, case number, and name of the party that is paying the fee. Indicate "Notice of Payment for Court Reporter Fee" in the Document Field.
Self-represented parties may pay the fee using this method or may pay at the civil filing counter in the Civic Center Courthouse (room 103).