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San Francisco County Superior Court

Information about filing court documents in San Francisco County, California

COVID-19: Because of coronavirus restrictions, the San Francisco County Superior Court is currently operating reduced services. We recommend consulting the court's website for additional information. 

Services

eFiling
Maximum file size: 120 MB per document / 120 MB total 		Civil Limited (Mandatory—subsequent filings only)
 Civil Unlimited (Mandatory—subsequent filings only)
 Civil Complex (Mandatory—not available through One Legal. Please consult the court's website)
 Probate (In some cases. See FAQ below for more information.)
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)
Physical Filing
Maximum file size: 25 MB per document / Unlimited total 		 Civil Limited (case initiating filings only—subsequent filings must be eFiled)
Civil Unlimited (case initiating filings only—subsequent filings must be eFiled)
Small Claims
Family
Probate (In some cases. See FAQ below for more information.)
Available for documents that are exempt from eFiling.
Courtesy Copy Delivery
Maximum file size: 25 MB per document / Unlimited total
 		Available
Court Research Unavailable at this time because of COVID-19 court access restrictions

Court locations

Court address Services
Civic Center Courthouse
400 McAllister Street
San Francisco, CA 94102		  eFiling
Deadline: Before 11:45 p.m. (For delivery same court day)
 Physical Filing
Deadline: Before 11:00 a.m. (For delivery same court day)
 Courtesy Copy Delivery
Deadline: Before 11:00 a.m. (For delivery next court day)
 Court Research
Unavailable at this time due to COVID-19 restrictions

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 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 Must be physically filed, offered by One Legal. Must be eFiled using the court's approved vendor.
Trust Matters Must be physically filed, offered by One Legal. Must be eFiled 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?

  • Initiating Filings 
    • A new case shall originate with the filing of a conventional copy of the initial pleading. All documents thereafter must be electronically filed.
  • 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.)
  • 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. 
  • 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 
  • 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. 


As of June 12, 2020. Review the list>>

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).

See full details in the court's special instructions>>


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