Effective June 3, 2024, the San Francisco Superior Court will use File & ServeXpress (FSX) as its new eFiling manager system. Read the news release issued by the court>>
Summary of updates
- eFiling is mandatory for the following case types: Civil Limited, Civil Unlimited, Civil Complex, Unlawful Detainers, Family Law, Probate, and Small Claims. All case types are available in One Legal.
- eDelivery is no longer available.
- Filers must complete a one-time process to connect their One Legal account to FSX. Learn how>>
- Saved drafts created before June 3rd will no longer be available in your One Legal account after June 3rd.
Services
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eFiling Maximum file size: 120 MB per document/120 MB total |
Civil Limited (Mandatory) Civil Unlimited (Mandatory) Civil Complex (Mandatory) Family Law (Mandatory) Probate (Mandatory) |
| 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 |
Documents exempt from eFiling Unlawful detainers (case initiating filings only—subsequent filings will be eFiled) Small Claims |
|
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) Physical Filing Deadline: Before 12:00 p.m. (For delivery same court day) Courtesy Copy Delivery Deadline: Before 12:00 p.m. (For delivery same court day) |
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>>
eFile Unit contact information
| Department | Contact |
|---|---|
| General Civil Cases | sfefiling@sftc.org |
| Defaults | (415) 551-5921 or (415) 551-5969 |
| United Family Court | UFCEfiling@sftc.org |
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 | |
|---|---|---|
| Estate Matters | Must be electronically filed (eFiled) | |
| Trust Matters | Must be electronically filed (eFiled) | |
| Conservatorships | Must be physically filed | |
| Guardianships | Must be physically filed | |
Which documents are exempt from eFiling?
-
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
-
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>>
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).
How do I post Jury Fees?
A firm must submit a document to the court for the collection of Advanced Jury Fees. The case name, case number, name of the party who is posting the fees and the amount should be indicated on the document you are submitting. The firm should use the Document Type “Jury Deposit for Advanced Fees.” The court will not file the document, but will accept the document as “fee paid.”
How should Proposed Orders be submitted?
Proposed orders
Proposed orders, prepared in pleading format, must be submitted as a standalone document with its own caption page in compliance with CRC§2.100 – 2.111, unless the proposed order is incorporated into a Judicial Council form. All proposed orders submitted for e-filing will be “Lodged”. The document will not appear on the Court’s website as filed until it has been signed by the Judge.
Proposed stipulation and orders
If the proposed stipulation and order are prepared in pleading format or if submitted on a Judicial Council form, a fee of $20 will be collected for the document if all parties that signed the document have already paid their first appearance/first paper fee. If not, the first appearance/first paper fee of $435 will be assessed as to each party that has not already paid this fee. The proposed stipulation and order will not receive a file stamp and will not be posted to the court’s public website until it has been signed by the Judge.
Courtesy copies of proposed orders and original stipulation and proposed orders must be delivered to the appropriate department. Pursuant to Local Rule 2.7(B), filers are required to send a courtesy copy in paper to the judge of any document that requires court review, action or signature. These courtesy copies should be sent directly to the judge's department and are due no later than 1:30 p.m. the next business day after the documents are e-filed (except for ex parte documents). Courtesy copies should be delivered via messenger to ensure timely delivery. Seamlessly add Courtesy Copy Delivery at the time of filing in your One Legal account.
Please note: The party submitting the document is responsible for paying the first appearance fees for those parties that have not yet paid. If the submitting party is not willing to pay this fee on behalf of the other party/parties who are appearing for the first time, the document should not be submitted until all signing parties have paid their first appearance/first paper fee.