County fee schedule · CA · FIPS 06073
San Diego County, CA court filing fees
All fees on this page verified July 20, 2026. Next scheduled sweep: January.
Civil filings in San Diego County go through mandatory e-filing, and the fee amount is checked before the clerk accepts the envelope. Superior Court civil filing in San Diego County is $435, verified July 20, 2026. Small Claims filing is $50.
Superior Court
Complaint or other first paper, limited civil case (up to $10,000)
Varies in Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Francisco (local courthouse-construction surcharge; see the schedule appendix).
$225eff. January 1, 2026Complaint or other first paper, limited civil case (over $10,000 up to $35,000)
Varies in Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Francisco (local courthouse-construction surcharge; see the schedule appendix).
$370eff. January 1, 2026Complaint or other first paper, unlimited civil case (amount over $35,000)
Varies in Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Francisco (local courthouse-construction surcharge; see the schedule appendix).
$435eff. January 1, 2026Answer or other first paper by a party other than the plaintiff (over $35,000)
Varies in Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Francisco (local courthouse-construction surcharge; see the schedule appendix).
$435eff. January 1, 2026Motion or other paper requiring a hearing
$60eff. January 1, 2026Preparing a copy of a record, proceeding, or paper on file (per page)
$0.50eff. January 1, 2026Certifying a copy of a paper, record, or proceeding on file
$40eff. January 1, 2026Searching records or files, for each search longer than 10 minutes
$15eff. January 1, 2026Advance jury fee (nonrefundable)
$150eff. January 1, 2026
Source: Judicial Council of California, Superior Court of California Statewide Civil Fee Schedule, eff. 2026-01-01, verified July 20, 2026.
Small Claims
Filing a small claims claim for more than $1,500 up to $5,000
$50eff. January 1, 2026Filing a small claims claim for $1,500 or less
$30eff. January 1, 2026Filing a small claims claim for more than $5,000 up to $12,500
$75eff. January 1, 2026Notice of appeal of a small claims case
$75eff. January 1, 2026
Source: Judicial Council of California, Superior Court of California Statewide Civil Fee Schedule, eff. 2026-01-01, verified July 20, 2026.
Filing logistics
- E-filing:
- mandatory for most civil filings
- Small-claims limit:
- $12,500
- Notes
- The small-claims limit shown applies to claims brought by individuals (CCP § 116.221); corporations and other entities are capped at $6,250 (CCP § 116.220).
The fee landscape in San Diego County
Our January sweep re-verifies every source this page draws on, and event monitoring between sweeps catches out-of-cycle changes. Each catch becomes a dated change log entry.
San Diego County is among California's highest-volume civil venues, which makes its schedule one of the most-consulted pages we maintain. The 13 line items above were last verified July 20, 2026.
Filing in San Diego County means the e-filing system checks your fee before a human sees the pleading. The envelope either clears or bounces, and a bounce with a deadline running is the expensive kind.
Common questions
What is the civil filing fee in San Diego County?
Superior Court civil filing in San Diego County is $435, verified July 20, 2026. The full table above lists each fee with its effective date and issuing source.
How does Small Claims filing compare with Superior Court filing in San Diego County?
Small Claims filing is $50 and Superior Court filing is $435, verified July 20, 2026. Filing in the wrong court costs the difference plus the delay of a transfer.
What does service of process cost in San Diego County?
The service fees on file for San Diego County appear in the table above with their sources. Private process servers set their own rates, so compare before you advance the officer fee.
How often do court fees change in San Diego County?
Fee schedules move on legislative and local cycles rather than a fixed calendar. Every fee here carries the date we last verified it, and the change log records each movement we catch.
What happens if a filing arrives with the wrong fee?
Clerks reject it or hold it until the correct amount arrives, and on e-filed cases the rejection resets your place in line. Court fee schedules change, which is why each figure on this page shows its verification date rather than a promise that nothing has moved.
Where do these figures come from?
Each fee section cites its issuing authority and links the source document, and the page header shows the date we last verified against it: July 20, 2026 for this page. The fee the clerk charges controls. If you find a discrepancy, use the report link on the row and we will verify within 2 business days.
Is e-filing required in San Diego County?
E-filing is mandatory for most civil filings in San Diego County. The filing system collects the fee electronically, and an incorrect amount is a named rejection reason.
Working notes for filers
Verify before advancing fees
If you advance filing or service fees for clients, check the figure against this page's verification date of July 20, 2026 and the linked source before cutting the check. A schedule that moved since your rate sheet was printed is the classic rejection.
Rejection-proof the fee line
Incorrect fee amount is a named rejection reason in court e-filing systems. Match the fee to the exact case type and court, include mandatory add-ons, and keep the source document handy so a clerk question gets a same-day answer.
Multi-county practice hygiene
Keep one dated rate sheet per county you serve, not one blended sheet. San Diego County's figures on this page are dated July 20, 2026. When a neighboring county's page shows a different verification date, treat the older one with more suspicion.
Working from a spreadsheet
If your route sheets or billing live in a spreadsheet, carry the verification date and source URL as columns next to each fee. A figure without its date is a liability six months later. The pro plan exports this page's data as CSV with both columns included.
Billing advanced fees back
When you advance a court fee for a client, invoice the exact figure with the court's name and the effective date. Disputes over pass-through costs disappear when the line item cites its schedule.
E-filing provider quirks
E-filing providers compute some fees and pass others through as filer-entered amounts. Filer-entered is where mistakes live. When the envelope asks you to key a fee, key it from a dated source, not from memory.
The maintained database: $39 a month covers every seat
San Diego County County's fees, dated and cited, alongside every other county we cover. Put your counties on the book and we email you the day a fee moves, with the source document linked. $39 a month, unlimited seats, less than one rejected filing. 14-day trial, cancel anytime.
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Fees are compiled from the cited official schedules and carry the date we last verified each source. The fee the clerk charges controls. ClerkFees is not affiliated with any court and does not provide legal advice.