Fill out California form SC-100 yourself (free)

About you

Item 1 on page 2. You are the plaintiff: the person (or business) that is suing.

Help with this step

Use your full legal name. If you sue for a business, use the business's legal name. The court and the other side will use this address to send you papers. Read the court's guide: How to fill out form SC-100.

Your full name (required)

Phone

Street address (required)

City (required)

State (required)

Zip (required)

My mailing address is different

Email (if you have one)

There is a second plaintiff

Check any box that is true (item 1)

There are more than two plaintiffs (attach form SC-100A).

Form SC-100A is not made by this tool. Fill it out and attach it.

A plaintiff does business under a fictitious name (attach form SC-103).

Attach form SC-103.

A plaintiff is a “licensee” or “deferred deposit originator” (payday lender) under Financial Code sections 23000 et seq.

Who you are suing

Item 2 on page 2. The defendant is the person, business, or public entity you are suing.

Help with this step

Use the defendant's exact legal name. A wrong name can make it hard to collect later. Court guides: How to name the defendant · Find a business's agent for service.

Defendant's full name (required)

Phone (if known)

Street address (required)

City (required)

State (required)

Zip (required)

Their mailing address is different The defendant is a corporation, LLC, or public entity (add the agent for service)

Check any box that is true (item 2)

My case is against more than one defendant (attach form SC-100A).

List the other defendants on form SC-100A and attach it.

A defendant is on active military duty.

The official form has no typing box for this name. After you print, write the defendant’s name by hand after “write defendant’s name here:” on page 2.

How much and why

Item 3 on pages 2 and 3. Say how much money you are asking for, why the defendant owes it, and how you got that number.

Help with this step

Use your own words. Write facts: what happened, when, and what you lost. Do not include court costs or fees for service in the amount. Small claims court hears claims up to $12,500 for people and up to $6,250 for businesses (see page 5 of the form). Court guide: How much can I ask for?

The defendant owes me $ (required)

Numbers only, for example 1,850.00. The $ sign is already on the form.

a. Why does the defendant owe you money? (required)

c. How did you calculate the money owed to you? (Do not include court costs or fees for service.) (required)

I need more space. I will attach one sheet of paper or form MC-031 and write “SC-100, Item 3” at the top.

This tool does not make the extra page. Use form MC-031 or a plain sheet.

When it happened

Item 3b on page 3. Give one date, or a time period if there is no single date.

Help with this step

Type dates as MM/DD/YYYY, for example 03/15/2026. Fill in the date, or the two period dates, or all three if that is what happened.

b. When did this happen? (Date)

If no specific date, give the time period

Date started

Through

Asking to be paid

Item 4 on page 3. The form says you must ask the defendant to pay you (in person, in writing, or by phone) before you sue.

Help with this step

If your claim is for getting property back, the form says you must ask for the property. Court guide: Fill out your forms. Small Claims Map also has a free demand-letter tool on each state page.

Have you asked the defendant to pay you (or to give you the property)? (required)

YesNo

Which court

Page 1 (court name and address) and items 5 and 6 on page 3. You choose the reason you are filing at this courthouse.

Help with this step

Each county has its own Superior Court. Read the reasons on the form and pick the one that applies to you. Court guides: Where to file your small claims case · Find my court.

Superior Court of California, County of … (type the county name, then the court’s street address) (required)

The words “Superior Court of California, County of” are already printed above this box.

5. Why are you filing your claim at this courthouse? This courthouse covers the area (check the one that applies): (required)

a. (1) Where the defendant lives or does business. (2) Where the plaintiff’s property was damaged. (3) Where the plaintiff was injured. (4) Where a contract (written or spoken) was made, signed, performed, or broken by the defendant or where the defendant lived or did business when the defendant made the contract.b. Where the buyer or lessee signed the contract, lives now, or lived when the contract was made, if this claim is about an offer or contract for personal, family, or household goods, services, or loans. (Code Civ. Proc., § 395(b).)c. Where the buyer signed the contract, lives now, or lived when the contract was made, if this claim is about a retail installment contract (like a credit card). (Civ. Code, § 1812.10.)d. Where the buyer signed the contract, lives now, or lived when the contract was made, or where the vehicle is permanently garaged, if this claim is about a vehicle finance sale. (Civ. Code, § 2984.4.)e. Other (specify)

6. Zip code of the place you checked in item 5 (if you know)

A few more questions

Items 7, 8, 9 and 10 on pages 3 and 4. Answer each one Yes or No.

Help with this step

Suing a city, county, state agency, or other public entity has extra steps: file a written claim with the entity first. For a fee dispute with a lawyer, see arbitration before suing a lawyer.

7. Is your claim about an attorney-client fee dispute? (required)

YesNo

8. Are you suing a public entity? (required)

YesNo

9. Have you filed more than 12 other small claims within the last 12 months in California? (required)

YesNo

If yes, the filing fee for this case will be higher ($100).

10. Is your claim for more than $2,500? (required)

YesNo

If you answer yes, you also confirm that you have not filed, and you understand that you may not file, more than two small claims cases for more than $2,500 in California during this calendar year.

Names, dates and fees

The name lines at the top of pages 2–4 and the signature area on page 4. You will sign by hand after you print.

Help with this step

Filing fee: $30 (claims up to $1,500), $50 (over $1,500 up to $5,000), $75 (over $5,000 up to $12,500), or $100 if you filed more than 12 small claims in the last 12 months. If you can’t pay, ask the court to waive fees with form FW-001 (how fee waivers work).

Plaintiff (list names) — printed at the top of pages 2, 3 and 4 (required)

Case Name (optional)

Often written as: your name v. the defendant’s name. You may leave it blank. The clerk fills in the case number.

11. I understand that by filing a claim in small claims court, I have no right to appeal this claim.

The form says: “I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California that the information above and on any attachments to this form is true and correct.” Check that everything is true before you sign.

Your name, as it goes under your signature (required)

Date (optional: or write it by hand when you sign)

Check and download

Check every line. This is exactly what will be printed on the form. To change something, go back to that step.

The PDF is made in your browser. Nothing is sent to the court.

Claim up to $1,500	$30
Over $1,500 up to $5,000	$50
Over $5,000 up to $12,500	$75
You filed more than 12 small claims in the last 12 months	$100

Fill out form SC‑100 yourself

About you

Check any box that is true (item 1)

Who you are suing

Check any box that is true (item 2)

How much and why

When it happened

If no specific date, give the time period

Asking to be paid

Which court

A few more questions

Names, dates and fees

11. I understand that by filing a claim in small claims court, I have no right to appeal this claim.

Check and download

Your SC-100 is ready. What to do next

Filing fee (California)