Process service and court filing in San Diego County, California
8 San Diego County courthouses
- E-filing required
- Mandatory for attorneys (all filings by attorneys for represented parties in limited/unlimited civil and all probate case types, effective April 15, 2021; self-represented litigants exempt; family law e-filing available)
- E-filing system
- Multiple court-approved EFSPs submitting to the court's Odyssey/eFileCA-model e-filing system (Tyler eFileCA, One Legal, and others on the court's published EFSP list)
- E-filing portal
- Court e-filing page
- New civil complaint fee
- $435 (unlimited civil, over $35,000); limited civil: $370 (over $10,000 up to $35,000) or $225 ($10,000 or less)
- Small claims fee
- $30 (claim $1,500 or less), $50 (over $1,500 to $5,000), $75 (over $5,000 to $12,500); $100 flat for frequent filers (>12 claims/year)
- Family law petition fee
- $435 (petition for dissolution of marriage, per SDSC ADM-001 fee schedule effective 7/1/2025)
- Fee schedule
- Court fee schedule
- Case lookup
- Court case search
Court information from 1Court, our partner company, verified July 26, 2026. San Diego County court information on 1Court
What we do and how fast
Nationwide Legal supports the San Diego County legal community from our downtown office at 101 W Broadway, blocks from the Hall of Justice. We handle process serving, court filing, e-filing, court reporting, and litigation support throughout San Diego County, the Hall of Justice, the Family Law courthouse, and every regional center from Vista in the north to Chula Vista in the south, plus the Southern District federal court and Southern Bankruptcy Court. Same-day service across the county.
Pricing: quoted per order. Request a quote or see the San Diego County court fees on our fee schedule.
101 West Broadway, Suite 550
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 232-7500 · sdcourt@nationwidelegal.com
How to start an order
Ready to send an order in San Diego County?
Common questions
Is e-filing required in San Diego County?
1Court lists e-filing in San Diego County as: Mandatory for attorneys (all filings by attorneys for represented parties in limited/unlimited civil and all probate case types, effective April 15, 2021; self-represented litigants exempt; family law e-filing available). We file electronically or at the counter, whichever the court requires.
Which San Diego County courthouses hear civil cases?
Hall of Justice, Central Courthouse, North County Regional Center, East County Regional Center, South County Regional Center. We file and serve for cases at each of them.
What is the filing fee for a new civil complaint in San Diego County?
$435 (unlimited civil, over $35,000); limited civil: $370 (over $10,000 up to $35,000) or $225 ($10,000 or less), per 1Court. The court's fee is separate from our service charge.
How fast can you serve papers in San Diego County?
Same-day service attempts are available on rush orders. Standard orders complete in 1 to 3 business days, with a proof of service or non-service affidavit on every order.
How is San Diego County service priced?
We quote each order. Request a quote with the documents and addresses and we reply with the price.