How to Fill Out California's SC-100 Small Claims Form (Section by Section)

If you're staring at the SC-100 and feeling like you're about to do something irreversible, you're in the right place. This is the part of small claims where most California plaintiffs freeze, second-guess, and put the form away for a week. There's no need. The SC-100 is one page front and back, and once you know what each box is asking for, it takes about 20 minutes to fill out.

Below is the section-by-section walkthrough. We'll go in order and name the traps. If you want the form open while you read, the current version is on the California Courts site: SC-100 Plaintiff's Claim and Order to Go to Small Claims Court.

What the SC-100 is

SC-100 is the official Judicial Council form that starts your case. When you walk into the clerk's office (or e-file in counties that allow it) and say "I want to file a small claims case," this is the form they hand you. It tells the court three things: who you are, who you're suing, and what you're suing for. Filing it is what triggers the court to schedule your hearing and issue the official order that you'll later serve on the defendant.

The form has eight numbered sections, plus a signature line and a fee waiver checkbox. We'll go through each one.

Before you start, gather these

• The defendant's full legal name. Not the business's marketing name. The legal name as registered with the California Secretary of State for a business, or the person's full legal name for an individual.
• The defendant's physical address (P.O. boxes don't work for serving them later, so find a street address).
• The exact dollar amount you're claiming. Round to the nearest dollar, and stay within California's limits: $12,500 for individuals, $6,250 for businesses or anyone suing more than twice in a calendar year.
• A one-sentence summary of why you're suing. Save the long story for court; this section is short.
• The date the dispute happened or the contract was broken.
• The county where the dispute happened, or where the defendant lives or does business.

Section 1: The plaintiff (that's you)

Box 1 is your information. The trap most plaintiffs miss is suing on behalf of a business they own, where the business is the plaintiff, not you personally, and the formatting matters to the clerk. If your case is a straightforward individual against a defendant, this section is short. The Core kit walks through the right format for each scenario (individual, business owner, joint plaintiffs).

Section 2: The defendant (who you're suing)

This is the section that bounces the most cases. Get the defendant's name wrong and the judge can dismiss the case on a technicality even if you win on the merits. The legal name matters: a business's marketing name is rarely its registered legal name, and a sole proprietor usually has to be named as both the person AND the doing-business-as line. The Core kit walks through the exact format for each defendant type (individual, business, LLC, sole proprietor with a fictitious business name) and the public records to check before you write the name on the form. Get this wrong and your case can be dismissed; get it right and the rest of the form is easy.

Section 3: How much you're suing for

Two parts. First, the dollar amount. Round to the nearest dollar. Stay under California's limits: $12,500 if you're an individual, $6,250 if you're a business or you've already filed more than two small claims cases in California this calendar year. If your damages are higher than the limit, you can still file in small claims, but you give up the difference. You can't sue twice for the same dispute.

Second, a brief description of why you're suing. The form gives you about three lines, and the court doesn't want a novel. State the facts. Don't argue them yet. The judge reads this to know what your case is about; you'll tell the full story at the hearing. The Core kit includes the exact wording templates for the most common case types (security deposit, contractor breach, unpaid wages, fender bender, unpaid loan, vendor refund, retail dispute, lease violation) so the three lines on the form line up with what the judge wants to see.

Section 4: When did this happen?

Two dates. The form asks for when the dispute began and when the defendant broke the deal. Both are usually short calendar dates, not narrative answers. The Core kit's Section 4 walkthrough covers the trickier scenarios (ongoing breach, multiple missed payments, accidents with delayed discovery) where the right date isn't obvious. Keep in mind the second date starts your statute of limitations clock, so be honest about it. Most small claims cases need to be filed within 4 years for a written contract, 2 years for an oral contract, or 2 years for property damage.

Section 5: Did you ask the defendant to pay before you filed?

This is a yes/no box, and the form requires you to check yes. California Code of Civil Procedure 116.330 requires plaintiffs to ask the defendant to pay before filing. If you've already sent a demand letter, a text, or an email asking for the money, check yes and add the date. If you genuinely haven't asked yet, do that before you file. The Core kit's demand letter templates handle the wording so it satisfies this requirement and reads well if a judge ever sees it.

Section 6: Where to file (the right courthouse matters)

California has rules about which courthouse can hear your case (the "venue"). File in the wrong one and the court can transfer or dismiss your case. The form asks you to check the boxes that apply to your situation. The valid options are:

• The county where the defendant lives or has their main office.
• The county where the dispute happened (where the contract was signed, the accident happened, the work was done).
• The county where the contract was signed, if it was a contract.
• For vehicle accidents: the county where the accident happened.
• For retail installment contracts and rentals: the county where the buyer signed or lives, or where the property is.

If more than one applies, you can pick whichever county is most convenient for you. Once you've picked a county, find the right courthouse on the California Courts find-my-court tool.

Section 7: Have you filed more than 12 small claims cases in California in the last year?

Almost everyone checks no. If you check yes, your case has higher filing fees and a few extra procedural rules. This question exists to catch high-volume filers like collection agencies. If you're suing about a personal or business dispute and you've never filed (or you filed one or two before), check no.

Section 8: Sign and date

Sign your name (or print and sign, if the form is printed). The date is the date you sign, not the date you file (those can be different by a few days if you mail it in).

The fee waiver (FW-001), if you need it

Filing fees in California small claims range from $30 to $75 depending on the claim amount. If those fees are a real problem for you, fill out the FW-001 Request to Waive Court Fees and submit it with your SC-100. You qualify if you're on public benefits (SNAP, Medi-Cal, SSI, CalWORKs, GA, IHSS, and others), or if your household income falls below the cutoff posted at courts.ca.gov. The waiver is decided in days, and if approved, you owe the court nothing to file.

Five mistakes that send plaintiffs back to fix the form

1. Wrong defendant name. Suing "Acme Plumbing" when the legal name is "Acme Plumbing and Heating Services, Inc." A judge can dismiss the case entirely or refuse to enter judgment against the right party.
2. P.O. box only. You need a physical address to serve the defendant. If you only have a P.O. box, your case can move forward, but you'll struggle to serve them later, which means no judgment.
3. Wrong county. Filing in the county where you live, when the dispute happened somewhere else and the defendant lives somewhere else. Use the venue rules above.
4. Asking for more than the limit. Filing for $14,000 in individual small claims gets your case bounced because it's over the $12,500 cap. Either reduce your claim or file in civil court.
5. Skipping the pre-filing demand. California requires you to ask for the money before you sue. A judge can dismiss your case if you can't show evidence that you did. Send a text or email at minimum before you file.

What happens after you file

Once you submit your SC-100 and pay the fee (or get your FW-001 approved), the clerk gives you back a stamped copy with your hearing date written on it. That stamped copy is your most important document. It's the version you'll serve on the defendant using SC-104 (proof of service) or SC-105 (personal service), and it's the version you bring with you to court.

From filing to hearing is usually 30 to 70 days, depending on the county and how busy the court is. You have to serve the defendant at least 15 days before the hearing (30 days if they live outside the county). Use that time to build your evidence binder.

Where to go from here

The SC-100 is one step. The full path is: send a demand letter, file the SC-100, serve the defendant, build evidence, walk into court with a script, and (if you win and they don't pay) start the collection process. The ClaimKit Help Core kit ($99) walks you through every step with editable templates, the demand letter, the SC-100 walkthrough, serving instructions, an evidence prep workbook, and a word-for-word court day script. If you suspect the defendant won't pay even after you win, the Complete kit ($179) adds the post-judgment collection set (wage garnishment, bank levy, property lien).

ClaimKit Help is an educational guide, not legal advice. We are not a law firm, and using these documents does not create an attorney-client relationship. The SC-100, FW-001, SC-104, and SC-105 references in this guide point to the official California Judicial Council forms.

Source: California Courts Self-Help: Small Claims