CALIFORNIA STATEWIDE

Form SC-100, Plaintiff's Claim and Order to Go to Small Claims Court

Start your California small claims case — no lawyer needed, no legalese.

Form SC-100 is the court form you file to start a small claims lawsuit in California. It tells the court who you are, who you are suing, how much you are claiming, and why you have the right to sue in your county.

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Average time

20–45 minutes to fill out; filing at the courthouse takes an additional 15–30 minutes

Difficulty

moderate

Best for

Anyone in California who is owed up to $12,500 (or $6,250 for a business) and wants to sue without paying for a lawyer.

What this form stands for

Get your small claims case officially started so the court schedules a trial date and the defendant is notified and must respond.

You cannot appeal if you started the case and you lose. The judge's decision is final for the plaintiff. Make sure you have proof — receipts, photos, emails — before filing.

What you'll need

The defendant's full legal name (exactly as it appears on their ID or state business registration)
The defendant's current street address
The date the incident, breach of contract, or damage happened
The dollar amount you are claiming and how you calculated it
A note about when and how you asked the defendant to pay before filing
If suing a government agency: a copy of the agency's denial of your pre-filed claim

How the walkthrough is organized

Court and Case Information

Identify which California Superior Court you are filing in and confirm this is the right county.

Who Is Filing (Plaintiff Information)

Your name, contact information, and address. If there are two of you filing together, add the second plaintiff here.

Who You Are Suing (Defendant Information)

The defendant's exact legal name, address, and contact details. Using the wrong name can make any judgment worthless.

The Claim — What Happened and How Much

Describe what the defendant did, when it happened, and how you calculated the amount you are asking for.

Did You Ask Them to Pay First?

Confirm whether you asked the defendant to pay before filing — this is required by California law.

Why You Are Filing in This County (Venue)

Pick the legal reason this county is the right place to file your case.

Special Situations — Attorney Fees, Government Agencies, and High-Volume Filers

Answer a few extra questions if you are suing about attorney fees, if the defendant is a government agency, or if you have filed many small claims recently.

Sign Under Penalty of Perjury

Type or print your name to declare that everything on the form is true.

Ready to start?

Docgle asks calm, plain-English questions and keeps the official source attached for review.

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