Effective December 1, 2015, the San Diego Superior Court’s Central Division Civil Business Office will begin accepting new Complaints, Summons, and Case Initiating Petitions at its counters.
On November 19, 2012, the San Diego Superior Court instituted limitations on the types of documents it would accept at the Central Division Civil Business Office filing counter due to ongoing budget reductions. The Court is now revising some of those limitations.
Effective December 1, 2015, the ONLY documents that will be accepted for over-the-counter filing at the Central Division Civil Business Office filing windows are the following:
• Temporary Restraining Orders (Civil Harassment, Elder Abuse, Workplace Violence) and related filings
• Claim of Right to Possession or Third Party Claim
• Ex Parte papers (for Dept. 7 only)
• Answers/Responses to Unlawful Detainer
• Writs of Election
• Any document submitted with a Peremptory Challenge
• Any new Complaint, Summons, or Case Initiating Petition
There will be a maximum of three (3) transactions processed by the clerk for each customer. If wishing to process more than three (3) separate transactions, the filer must wait in line until the next available clerk is free for processing.
ANY other document not listed above MUST be time-stamped and dropped in the provided drop box; they will NOT be accepted for filing at the counter. The Court has provided date/time stamping machines and a drop box adjacent to the Civil Business Office, Room 225 at the Hall of Justice, 330 West Broadway, San Diego, CA 92101. Documents continue to be accepted via mail. Documents submitted via mail and those dropped in the drop box will be processed with the same priority.
The Central Division Civil Business Office filing counter hours remain Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and Friday 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The drop box is available after these hours, until the Hall of Justice closes at the end of the day. Any document submitted that is complete/correct and adheres to all applicable codes relevant to the filing and is dropped before 5:00 p.m. will be deemed filed on the same date. Any document submitted that is complete/correct and adheres to all applicable codes relevant to the filing and is dropped after 5:00 p.m. will be deemed filed effective the next court business day. Processing times will vary according to the court’s prioritization of document types and backlogs.
Documents that are submitted via the drop box:
• Must be stamped with the date/time on the top right corner of the first page of each original document;
• Must include a signed original, the required number of copies (if you wish to have an endorsed copy returned to you), and a method to return your copies;
• Must include the appropriate fees or a Fee Waiver Application.
Documents that are submitted via mail:
• Must include a signed original, the required number of copies, and a self-addressed stamped envelope large enough and with sufficient postage to return endorsed copies;
• Must include appropriate fees or a Fee Waiver Application;
Copies submitted by mail will be endorsed and returned immediately after processing, if a method to return documents was included. (Note: Documents submitted on the same day may not be returned at the same time).
Categorized in: Legal Procedure
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