Civil Section
The San Francisco Sheriff's Office Civil Section is a full-service county. We are located at San Francisco City Hall, in Room 456.
The Civil Section serves civil processes in the manner prescribed by law. We are a disinterested third party and are impartial between each party requesting and receiving service.
In order to increase the likelihood of a successful service, we strongly encourage you to submit your documents to our office as soon as possible. All proofs of service will be mailed to the address provided in the instruction form.
The Civil Section does not give any legal advice. The Civil Section does not guarantee service or any requested timeline.
We accept service requests in person, by mail or electronically. Please allow our office 48-72 hours to process your documents upon submittal.
All services must include the appropriate fee for service.
All service requests must be submitted with the required forms for that service. Judicial Council forms can be found at the following link: https://courts.ca.gov/rules-forms/court-forms
Effective January 1, 2026, a printing fee of $1.35 per page will apply to all documents submitted electronically and can be submitted to sfso.civilfiling@sfgov.org. This is in addition to the service fee https://sfsheriff.com/services/civil-processes/civil-process-fee-schedule.
We MUST receive payment within 5 business days or your service documents will NOT be processed. Accepted payment methods are cash, cashier's check or money order only.
Please mail your payment for printing fees to the address listed below and include your case number as reference.
San Francisco Sheriff's Office
Civil Unit, City Hall, Room 456
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 554-7235
To avoid printing fees, mail or drop off your service documents to the above address for processing.
The San Francisco Sheriff's Office Civil Section is a full-service county. We are located at San Francisco City Hall, in Room 456.
The Civil Section serves civil processes in the manner prescribed by law. We are a disinterested third party and are impartial between each party requesting and receiving service.
In order to increase the likelihood of a successful service, we strongly encourage you to submit your documents to our office as soon as possible. All proofs of service will be mailed to the address provided in the instruction form.
The Civil Section does not give any legal advice. The Civil Section does not guarantee service or any requested timeline.
We accept service requests in person, by mail or electronically. Please allow our office 48-72 hours to process your documents upon submittal.
All services must include the appropriate fee for service.
All service requests must be submitted with the required forms for that service. Judicial Council forms can be found at the following link: https://courts.ca.gov/rules-forms/court-forms
Effective January 1, 2026, a printing fee of $1.35 per page will apply to all documents submitted electronically and can be submitted to sfso.civilfiling@sfgov.org. This is in addition to the service fee https://sfsheriff.com/services/civil-processes/civil-process-fee-schedule.
We MUST receive payment within 5 business days or your service documents will NOT be processed. Accepted payment methods are cash, cashier's check or money order only.
Please mail your payment for printing fees to the address listed below and include your case number as reference.
San Francisco Sheriff's Office
Civil Unit, City Hall, Room 456
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 554-7235
To avoid printing fees, mail or drop off your service documents to the above address for processing.
Find our new fee schedule below or by clicking here. The San Francisco Sheriff's Office Civil Section is a full-service county. Many answers to questions about civil processes may be found in the content below. We do not handle civil disputes, civil crimes or give any legal advice. All civil disputes or civil crimes should be directed to the San Francisco Police Department. For assistance with a lawsuit, an eviction, a restraining order, or any legal advice, please contact California Superior court or an attorney.
Pursuant to CCP §262, all requests for service or levy must include a signed letter of instruction to the Sheriff. The San Francisco County Sheriff’s Office Civil Section can only serve documents in accordance with (AB2791 2022/2023) Gov §26666.2 & 26666.10.
Effective 1/1/2024 the public must use the judicial council letter of instruction SER-001 “Request for Sheriff to Serve Court Papers” to request services excluding wage garnishments and other levies.
Effective 1/1/2024 the public must use the judicial council letter of instruction SER-001A “Special Instructions for Writs and Levies-Attachment” to enforce a writ.
These forms are mandated by law. Again, the Sheriff’s Office is not allowed to give any legal advice or help with completion of the form. If you need assistance with completing the form, contact an attorney or the courts self-help.
