How to Serve the County of Los Angeles

Why the Board of Supervisors

Code of Civil Procedure section 416.50 says a summons is served on a public entity by delivering the summons and complaint "to the clerk, secretary, president, presiding officer, or other head of its governing body," and it names a county expressly. The County's governing body is the Board of Supervisors, and its Executive Officer is the Clerk of the Board. The County's Customer Service Center page says summons and complaints against the County or a County department are accepted by designated staff in Room 383 of the Hall of Administration.

The County does not publish counter hours for service of process, so we call the Executive Office before every delivery rather than rely on a posted window. Subpoenas are taken there only for records the Board of Supervisors itself keeps. A County employee sued in their own name is served personally, like any other person.

The claim comes first

Most lawsuits for money damages against the County cannot be filed until a written government claim has been presented and acted on or deemed rejected (Government Code section 945.4). A claim for death or injury to a person or personal property is due within six months of the event; any other claim within one year (section 911.2). The County's claims page says a signed claim is presented by mailing or delivering it to the Executive Officer-Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, by the claimant or the claimant's authorized agent, in person or by US mail; there is no online or fax option.

For attorneys and law firms, we hand-deliver a completed, signed claim to Room 383 for the same $79 and send back the County's date-stamped copy. We deliver the claim exactly as you give it to us.

What Angel City Legal does

Send the papers through the intake form and pay $79, and we deliver them to Room 383 within two business days. You get the name and title of the person who accepted, the date and time, a GPS- and time-stamped photo of the delivery, and a signed proof of service as a PDF. Add $35 at checkout and we e-file that proof with your California court in your name. Serving the City of Los Angeles, LAUSD or Metro in the same case? Each agency is $79; see all downtown government serves and serving the City of Los Angeles.

Questions people ask about serving the County

Where do I serve a lawsuit against the County of Los Angeles?

At the Executive Office of the Board of Supervisors, Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration, 500 W. Temple Street, Room 383, downtown Los Angeles. The County's own Customer Service Center page says summons and complaints against the County or a County department are accepted there by designated staff. Angel City Legal makes the delivery for $79 and returns a signed proof of service.

How do I serve a County department like the Sheriff's Department or DCFS?

A summons against a County department is accepted at the same Room 383 counter, per the County's published service-of-process page. A County employee sued as an individual is served personally, like any other person.

Can I serve a subpoena on LA County at Room 383?

Only for records maintained by the Board of Supervisors itself; the County's published page says subpoenas are accepted at Room 383 for Board records only.

How do I file a claim against Los Angeles County?

A claim is presented by mailing or delivering it to the Executive Officer-Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, 500 W. Temple Street, Room 383, by the claimant or the claimant's authorized agent; the County takes claims in person or by US mail only. Claims for death, injury to a person or personal property are due within six months of the event; other claims within one year (Government Code section 911.2), and no damages suit may be filed until the claim has been acted on or deemed rejected (section 945.4). Angel City Legal hand-delivers completed claims for attorneys and law firms and returns a date-stamped copy.

How much does it cost to have LA County served?

Angel City Legal charges $79 flat for a delivery at Room 383, made within two business days of having the papers, with a GPS- and time-stamped photo and a signed proof of service. Add $35 and we e-file the proof with your California court for you.

Angel City Legal is an independent registered process server (Los Angeles County #2026063663), not a law firm and not affiliated with the County of Los Angeles. Office locations are from the Board of Supervisors' published pages as read on October 9, 2026, and can change. This page is general information about service procedure, not legal advice about your case, your deadlines or what to file.