The Sheriff’s Department Civil Section works in conjunction with the Civil Courts in Yolo County to provide the following services:

•Writs of Possession of real and personal property

•Writs of Execution and other non-writ processes

•Small Claims

•Summons and Complaints

•Civil Subpoenas

•Restraining Orders

Important things to remember when requesting service:

A letter of instructions which includes the name(s) of the person being served and the address where service is to be attempted must accompany all documents.

The letter of instructions must be signed and dated by the attorney of record or the plaintiff when there is no attorney.

A copy of the document, front and back, is required for all requests for service for each person to be served.

In addition, one copy is required for our file.

For levies and evictions, the original Writ plus 3 (three) copies are required.

One copy is required for each additional defendant.

All documents must be accompanied by the appropriate fee, or a signed, court ordered fee waiver.

A proof of service will be mailed to you after your process has been served or a certificate of non-service will be mailed to you if our office has been unsuccessful in serving your process.

How do I evict a tenant?

You must first obtain a Writ of Possession for the property. You must then bring the following to the Sheriff’s Department Civil Section:

The Original Writ plus three copies,
one extra copy per defendant
A signed Letter of Instructions
The appropriate fee

The Sheriff’s Department will then post the property and call you to set up an eviction date.

For information on how to obtain the Writ, please contact legal aid or an attorney.

How do I get a Restraining Order served?

Restraining orders are commonly issued for the prohibition of domestic violence or civil harassment. Once the Superior Court issues the restraining order, you can have the Sheriff’s Department attempt service for you to an address in Yolo County. To have the restraining order served by the Sheriff’s Department, you will need to bring the following to the Civil Section:

Two copies of the order
Signed Letter of Instructions
Appropriate fee or a copy of the signed court ordered fee waiver.

Once the order is served the original proof of service will be sent to the court and a copy will be sent to you for your records. A certificate of non-service will be mailed to you if our office has been unsuccessful in serving your order.

It is important that you distribute the restraining orders and proof of services to the appropriate law enforcement agencies, as the Sheriff’s Department does not do this task.