This chapter shall be known and may be cited as “The Small Claims Act.”
§ 116.110.Citation of chapter
Title 1. Organization and Jurisdiction · Chapter 5.5. Small Claims Court · Article 1. General Provisions · Enacted 1990 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 116.110 gives Chapter 5.5 of the Code of Civil Procedure its official short name, “The Small Claims Act,” so the whole small claims scheme can be cited by that name instead of a string of section numbers.
Full Text of § 116.110
Plain-English Summary
Section 116.110 does one small job: it names the chapter. From here through § 116.920, every rule about who can sue in small claims court, how much they can ask for, how a case gets served and heard, and how a judgment gets collected falls under the title “The Small Claims Act.”
A citation rule like this is not just a formality. Courts, clerks, and self-help materials all refer back to “the Small Claims Act” as shorthand for this entire body of law, so knowing the chapter has an official name helps a person tracking down the rules that govern their case.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is “The Small Claims Act” in California?
It is the official short name for Chapter 5.5 of the Code of Civil Procedure (§§ 116.110–116.920), the chapter that sets up California’s small claims courts and governs how small claims cases are filed, heard, and enforced.
Does § 116.110 itself set any rules for small claims cases?
No. It only assigns the chapter’s citation name. The substantive rules — jurisdiction, filing, service, hearings, judgments, and appeals — appear in the sections that follow.
Amendment History
Added Stats 1990 ch 1305 § 3 (SB 2627).
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
the Deering's California Codes Annotated / vLex. Enacted by the California Legislature.
Last verified July 28, 2026.
· Official source
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