The process of superior courts shall extend throughout the state.
§ 71.Process throughout state
Title 1. Organization and Jurisdiction · Chapter 4. Superior Courts · Enacted 1967 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentence§ 71 provides that the process of the superior courts extends throughout the state, so a California superior court’s process is not confined to its own county.
Full Text of § 71
Plain-English Summary
A lawsuit filed in one county often needs to reach people or evidence elsewhere in California. § 71 makes that possible by giving every superior court’s process statewide reach.
Because process is not boxed in by county lines, a party can be served, and court orders can run, anywhere in California, subject to the specific rules elsewhere in the Code that govern how service and process work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a California superior court’s process reach someone in another county?
Yes — § 71 states that superior court process extends throughout the state, not just within the county where the case is filed.
Does § 71 change how service of process itself works?
No — it establishes only that a superior court’s process is not limited to its own county; the specific rules for how service is accomplished appear elsewhere in the Code.
Amendment History
Added Stats 1967 ch 17 § 8.
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
Also known as: superior court process statewidecourt process extends throughout California