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One courthouse handles Chapter 7 cases for two counties. People who live in Riverside County and people who live in San Bernardino County are both assigned to the Riverside Division of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California, at 3420 Twelfth Street in downtown Riverside. If you live in Fontana, Temecula, Ontario, or Palm Springs, that is where your case number will come from. Below you will find how the assignment works, the steps to file, how the trustee meeting is run on video, and what to know if you do have to visit in person.
Riverside Division, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Central District of California — court details
Why San Bernardino filers end up in Riverside
The Central District's court locations are Los Angeles, Riverside, Santa Ana, San Fernando Valley, and Northern. There is no separate San Bernardino bankruptcy courthouse in that list. The court's published area guide says the Riverside Division covers San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, so a debtor in Victorville or Rancho Cucamonga drives to the same building as a debtor in Murrieta.
The local rules require a petition to go to the "applicable division," and that turns on where the debtor lives, where a business has its principal offices, or where most assets are. If someone files in the wrong division, the court may send the case along or keep it. The court's search tool uses the ZIP code of your street address, not a P.O. box. For background on the areas we serve in the region, see our Riverside County page and our San Bernardino County page.
What to line up before the petition goes in
Three things come before the petition itself. First, a credit counseling course from an approved provider, which has to be finished before filing or the case could be dismissed. Second, your paperwork: recent pay records, bank statements, your last tax return, and a complete list of property and debts. Third, a look at whether your income is low enough for Chapter 7, which is what our guide to the means test explains.
The filing fee is $338 under the fee schedule that took effect December 1, 2023. A husband and wife filing together pay one fee. Someone who cannot pay all at once may ask the court to allow up to four installments, with the final one due within 120 days. Under the court's local rule, that request involves a sworn declaration and appearing in person. Households below 150 percent of the federal poverty guidelines may instead ask for a waiver. Neither option replaces the other, and missing an installment can lead to dismissal.
Filing is electronic. An attorney files through the court's CM/ECF system, and the court offers eSR, an online tool for self-represented Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 debtors.
The meeting with your trustee happens on a screen
An April 2024 notice from the U.S. Trustee Program says it would run all Chapter 7, 12, and 13 meetings of creditors by Zoom. For a Riverside Division case, you find your meeting date and trustee in the notice the court mails after filing. The trustee's Zoom Meeting ID, passcode, and phone line are published on the U.S. Trustee Program's local meeting page for this district.
Send the trustee a clear photo ID and proof of your Social Security number ahead of time. The national guidance asks for them at least 14 days before the meeting. Late documents can lead a trustee to continue the meeting, which means waiting for another date. Join from a quiet place with a stable connection, and have your ID in hand since the trustee may ask to see it.
Our article on the 341 meeting of creditors covers what trustees ask and how long the meeting usually lasts. If you are wondering how many weeks the whole case takes, see how long Chapter 7 takes.
Parking and security at 3420 Twelfth Street
The court says there is no public parking at the courthouse. Two paid structures are nearby: the 12th Street Parking Structure, with the first 30 minutes free and then $2 per hour up to $8 a day, and the Riverside County Administrative Center structure, at $2 per hour with an $8 daily maximum. Both are listed as operating Monday through Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Metered street parking is also noted on the court's page. Rates and hours can change, so double-check before you go.
You will pass through a metal detector at the door. The intake office helps people in person by appointment, which you book through the court's online scheduling system. Plan to arrive early so security does not eat into your appointment time.
The U.S. Trustee's Riverside office
The U.S. Trustee Program has its own Riverside office at 3801 University Avenue, Suite 720, with a phone number of (951) 276-6990. It is a separate agency from the court. It monitors the system, supervises the panel trustees, and does not advise individual debtors about their cases. If your Notice of Bankruptcy Case lists a deadline or document request, answer the trustee named in it rather than the U.S. Trustee's office.
The court also says each of its divisions has a self-help desk with access to pro bono legal services. The Law Office of Ron Chini is in Irvine at 2102 Business Center Drive, and clients work directly with Ron, so questions about your own case can go to him directly. Nothing on this page predicts the outcome of any particular case.
Which counties file here
Riverside County and San Bernardino County. The Riverside Division handles Chapter 7 cases for debtors who live in either county. Orange County residents file in the Santa Ana Division, most of Los Angeles County files in the Los Angeles Division (parts in the San Fernando Valley Division), and San Diego County files in the Southern District of California.
Riverside Division FAQ
I live in San Bernardino County. Do I file in San Bernardino?
Are hearings and meetings held at the Riverside courthouse?
What does the court charge to file Chapter 7?
What hours is the clerk's office open?
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Ron has practiced bankruptcy law from his Irvine office since 2009. Clients work directly with him — not a paralegal or a call center.
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