Are you suing a business? You will have to be careful how you name your defendant. Follow the information below to make sure you successfully name your defendant.
Naming a Business as a Defendant
Before suing a business in Small Claims Court, make sure to name it properly.
Usually it is proper to name the business as listed on the business license. You should consider naming the business on Paragraph 2 of the Claim form similar to the samples below:
2. Jim Jones, or
2. Jim Jones individually and d.b.a. Quick Clean Pools, or
2. Jim Jones individually and as a partner, Jones and Smith, partnership, or
2. Quality Investments, Inc., or
2. Quality Investments, Inc. d.b.a. Quality Mortgages.
Most cities require a business license. You should consider calling the business license division of City Hall in the city where the business is located. You may also want to look on the City’s website (see below) to see if they have a business look-up option on the web.
City Directory
Search by entering city name or area code in the boxes below or sort by column
| City | Phone Number |
|---|---|
| Aliso Viejo | (949) 425-2505 |
| Anaheim | (714) 765-5194 |
| Brea | (714) 834-2889 |
| Buena Park | (714) 562-3538 |
| Costa Mesa | (714) 754-5225 |
| Cypress | (714) 229-6700 |
| Dana Point | (949) 248-3500 |
| Fountain Valley | (714) 593-4400 |
| Fullerton | (714) 738-6884 |
| Garden Grove | (714) 751-5000 |
| Huntington Beach | (714) 536-5227 |
| Irvine | (949) 724-6310 |
| La Habra | (562) 905-9701 |
| La Palma | (714) 690-3300 |
| Laguna Beach | (949) 497-3311 |
| Laguna Hills | (949) 707-2600 |
| Laguna Niguel | (949) 362-4300 |
| Laguna Woods | (949) 639-0500 |
| Lake Forest | (949) 461-3420 |
| Los Alamitos | (562) 431-3538 |
| Mission Viejo | (949) 470-3000 |
| Newport Beach | (949) 644-3138 |
| Orange | (714) 744-2270 |
| Placentia | (714) 993-8231 |
| Rancho Santa Margarita | (949) 635-1800 |
| San Clemente | (949) 361-6100 |
| San Juan Capistrano | (949) 443-6304 |
| Santa Ana | (714) 647-5400 |
| Seal Beach | (562) 431-2527 |
| Stanton | (714) 379-9222 |
| Tustin | (714) 573-3025 |
| Villa Park | (714) 998-1500 |
| Westminster | (714) 898-3311 |
| Yorba Linda | (714) 961-7150 |