Claim Against Los Angeles County: Deadline, Form, Where to File and What Happens Next (Updated November 2026)

By Michael Shemtoub, trial attorney, Beverly Law. Updated November 2026.

Who a Los Angeles County claim covers

A claim against the County is the first step before any lawsuit for money against the County of Los Angeles or one of its departments. California law bars a suit until a written claim has been presented and the County has acted on it or the time to act has run out (Gov. Code § 945.4). The County’s own risk management guide says claims “are received by the Executive Office of the Board of Supervisors,” entered into the County’s claims system and sent to the Office of County Counsel (LA County Liability Claims User Guide, 2017). It lists no separate filing office for individual departments.

It does not cover the cities inside the County. Los Angeles County Public Works says its road site is not meant for the City of Los Angeles or “the other 87 cities” (LA County Public Works). Santa Monica, Long Beach, Pasadena and every other incorporated city is its own public entity with its own clerk and its own claim form. A claim against the City of Los Angeles goes to the City Clerk (see our City of Los Angeles claim guide).

Filing with the wrong office can sink the claim. In DiCampli-Mintz v. County of Santa Clara (2012) 55 Cal.4th 983, a claim letter addressed to a county hospital’s risk management department and hand-delivered to a hospital office did not count, because it never reached the clerk, secretary or board the statute names (DiCampli-Mintz; Gov. Code § 915). If you are not sure who owns the place where you were hurt, see which agency do I file with.

Deadline to file a claim against LA County

The County’s claims page states the same deadlines as the statute: six months for death, injury to a person or injury to personal property, and one year for other claims (LA County Board of Supervisors; Gov. Code § 911.2). The clock starts when the claim accrues (Gov. Code § 901). For an injury that is usually, though not always, the day it happened (Shirk v. Vista Unified School Dist. (2007) 42 Cal.4th 201).

How to count six months. Go to the same date six calendar months later. An injury on March 15, 2026 means a claim due by September 15, 2026. If that date does not exist, use the last day of the month: an injury on August 31, 2026 means February 28, 2027. Do not count on a weekend or holiday pushing the date forward; no court decision we found applies that rule to government claims. File weeks early. More detail on our claim deadline page.

Where and how to file a claim against Los Angeles County

The address, from the Board of Supervisors claims page (bos.lacounty.gov):

Executive Officer, Board of Supervisors, Attention: Claims, 500 W. Temple Street, Room 383, Los Angeles, CA 90012

The County says to return the original form, and to use one form per claimant. If three people were hurt in the same crash, that is three claims. Questions go to 213-974-1440 (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) or ExecutiveOffice@bos.lacounty.gov. The County lists no filing fee.

A claim sent by mail counts as presented on the day it is deposited in the mail (Gov. Code § 915.2). We send County claims by certified mail with a return receipt and keep the mailing slip. If you deliver it in person, bring a second copy and ask the office to stamp it received.

The LA County claim form

The Board of Supervisors page links the County’s claim form (bos.lacounty.gov/claims-for-damages). The Sheriff’s Department policy manual calls the form “Claim For Damages To Person Or Property” (SH-AD-672) and says it is available at any Sheriff’s station or on the Sheriff’s website, and that completed forms “must be mailed or delivered to the Executive Officer, Board of Supervisors” (LASD Manual 4-06/025.00). We did not find a Spanish version of the County form.

Whatever form you use, the claim must show (Gov. Code § 910):

• Your name and mailing address, and the address where notices should go.
• The date, place and circumstances of what happened.
• A general description of the injury or damage, as far as known.
• The names of the County employees involved, if you know them.
• The amount claimed. If it is over $10,000, leave the dollar figure out and say whether it would be a limited civil case.

The claim must be signed by you or someone for you (Gov. Code § 910.2). Starting January 1, 2027, the signer must also declare that, upon information and belief, the contents are true and correct (AB 2529, Stats. 2026, ch. 618). The County’s page warns that a false claim is a crime (Penal Code § 72). Form tips: claim form guide.

Documents to send with the claim

The law requires the information above, not attachments, but proof helps the County’s adjuster. Send photos of the place or defect, the report number (and the deputy’s name or car number if the Sheriff was involved), medical records and itemized bills, repair estimates, witness names, and a simple diagram with an X where it happened. Keep a full copy. Full list: documents checklist.

What happens after you file

1. The Board’s Executive Office logs the claim and forwards it to County Counsel (County guide).
2. Up to 20 days for a defect notice. If the County thinks something required is missing, it can send a written notice of insufficiency within 20 days, and then must wait 15 days before acting (Gov. Code § 910.8). If it sends no notice, it generally waives those defects, unless your claim gave no address at all (Gov. Code § 911).
3. 45 days to decide. The County may reject the claim, allow it, allow part of it, or compromise (Gov. Code § 912.6). If it does nothing within 45 days, the claim is treated as rejected on the 45th day (Gov. Code § 912.4). The 45 days can be extended by written agreement.
4. Written notice. A rejection notice must warn you that you have six months from the date it was mailed or delivered to file suit (Gov. Code § 913).

More: what happens after you file.

If the County denies your claim

A denial ends the claim stage and starts the lawsuit clock. After a written rejection, the suit must be filed within six months of the date the notice was mailed or personally delivered (Gov. Code § 945.6). Extra days for mailing do not apply to this deadline (Gov. Code § 915.2(b)). If the County never sent a proper notice, the deadline is two years from accrual.

The complaint must say that a claim was presented, or give a legal excuse; otherwise it can be dismissed at the outset (State of California v. Superior Court (Bodde) (2004) 32 Cal.4th 1234). A suit against the deputy or County employee personally runs on the same deadlines, and is generally barred if the claim against the County was not filed on time (Gov. Code § 950.2; § 950.6). See claim denied: next steps.

Missed the six-month deadline

You can apply to the County for leave to present a late claim, with the proposed claim attached and the reason for the delay, within a reasonable time and never more than one year after accrual (Gov. Code § 911.4). The County has 45 days and must grant it in listed situations, such as excusable neglect without prejudice to the County, a minor claimant, incapacity, or death during the claim period; silence is a denial (§ 911.6). After a denial, you have six months to petition the Superior Court, and 30 days to sue if relief is granted (§ 946.6). If the County gets a late claim and does not return it with a notice within 45 days, it waives the lateness defense (§ 911.3). Minors are protected, but the court deadlines still bind them (J.M. v. Huntington Beach Union High School Dist. (2017) 2 Cal.5th 648). See late claims and claims for minors.

Common claims against Los Angeles County

Sheriff’s Department and County jails. A claim over a deputy’s conduct, a crash with a Sheriff’s car, or an injury in a County jail is a claim against the County, filed with the Board of Supervisors office (LASD Manual). Two rules matter here. If you face criminal charges related to the incident, your time to sue the officer or County is paused while the charges are pending, but the six-month claim deadline is not (Gov. Code § 945.3). And a claim arising from a sexual assault by a law enforcement officer is exempt from the claim requirement (Gov. Code § 945.9). The law on childhood sexual assault claims against public entities changes on January 1, 2027; call us before relying on any deadline in that area.

County roads in unincorporated areas. More than 60% of the County’s land is unincorporated, with about 120 to 125 unincorporated communities and over 1 million residents (LA County). Public Works maintains roads there. Its Find Unincorporated Areas map shows whether an address is outside every city. For potholes and road defects, the County can be liable when a dangerous condition of its property caused the injury and the County created it or had notice in time to fix it (Gov. Code § 835; § 835.2). Minor defects do not count (§ 830). See pothole or dangerous road crash and dangerous condition of public property.

County hospitals. A malpractice claim against a County hospital is a claim against the County and goes to the Board of Supervisors office, not to the hospital. That is the exact mistake that lost the claim in DiCampli-Mintz (DiCampli-Mintz). See suing a county or district hospital.

County vehicles. The County is liable when its employee, driving on the job, negligently causes a crash (Veh. Code § 17001). See city or county vehicle hit me.

How to check the status of a County claim

Call the claims line at 213-974-1440 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., or email ExecutiveOffice@bos.lacounty.gov with your name, the date of the incident and the department involved. Keep your proof of mailing or stamped copy. Mark day 45 on a calendar. If no decision has arrived by then, the claim is treated as rejected and the two-year suit deadline applies unless a written notice comes later. More: claim status.

Related pages

• Claim against the City of Los Angeles
• Which agency do I file with?
• Government claim deadline
• Late claims
• Claim denied
• LAPD claims
• LA Metro bus accident claims
• Caltrans and State claims
• City or county vehicle hit me
• Six months to claim against a city vehicle
• Pothole or dangerous road crash
• Suing a county or district hospital
• Los Angeles accident lawyer

Common questions

Important: This page is general information, not legal or medical advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different; talk to a lawyer about yours. Texas cases are handled by the firm’s Texas-licensed attorneys, Joyce Ondich and John Efstathiou. Last reviewed: November 6, 2026.