Child Custody and Visitation in Siskiyou County, California

Custody cases in Siskiyou County are filed and heard at the Siskiyou County Superior Courthouse, 411 Fourth Street, in Yreka, the county seat. The court is the Superior Court of California, County of Siskiyou. Siskiyou is a large, mountainous county along the Interstate 5 corridor to Mount Shasta and Weed. Published court information points to one courthouse in Yreka, so check travel distance and any satellite scheduling options before you go.

A custody request is usually part of a divorce or legal separation. For parents who were never married, it is part of a parentage case. After the case is open, either parent can ask for custody and visitation orders using Form FL-300, Request for Order, with the FL-311 attachment. Family Code section 3011 requires the judge to use the best interest of the child. The judge considers issues such as each parent's ability to provide a stable, safe home, with no preference based on either parent's gender.

Siskiyou County is a recommending county under Family Code section 3170's mediation requirement. Local Rule 8.05 creates a Child Custody Recommending Counselor process. The counselor conducts child custody recommending counseling to help develop recommendations for the court. If counseling does not lead to an agreement, the counselor can do a limited evaluation and file a written report with an optional recommendation. The court may adopt that recommendation directly as its order.

Siskiyou County accepts e-filing through approved Electronic Filing Service Providers. Self-represented parties may also file custody paperwork on paper.

Where custody cases are heard in Siskiyou County

Custody and visitation matters in Siskiyou County are handled by the Superior Court of California, County of Siskiyou, with the county seat in Yreka. Because courthouse locations, hours, and local Family Court Services or Child Custody Recommending Counseling programs change over time and can differ between branches, use the official California Courts court finder to confirm the current details for your case:

Find the Siskiyou County Superior Court (official California Courts finder)

How custody is decided in California

California uses the same statewide rules in every county, including Siskiyou County. Custody has two parts: legal custody (who makes major decisions about health, education, and welfare) and physical custody (where the child lives). Either can be joint (shared) or sole (one parent). Judges decide custody based on the best interest of the child, and California law does not favor a parent based on gender.

You can ask for custody orders inside a divorce or legal separation case, or, if the parents were never married, by first establishing parentage. The core steps are:

1. Open or use an existing case: a divorce (Form FL-100), a legal separation, or a parentage case (Form FL-200) for unmarried parents.
2. File a Request for Order (Form FL-300) with the custody and visitation attachment (Form FL-311) to ask the court for orders.
3. Serve the other parent and file a proof of service.
4. Attend the mandatory child custody mediation (Family Court Services), which California requires before a contested custody hearing.
5. Attend the hearing if you have not agreed, and receive the court's order (Form FL-341 series, Findings and Order After Hearing on Form FL-340).

There is no six-month waiting period for custody the way there is for a divorce to become final. Parents can also agree on a parenting plan and submit it as a stipulation for the judge to sign, which avoids a contested hearing entirely. If you and the other parent agree, that is almost always the faster and less costly path in Siskiyou County.

Local notes for Siskiyou County

Because communities such as Yreka, Mount Shasta, and Weed are spread out, confirm which courthouse and mediation appointment schedule applies to your Siskiyou County custody case before you file. The court's published information centers on the Yreka location.

Siskiyou is a recommending mediation county, so prepare for the Child Custody Recommending Counseling process. If it does not settle your dispute, the counselor's report and optional recommendation can become the direct basis for the court's order. Contact the court at (530) 842-0411 to schedule mediation once your case is underway.

The Self-Help Center and Family Law Facilitator, Matthew Kane, are available weekdays, 8:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., by phone or email. If domestic violence is part of your case, a DV restraining order (Forms DV-100 and DV-110) can include temporary custody terms while your case is pending. Call 911 in an emergency. The National Domestic Violence Hotline, 1-800-799-7233, is available 24 hours a day.

Official custody resources in Siskiyou County

Siskiyou County Superior Courthouse handles custody filings, located at 411 Fourth Street, Yreka 96097. Phone: (530) 842-0411.

The filing fee is $60. E-filing is available. Siskiyou County accepts e-filing through approved Electronic Filing Service Providers. E-filing is optional for self-represented parties, who may also file on paper.

Siskiyou County Self-Help Center (https://siskiyou.courts.ca.gov/self-help/) can help with procedure and paperwork. Located at 411 Fourth Street, Yreka. Open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., walk-ins accepted. Call (530) 842-0411 and ask for the Self-Help Center or Family Law Facilitator Matthew Kane, or email facilitator@siskiyou.courts.ca.gov. Local Rule 8.05, Procedures and Policies for Resolution of Custody and Visitation Issues (Siskiyou County Superior Court Local Rules of Court, effective July 1, 2026) applies; see https://siskiyou.courts.ca.gov/system/files/local-rules/2026-final-local-rules-court.pdf.

• Siskiyou County Family Law
• Siskiyou County Self-Help
• Siskiyou County Local Rules of Court

Local details reviewed August 2026. Offices and locations can change, so confirm with the official sites above before you file.

Siskiyou County Child Custody FAQs