Child Custody and Visitation in Yuba County, California

Custody cases in Yuba County are filed through the Superior Court of California, County of Yuba, at the Yuba County Courthouse, 215 Fifth Street, in Marysville, the county seat. This one courthouse handles family law cases for Marysville, Wheatland, and the rest of the county.

A custody request can be part of a divorce, a legal separation, or, for parents who were never married, a parentage case. After the case is open, either parent may ask for custody and visitation orders by filing Form FL-300, Request for Order, with the FL-311 attachment. Under Family Code section 3011, the judge must decide what is in the best interest of the child. The judge weighs factors such as each parent's ability to provide a stable, safe home, without favoring either parent because of gender.

Yuba County is a recommending county under Family Code section 3170's mediation requirement, and it runs its own in-house Child Custody Recommending Counseling program. The court's page says that if parents do not reach an agreement through CCRC, the counselor will make a recommendation to the court. The judge considers that recommendation but does not have to follow it, and parents still have the right to a contested hearing. Family Court Services automatically schedules an orientation session and a CCRC appointment once a custody or visitation case is filed, and parents must complete Form FL-3033 first.

Yuba County has required electronic filing since July 1, 2018, for represented parties. Self-represented parties may choose to e-file through Odyssey eFileCA or file on paper.

Where custody cases are heard in Yuba County

Custody and visitation matters in Yuba County are handled by the Superior Court of California, County of Yuba, with the county seat in Marysville. 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 Yuba County Superior Court (official California Courts finder)

How custody is decided in California

California uses the same statewide rules in every county, including Yuba 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 Yuba County.

Local notes for Yuba County

All Yuba County custody filings and hearings go through the courthouse at 215 Fifth Street, Marysville. Security screening and a courthouse dress code are enforced at entry, so allow time and plan for your court date.

Because Yuba is a recommending mediation county, Family Court Services will automatically schedule your orientation and your CCRC mediation session once a custody dispute is part of your filed case. Complete Form FL-3033 before that appointment. The Self-Help Center holds weekly workshops on Wednesdays, with new dissolution filings in the morning and Request for Order paperwork in the afternoon.

The Family Law Facilitator, on the third floor of the courthouse, is available weekdays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., first-come, first-served. If domestic violence is part of your situation, a DV restraining order, Forms DV-100 and DV-110, can include temporary custody terms, and DV requests are generally reviewed the same day. Call 911 in an emergency. The National Domestic Violence Hotline, 1-800-799-7233, is available 24 hours a day.

Official custody resources in Yuba County

Yuba County Courthouse handles custody filings, located at 215 Fifth Street, Suite 200, Marysville 95901. Phone: (530) 740-1800.

The filing fee is $60. E-filing is available through https://www.yuba.courts.ca.gov/online-services/efiling. Yuba County uses Odyssey eFileCA and has required electronic filing since July 1, 2018 for represented parties; e-filing is optional for self-represented parties, who may also file on paper.

Yuba County Self-Help Center (https://www.yuba.courts.ca.gov/self-help/self-help-center) can help with procedure and paperwork. Located on the third floor, Suite 318, of the courthouse, 215 Fifth Street, Marysville. Open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., walk-ins welcome. Weekly workshops run Wednesdays: New Dissolution at 8:30 a.m. and Request for Order at 1:30 p.m. Call (530) 740-1850. Local Rules of Court, effective January 1, 2024 (Yuba County Superior Court Local Rules) applies; see https://www.yuba.courts.ca.gov/general-information/local-rules-court-superior-court-california-county-yuba.

• Yuba County Family Court Services
• Yuba County Self-Help Center
• Yuba County Local Rules of Court
• Yuba County eFiling

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

Yuba County Child Custody FAQs