In brief
Family law documents from Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Indio, Coachella and the rest of the desert region are filed at the Larson Justice Center, 46-200 Oasis Street, Indio, CA 92201; Blythe and Ripley residents file at the Blythe courthouse, 265 N. Broadway, except for adoptions, which go to Indio. The Larson Justice Center is open Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and the Blythe courthouse Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
- Larson’s family law departments are 2E and 2F; Department 3S hears family settlement conferences on Mondays4.
- The Palm Springs courthouse has no family law department; Palm Springs zip codes file in Indio14.
- Larson’s clerk’s office is on the first floor, with a Family Law Assistance Center and a Self-Help Center2.
- At Blythe, the court’s assignment sheet lists family law on Fridays, in Department 2604.
- The phone for both courthouses is (760) 393-261723.
This page explains the court’s process. It is not legal advice, and this site is not a law firm.
The detail
The desert region’s family law cases are split between two buildings: the Larson Justice Center in Indio, open five days a week, and the courthouse in Blythe, open three. This page covers both. How the whole court is organized is in the Riverside County family court, explained, and the zip codes for every region are in which Riverside County courthouse takes your family law case.
The short answer
| If you live in… | File family law documents at |
|---|---|
| Palm Springs (92258, 92262, 92263, 92264, 92292) | Larson Justice Center, 46-200 Oasis Street, Indio, CA 922011 |
| Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Thousand Palms | Larson Justice Center1 |
| Indio, Coachella, Thermal, Mecca or Desert Center | Larson Justice Center1 |
| Blythe (92225, 92226, 92280) or Ripley (92225) | Blythe Courthouse, 265 N. Broadway, Blythe, CA 92225; adoptions are filed at the Larson Justice Center instead1 |
The order took effect July 8, 20241. Domestic violence restraining orders, elder abuse restraining orders and appeals can be filed at any court location6.
The Larson Justice Center
| Address | 46-200 Oasis Street, Indio, CA 922012 |
| Phone | (760) 393-26172 |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.2 |
| Clerk’s office phone hours | 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.2 |
| Drop box | Yes; until 4:00 p.m., and documents left after 4:00 p.m. are processed the next court day2 |
| Matters served | Family law, criminal, traffic, juvenile2 |
| Public computers | Yes; the Self-Help Information page lists them in the lobby27 |
| Parking | Public parking near all courthouses in the Indio complex; 22 handicapped spaces in the area2 |
The clerk’s office is on the first floor, and “lowered counters are also located in the Family Law Assistance Center and in the Self-Help Center”2. The page also mentions a lactation room reservation app2. The court’s pages cited here do not give separate hours for the Family Law Assistance Center or the Self-Help Center.
Family law departments
The building has fourteen departments, 1A through 3T, shared by family law, criminal, traffic and juvenile calendars24. On the court’s assignment sheet, updated 9/15/26, the family-related ones are4:
| Department | Calendar on the sheet |
|---|---|
| 2E | Family law |
| 2F | Family law |
| 2J | “Traffic (M, W & Th, F); Domestic Violence (F); Juvenile (F AM) DCSS Child Support (T)” |
| 3S | “Family MSCs (M); Mental Health (W)” |
“MSC” is a mandatory settlement conference; the rule behind it is explained in the mandatory settlement conference article. The sheet lists the other courtrooms for juvenile dependency and delinquency (1A, 1B) and criminal calendars4. It names a judicial officer for each department; this page does not, since the sheet is where the current names are.
Case numbers
The court’s reference guide, revised July 7, 2024, lists these prefixes as heard at the Larson Justice Center5:
| Prefix | Case type |
|---|---|
| FLHE, IND, FAM | Family law |
| DVIN, INV | Domestic violence |
| ADIN, INA | Adoption |
| CSHE, INK | Department of Child Support Services cases |
Sources disagree The reference guide lists the prefix FAM under both the Larson Justice Center and the Riverside Family Law Courthouse, and does not say how to tell them apart5. The clerk’s office can say where a particular case number is pending.
Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley
The Palm Springs courthouse, 3255 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, has departments PS1 to PS4 on the 2026 sheet, for civil, probate, small claims, unlawful detainers, limited civil, name changes and civil harassments, and no family law department4. The reference guide’s Palm Springs prefixes are civil, probate, unlawful detainer and small claims5. The Self-Help Information page lists public computers in its main lobby7. A Palm Springs resident files family law documents in Indio, 46-200 Oasis Street, under the order1.
The Blythe courthouse
| Address | 265 N. Broadway, Blythe, CA 922253 |
| Phone | (760) 393-26173 |
| Hours | Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; no Monday or Wednesday hours are listed3 |
| Clerk’s office phone hours | 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Monday to Friday3 |
| Matters served | Evictions, small claims, civil, family law, criminal, traffic3 |
| Drop box and public computers | Yes3 |
| Parking | North side of the building; three handicapped spaces3 |
| Building | One story; “located in the easternmost part of Riverside County”3 |
On the 2026 assignment sheet, Department 260 hears traffic, misdemeanors and felony criminal matters on Tuesday and Thursday, and “Unlawful Detainers, Small Claims, Civil, & Family Law” on Friday; the sheet notes “Court open Tuesday, Thursday & Fridays only”4. Family law at Blythe is therefore a Friday calendar. The Self-Help Information page lists a Self-Help Room with public computers, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.7.
Sources disagree The court’s location page lists departments 260 and 265 at Blythe3, and the 2026 sheet lists the same two, with 265 shown as vacant4. The reference guide, revised July 7, 2024, lists departments 260 and 2615. The sheet, updated September 15, 2026, is the most recent dated document of the three.
The Blythe courthouse takes family law filings from Blythe (92225, 92226, 92280) and Ripley (92225), but adoptions and freedom-from-parental-control-and-custody cases from those two places are filed at the Larson Justice Center instead1. Reference guide prefixes at Blythe include BLD and FLBL for family law, BLV and DVBL for domestic violence, and CSBL for child support services cases5.
Filing online
Family law documents can be filed online through eSubmit for a $2 transaction fee per case, as PDFs, up to 15 documents per submission; domestic violence filings through it have no fee8. The portal asks for the court location, which is the one the order assigns81. Details are in eSubmit and remote hearings in Riverside family law.
When to get help
Self Help Legal Services is the free route, and the court says its staff can explain procedures and make referrals to free or low-cost legal resources but cannot give legal advice9. At Larson the Family Law Assistance Center and the Self-Help Center are the places to start2. Free and low-cost options beyond the court are covered in free and low-cost family law help. A reason to ask before filing: the court says the courthouse for a case depends on the zip code of the parties and the law for the case type, and tells filers to consult the clerk or get legal assistance when it is unclear6. At Blythe, family law is calendared only on Fridays4, and the courthouse phone is (760) 393-26173. If anyone is in immediate danger, call 91110.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I file for divorce if I live in Palm Springs?
What are the hours of the Larson Justice Center?
Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The clerk’s office answers phones from 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.2.
Does the Blythe courthouse hear family law?
Where are adoptions from Blythe filed?
At the Larson Justice Center in Indio, not Blythe1.
Is there a self-help center in Indio?
Yes. The Larson Justice Center has a Self-Help Center and a Family Law Assistance Center, both with lowered counters2.
Can a restraining order be filed at Indio if I live in Blythe?
Yes. The court says domestic violence restraining orders can be filed at any court location6.
Related Articles
Sources (10)
- Administrative Order – Where to File Family Law Documents — Superior Court of California, County of Riverside, effective July 8, 2024 (revised June 5, 2024). Accessed 2026-10-09.
- Larson Justice Center (Indio CA) — Superior Court of California, County of Riverside. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- Blythe Courthouse — Superior Court of California, County of Riverside. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- 2026 Judicial Officer Assignments — Superior Court of California, County of Riverside, updated 9/15/26. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- Reference Guide – Where Cases are Pending — Superior Court of California, County of Riverside, revised July 7, 2024. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- Where to File Documents — Superior Court of California, County of Riverside. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- Self-Help Information — Superior Court of California, County of Riverside. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- Document Submission Portal: eSubmit — Superior Court of California, County of Riverside. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- Self-Help — Superior Court of California, County of Riverside. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- Domestic Violence Self-Help — Superior Court of California, County of Riverside. Accessed 2026-10-09.