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Has the notice period run out, or did court papers just arrive? Learn the court steps next.

The Eviction Process and Court Steps, State by State

Learn the seven steps every state uses, the court that hears the case in 44 jurisdictions and what the case is called in 48, and the statutes that make a lockout without a court order illegal in all 37 jurisdictions where the rule was reached. Then choose your state in the free tool below to see its court, timing and fee.

Written for the landlord filing the case. If you are the tenant served with the papers, you go through the same seven steps, including the answer and the hearing.

Quick answer

Your eviction case runs in 7 steps: the notice the statute requires, a filing in the court the statute names, service on the tenant, an answer or hearing, a judgment, a writ, and removal by a sheriff, constable or marshal. The court and the name of the case vary, from an unlawful detainer in a California superior court to summary process in Massachusetts and a forcible detainer in a Texas justice court; the dataset records the court for 44 jurisdictions and the case name for 48. Self-help eviction, meaning a lockout, a utility shutoff or removing belongings without a court order, is prohibited in all 37 jurisdictions where the dataset reached the rule, with narrow written exceptions in Texas and Nevada. Each step was checked on October 14, 2026 against the source cited for it, and none of this is advice on your case.

Free tool

Choose your state, a ground and the day the notice was served to learn the recorded notice period, your earliest filing date where the cell allows a count, the court, the answer or hearing timing, the filing fee and the just-cause rule.

See the notice period and the court steps

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By the Legal Cost by State Editorial TeamLast updated and source-checked October 14, 2026

What to do next

  1. 1

    Find the date the notice was served and its type

    You can file only after that period runs, and the estimator counts your earliest filing day where the cell allows it.

  2. 2

    Choose your state in the free estimator

    It shows you the court the statute names, what the case is called there and the answer or hearing timing, with the source for each.

  3. 3

    Open the court's forms page from the callout below

    Several courts publish the notice, complaint and answer forms with instructions, for both sides of the case; the ones read for this page are linked under Sources.

See your state's rules

What are the seven steps of an eviction?

  1. 1

    The notice

    Served on the ground the statute names: unpaid rent, a lease violation, or the end of a periodic tenancy.

  2. 2

    The filing

    A complaint or petition you file in the court the statute names, with the filing fee. Illinois uses statewide Eviction Complaint and Eviction Summons forms (735 ILCS 5/9-106 and the court's self-help page).

  3. 3

    Service on the tenant

    A sheriff, constable, court officer or process server delivers the summons. Several hearing windows run from service, such as New Jersey's trial at least 21 days after it, so this step sets the rest of the calendar.

  4. 4

    The answer or the hearing

    Some states expect a written answer by a deadline; others hold a hearing where the tenant may answer orally.

  5. 5

    The judgment

    If the court finds for you, it enters a judgment for possession. A contested case may go to a later trial date first.

  6. 6

    The writ

    After any waiting period the statute sets, the court issues a writ, warrant or order of possession when you request it.

  7. 7

    Removal by an officer

    A sheriff, constable, marshal or court officer carries out the writ, after the notice the statute requires.

See your state's rules

Learn more. Tap a topic to open it.

Learn the court each state uses and when the amount you claim moves the case up.

Learn each name for the case, from unlawful detainer to summary process, and where it is used.

Learn which states want a written answer by a deadline and which take it at the hearing.

Learn the statutes that bar lockouts and utility cutoffs and the remedies they give tenants.

Learn which state court pages publish notice and filing forms with instructions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Tap a question to see the answer.

Keep reading

Tool

Eviction Timeline Estimator: Notice, Filing, Court

Choose your state, a ground and the day the notice was served to learn the recorded notice period, your earliest filing date where the cell allows a count, the court, the answer or hearing timing, the filing fee and the just-cause rule.

Tool

Eviction Notice Check: Days Required by State

Choose your state and the ground, enter the day the notice was served and whether the dwelling is covered by the federal rule, and learn the recorded notice period, your earliest filing date where a count is possible, the just-cause, federal and self-help rules, the court and the fee.

State chart

Eviction Laws by State: Notice Periods and Timelines

Learn the notice you have to give for each ground, the court, answer and hearing timing, writ and move-out timing, the filing fee and the just-cause rule, one row per state, each with its source.

Guide

Eviction Timeline: How Long by State

Learn the four timed steps of an eviction, the days each state sets for them, and the only two court pages that state a total.

Guide

Eviction Notice Periods by State and by Ground

Learn how much notice your state requires before an eviction case, by ground: unpaid rent, a lease violation, or ending a month-to-month tenancy without a stated cause.

Guide

Cost to Evict a Tenant: Court Fees by State

Learn the court filing fee in every state that publishes one, the service and writ fees courts list, and why no attorney figure is given.

Sources & review

Information on this page reflects laws and published figures as of October 14, 2026. This is general information, not legal advice, and not a prediction for any matter. Rules and fees change; check the court or agency page linked for each figure.

Ready for the numbers in your state? The tool is free.

See your notice period and steps