An eviction (lockout) takes place after a judgment is won by a plaintiff in an unlawful detainer case and an individual(s) need to be removed from the premises. The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office Deputies will not remove anyone from any residence without a Writ of Execution for Possession of Real Property. NOTE: If you have a Writ of Possession for Real Property granted out of Family Law Court, contact our office for more information.

If you have questions on how to initiate an eviction or want someone removed from a residence, you must call an attorney or the court. The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office Civil Unit does not give legal advice.

A request to serve an eviction is on a first come first served basis! Each file is reviewed and processed according to the information that is received. If the information on your request and on your writ conflict, your request will be returned.
Please follow the steps below:

1. Step one:
   Complete an instruction form for each person to be served/removed. The instruction form must be completed and signed by the plaintiff if pro per or if an attorney is on retainer, the attorney must complete and sign. It is very important that you state the type of service and the type of writ you have on the instruction form. The more information you provide to us on the instruction form will only help us serve you better.
   
   We must have the correct property address in Fresno County to serve and execute the order. The property address for service on the instruction form must match the property address for possession on the writ.
   
   If you have an agent that will be meeting the Deputy at the time of the eviction, we must have the correct name and cell phone number. The agent must be an individual located in our county or in our county on the day of the eviction.
   
2. Step two:
   Provide the valid Writ of Execution for Possession of Real Property signed and sealed from the court.
   
3. Step three:
   Include the appropriate fee for service. See “Fees & Service Type” for fee amounts and forms of payment.
   
4. Submission:
   The completed instruction form(s), the Writ of Execution for Possession of Real Property and fee(s) can be brought to our regular window hours or can be mailed to our post office box address. When mailing a request for service, DO NOT MAIL CASH. See “Fee Schedule” under Fees & Service Type for forms of payment. A receipt with an assigned Sheriff’s Levy file number will be mailed to the requestor for payment received.
   

The Civil Unit does not postpone lockouts. Lockouts can be paused with a court order only (i.e., Stipulated Agreement, Granted Ex Parte etc.). If you are not able to make the scheduled lockout date, you will have to cancel the service.  See civil main page for information on cancelling a service.

See Safety tab below for more information

Any mail sent to an address other than the civil unit post office box address is subject to delays if received at all.

EVICTIONS ARE SCHEDULED ABOUT 2-3 WEEKS OUT AT THE TIME OF RECEIPT OF APPROVED DOCUMENTS FOR SERVICE.

Once the Civil Unit has accepted and processed your request, the Deputies will serve a courtesy notice to the defendant or post the courtesy notice in a conspicuous place on the property to vacate the premises. Once the notice has been posted, a Deputy will call the requesting party with the day and time the eviction (lockout) will take place. NOTE: The requesting party is only the attorney of record or the plaintiff if pro per.

Access to Property:
The Deputies will need access to clear the property before it’s turned back over. Access can be in the front or the back. However, if for some reason the Deputies feel the entry (front or back) creates some sort of hazardous situation, they will back away.

Agent NO SHOW”:
At times Deputies run into issues on eviction day. Deputies can get behind schedule because an eviction took longer than expected or they can be ahead of schedule because of a cancellation.

It is very important that your “agent” is on standby starting at 0600 hours and up until the eviction (lockout) occurs. If the Deputy must contact the “agent” and the “agent” does not answer, it is a possibility that the “agent” will be marked as a no show and the eviction will not take place. If for some reason the “agent” is not able to show up to meet the Deputy, it is the responsibility of the attorney, or the plaintiff, if pro per to contact our office in writing to update the information.

1. If the property requires an access card or gate code, you must provide it when paying your fees.
2. The property and individual Unit (s) must be clearly marked with the address and Unit designation.
3. You or your agent need to meet Deputies at the address and the specific apartment or trailer if applicable.  Deputies will not go to an office or separate meeting location.
4. Promptly arrive at least 20 minutes before the scheduled eviction time and wait. If Deputies are late, they will check the address and if you or your agent is not there you will be considered a “No Show”. If you are a “No Show”, additional fees and new instructions/writ will be required to reschedule.
   
5. It is imperative that the contact phone numbers you have provided on the instruction sheet are numbers where you can be reached to make the lockout appointment and notify you of any changes. If your phone and/or voice mail do not work properly a letter with the appointment will be sent via U.S. Mail.
   
6. You must provide access to the dwelling when Deputies arrive either by having a current key for any and all locks, or by providing a competent locksmith or maintenance employee who can efficiently defeat the locks. Deputies will allow for a reasonable amount of time for the locksmith to work, but due to busy eviction schedules they will have to leave if the locksmith cannot gain entry in a timely manner. If your locksmith/maintenance employee cannot gain entry, the lockout will be completed as unsuccessful and additional fees with new instructions/writ will be required to reschedule.
7. Do not enter the property or make contact with anyone at the property before the Deputies arrive. If you have made entry the eviction will not take place.
8. For your safety it is suggested that you park or station yourself a reasonable distance from the property but stay in an area where you will be able to see the Deputies arrive.
9. When the Deputies arrive, make your presence known and identify yourself to them. Civil Unit Deputies commonly drive white unmarked SUV’s or trucks.

If we are notified that a defendant/debtor has filed bankruptcy all enforcement action will cease until we here from the plaintiff’s attorney or plaintiff if pro per.

Once the Civil Unit notifies the plaintiff pro per or attorney, it’s their responsibility to notify our office in writing on how to proceed with the eviction. 

No one other than the attorney of record or plaintiff if prop per may cancel an eviction.

Please see cancellations on the main page.

On an average, our office will receive between 60-80 eviction cases a week. This amount continually increases. Our deputies cover 6,000 square miles daily and face high risk situations. If you have knowledge of any criminal activity, extraordinary circumstances, or any other safety concerns regarding the premises that we should be aware of please note them on the instruction form. The health and safety of the public and our staff is part of our mission.

Additional information to list on your instructions that could be helpful for the deputies executing the Writ of Possession

-Who will be meeting the Sheriff’s Deputy at the time of eviction/restoration? We will need the full name and a contact number to reach the individual at 0700 hours if necessary.

-Is there a lockout stay? What is the date?

-Is the property subject to a foreclosure?

-Was the property subject to a bankruptcy?

-Was the prejudgment Claim of Right to Possession served in compliance with CCP 415.46?

-What is this eviction a result of? Ex: Failure to Pay Rent, Violation of Agreement, Illegal Activity

-Are the tenants, occupants or visitors involved with DRUGS or GANGS?  If yes, explain.

-Do the tenants, occupants or visitors OWN or POSSESS WEAPONS? If yes, explain.

-Have the tenants, occupants or visitors been VIOLENT or made any THREATS towards you, Law Enforcmenet or anyone else?  If yes, explain.

-Do you know of any ILLEGAL ACTIVITY/PRIOR POLICE CONTACT that may be taking place at this address? If yes, explain.

-Are there any SECURITY CAMERAS on the property? If yes, state where they are located.

-Are there DOGS in the subject property? If yes, tell us how many, the size(s), and the Breed(s).

-Are there ELDERLY, BED RIDDEN or DISABLED tenants in the subject property? If yes, explain.

-Are there CHILDREN in the subject property? If yes tell us how many and approximate age(s).

-Is there an Access/Gate code required to gain entry? What is the code?