California court deadline calculator

Pick a deadline and enter the trigger date. The result applies Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 12, 12a, 12b, 10; Cal. Rules of Court, rule 1.10 (counting, weekends and court holidays), service-method extensions where the law allows them, and the rule for that deadline, with each step and citation shown. Scope: Contra Costa County local rules are included below (marked with the court name), layered on these base rules. Small claims division of the California superior court under the Small Claims Act (CCP 116.110-116.950) and small claims appeal rules (CRC 8.950-8.966). Jurisdictional amount limits, fee schedules other than as quoted, and enforcement procedures under the Enforcement of Judgments Law (CCP 680.010 et seq.) are not modeled.. Rules current as of 2026-10-23.

County:Contra Costa County local rules independently reviewed (effective 2026-07-01)

DeadlineDate of the clerk's order setting the hearing

Deadline

Monday, November 30, 2026

Trigger (Date of the clerk's order setting the hearing): Friday, November 6, 2026.
Exclude the trigger day and count 20 calendar days: Thursday, November 26, 2026.
That day is a Thanksgiving Day, so the deadline moves to the next court day: Monday, November 30, 2026 (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 12, 12a, 12b, 10; Cal. Rules of Court, rule 1.10).

Rules applied

Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 116.330(a)

When a claim is filed, the clerk shall schedule the case for hearing and shall issue an order directing the parties to appear at the time set for the hearing with witnesses and documents to prove their claim or defense. The case shall be scheduled for hearing no earlier than 20 days but not more than 70 days from the date of the order.

Official source

Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 12, 12a, 12b, 10; Cal. Rules of Court, rule 1.10

CCP 12: "The time in which any act provided by law is to be done is computed by excluding the first day, and including the last, unless the last day is a holiday, and then it is also excluded." CCP 12a(a): "If the last day for the performance of any act provided or required by law to be performed within a specified period of time is a holiday, then that period is hereby extended to and including the next day that is not a holiday. For purposes of this section, “holiday” means all day on Saturdays, all holidays specified in Section 135 and, to the extent provided in Section 12b, all days that by terms of Section 12b are required to be considered as holidays." CCP 12b: "If any city, county, state, or public office, other than a branch office, is closed for the whole of any day, insofar as the business of that office is concerned, that day shall be considered as a holiday for the purposes of computing time under Sections 12 and 12a." CCP 10: "Holidays within the meaning of this code are every Sunday and any other days that are specified or provided for as judicial holidays in Section 135."

Official source

Court-facing. Useful to check whether a scheduled date complies.
If the clerk's office is closed or inaccessible on the last day (weather, emergency or local closure orders), the deadline may be extended. Check local orders.

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This calculator applies the cited rules to the dates you enter. It is not legal advice. Court orders, local rules, and case-specific facts can change a deadline; verify before relying on it. Rule set pending attorney review.

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Contra Costa County: other local timing requirements

Fee-waiver litigant: request for court-provided reporter for unlimited civil law and motion hearings by 4:00 p.m. the court day before (email, fax, or phone); none provided where tentative ruling is uncontested. Contra Costa Super. Ct. Local Rule 2.53(a)(2)
Fee-waiver litigant: probate court-provided reporter request on MC-30 received by 4:00 p.m. the court day before the hearing. Contra Costa Super. Ct. Local Rule 2.53(b)(1)
Civil tentative rulings available from 1:30 p.m. the court day before the hearing; request argument by 4:00 p.m. that day and notify all other parties by 4:00 p.m. Contra Costa Super. Ct. Local Rule 3.43
Civil Fast Track ex parte: OST applications must be accompanied by proposed moving papers; ex parte heard at times designated by each judge (see court website). Contra Costa Super. Ct. Local Rule 3.46
Probate ex parte (incl. temporary conservatorship): notice to interested parties by 10:00 a.m. the day before the hearing (restates CRC 3.1203/3.1204); ex parte requests submitted to Probate Examiners 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. Contra Costa Super. Ct. Local Rule 7.104, 7.412; Probate Guideline Attachment 4(b)
Probate tentative rulings generally available at least 7 court days before the hearing. Contra Costa Super. Ct. Local Rule Probate Guideline Attachment 4(c)
Civil ex parte (unlimited and limited civil, unlimited UD; not family, probate, limited UD or restraining orders): notice to parties by 10:00 a.m. the day before; email notice to the department by 10:00 a.m. the court day before; papers served and submitted by 3:00 p.m. the day before; opposition by 10:00 a.m. the day of the ex parte determination; matters decided on the papers unless a hearing is ordered. Contra Costa Super. Ct. Standing Order 3.5, part I
Motions for summary judgment/adjudication: hearing date must be reserved by email to the department before filing any moving papers. Contra Costa Super. Ct. Standing Order 3.5, part II.B
Criminal ex parte applications to shorten or extend time: at least 24 hours' notice to the opposing party. Contra Costa Super. Ct. Local Rule 4.1(f)(1)
Criminal motions: a filed motion may be dropped up to 48 hours before the appearance date on notice to opposing counsel and the court; within 48 hours the moving party must appear. Contra Costa Super. Ct. Local Rule 4.1(d)(2)
Complex cases only (Contra Costa Dept. 16): at first appearance for trial lodge stipulations, uncontested MILs, joint statement of the case, Master Exhibit List and three exhibit binders/thumb drives, expert designation binder, Proposed Trial Schedule, Other Persons List, and jury instructions/verdict forms; each side names next court day's witnesses by the end of each court day. Contra Costa Super. Ct. Dept. 16 Pre-Trial Orders (rev. 2025), paras. 8, 10, 13, 24
Complex/mass tort: Complex Litigation Department 16 (Judge Benjamin Reyes II): Department 16 Pre Trial Orders, Initial Case Assignment Order, sample issue conference and trial orders Complex cases heard in Dept. 16; department pretrial standing order and initial case assignment order set case schedules (documents not parsed). Local Rule 3.16 (Complex Litigation Cases) exists but its text could not be retrieved. Source
Complex/mass tort: Complex Civil Litigation Department (Local Rule 3.16) Cases covered by CRC 3.400 assigned to designated Complex Civil Litigation Department; subject to procedures on court's Complex Litigation web page and Electronic Case Filing Standing Order. No fixed day-count schedule in rule. Source

Under Cal. Rules of Court, rule 3.20, county rules cannot change statewide deadlines for pleadings, motions, discovery or ex parte applications; local rules that tried to were excluded from the calculator.

Official local rules

California small claims deadlines covered

Deadline	Period	Rule
Hearing date set by clerk: earliest	20 days after	Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 116.330(a)
Hearing date set by clerk: latest	70 days after	Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 116.330(a)
Serve plaintiff's claim and order: defendant resides in the county	15 days before	Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 116.340(b), (d)
Serve plaintiff's claim and order: defendant resides outside the county	20 days before	Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 116.340(b), (d)
File proof of service of claim	5 days before	Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 116.340(c)
Serve defendant's claim on plaintiff (defendant served more than 10 days before hearing)	5 days before	Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 116.360(c)
Serve defendant's claim on plaintiff (defendant served 10 days or less before hearing)	1 days before	Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 116.360(c)
Written request to postpone hearing	10 days before	Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 116.570(a)(2), (3)
Plaintiff who did not appear: motion to vacate judgment	30 days after	Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 116.720(a)
Hearing on plaintiff's motion to vacate: earliest date	10 days after	Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 116.720(b)
Motion to correct clerical error or vacate for incorrect legal basis	30 days after	Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 116.725(a)(2), (b)
Defendant who did not appear: motion to vacate judgment	30 days after	Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 116.730(a)
Notice of appeal from denial of defendant's motion to vacate	10 days after	Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 116.730(e); 116.740(d)
Defendant not properly served: motion to vacate judgment	180 days after	Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 116.740(a)
Notice of appeal (new hearing in superior court)	30 days after	Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 116.750(b); Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.954
Notice of appeal after modified judgment (new 30-day period)	30 days after	Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 116.750(c)
Clerk transmits file to court hearing the appeal	5 days after	Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.957
Superior court mails notice of appeal hearing	14 days before	Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 116.770(e)
Appeal may be dismissed if not heard within one year of notice of appeal	12 months after	Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 116.795(a)
Judgment debtor's statement of assets delivered to creditor	30 days after	Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 116.830(b)
Statement of assets after motion to vacate or appeal concludes	30 days after	Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 116.830(c)
Judgment creditor files acknowledgment of satisfaction after full payment and written demand	14 days after	Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 116.850(a), (b)
Payment to court by check or other non-guaranteed method: satisfaction entered after delay	30 days after	Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 116.860(d)
Motor vehicle judgment $1,000 or less unpaid: earliest date to request DMV license suspension	90 days after	Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 116.880(a)

Rules changelog · For developers: /api/deadlines?state=CA-SC and the calculate_deadline tool in the 1Court MCP server.