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: Imperial 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:Imperial County local rules independently reviewed (effective 2026-07-01 ("Adopted, Effective July 1, 2026"))

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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Imperial County: other local timing requirements

Civil law and motion heard Monday to Friday at 8:30 a.m.; moving party sets date/time/department (wrong setting is rejected). Tentative rulings at assigned judge's discretion; if issued the day before, no notice of intent to appear is required; obtainable from the court website. Imperial Local Rule 3.2.0
Remote appearance: substitutions of the registered participant require approval of the remote appearance coordinator before 4:00 p.m. the day prior; no refunds for cancellations with less than two days' notice. Imperial Local Rule 2.21
Civil jury instructions (full text) submitted on the scheduled trial date. Imperial Local Rule 3.1.8
Civil case management conference set 180 days from filing; notice must be served with summons and complaint and proof of service filed. Imperial Local Rule 3.1.2
In-custody criminal complaints filed no later than 11:00 a.m. on the arraignment date. Imperial Local Rule 4.1.2
Family law ex parte matters set for hearing are normally heard at 1:30 p.m. Imperial Local Rule 5.1.1(c)
Juvenile ex parte: at least 24 hours' notice to all parties; written opposition to the courtroom clerk within 24 hours of receipt of notice. Imperial Local Rule 6.1.6(b), (d)
Probate matters heard Fridays at 8:30 a.m. (LPS conservatorships Mondays); counsel sets hearing date; examiner's notes posted on the court website. Imperial Local Rules 7.4, 7.13
Juvenile dependency: reports other than J/D and status review reports due a reasonable time before the hearing but not less than 2 court days (status review reports 10 calendar days restate WIC 366.21(c)). Imperial Local Rule 6.3.2(a)(3)
Criminal and juvenile: notify Court Administration 48 hours in advance when a witness needs a certified interpreter. Imperial Local Rule 4.1.15; 6.1.10
Traffic and non-traffic infractions: request to continue arraignment (one continuance, 30 days or less) submitted no less than 24 hours before appearance; Local Form CR-02 informal not-guilty plea filed no less than 24 hours before scheduled appearance. Imperial Local Rule 4.1.23, 4.2.1, 4.3.1
Complex/mass tort: Class action rules: class certification conference within 30 days after certification is granted, proposed class notice 3 court days before that conference, optional progress conferences within 90 days after the initial CMC. No standing complex or asbestos CMO found.

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)
Small claims request to recalendar unserved matter (Imperial County)	3 court days before	Imperial Local Rule 3.9.4

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