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: Santa Clara County local rules are included below (marked with the court name), layered on these base rules. California superior court unlawful detainer proceedings (CCP 1159-1179a) and pre-filing landlord-tenant notices (CCP 1161, 1161b; Civ. Code 1946, 1946.1, 1946.2), writ of possession enforcement (CCP 715.010-715.020) and claims of right to possession (CCP 415.46, 1174.25, 1174.3), and limited civil appeals to the appellate division (CRC 8.822, 8.823). Local rent-control and just-cause ordinances, federal CARES Act 30-day notices, Section 8 and other subsidized-housing notice periods, and mobilehome (Civ. Code 798 et seq.) rules are not modeled.. Rules current as of 2026-10-23.
- Trigger (Date the 3-day notice was served on the tenant (CCP 1162 method)): Friday, November 6, 2026.
- Count 3 court days (Saturdays, Sundays, and court holidays are not counted): Thursday, November 12, 2026.
Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 1161(2) (operative Feb. 1, 2025)
three days’ notice, excluding Saturdays and Sundays and other judicial holidays, in writing, requiring its payment, stating the amount that is dueOfficial 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
- The 3 days exclude Saturdays, Sundays and judicial holidays, so they are counted as court days. The result is the last day the tenant may pay; the UD complaint may be filed no earlier than the next court day. Service methods are in CCP 1162 (personal; leave with person of suitable age at residence or business AND mail; or post on the property AND deliver to a resident if found AND mail). AMBIGUITY (service method): CCP 1162 does not say when substituted or post-and-mail service is complete, and CCP 1013 mail extensions are not stated to apply to CCP 1161 notices. Courts have addressed this in case law, which was not fetched or verified here. A conservative landlord practice is to begin counting after the mailing date (or add days for mailing) before filing; tenants should count from the earliest service step. The engine applies no service-method adjustment. Commercial tenants: CCP 1162(b) methods. Landlord may not charge a fee for serving the notice (1161(6)).
- 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.
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.
Track a case. Save its key dates once, get every deadline in one calendar feed for Outlook, Google or Apple, and it updates itself when the trial is continued or a rule changes.
Create a matterSanta Clara County: other local timing requirements
- Civil ex parte: written opposition or request for hearing due by end of the day the application was filed; applications decided on the papers unless ordered otherwise. Santa Clara Super. Ct. Local Civil Rule 7(C)(5)-(6)
- Tentative rulings in case management departments: generally available by 2:00 p.m., no later than 3:00 p.m., the court day before; notice of intent to contest by 4:00 p.m. the court day before. Santa Clara Super. Ct. Local Civil Rule 8(D)
- Trial documents (motions in limine, exhibit and witness lists, jury instructions, special verdicts, stipulations, operative pleadings, statement of the case, trial briefs) filed, courtesy copies delivered, and served by noon on the Friday before the trial date. Santa Clara Super. Ct. Local Civil Rule 9(C)
- Trial assignment: general civil and probate cases get a trial assignment date on the Thursday before the first trial day; counsel must be available for the whole following week. Santa Clara Super. Ct. Local Civil Rule 9(A)(3), (5)
- Law and motion hearing dates in case management departments must be reserved after meeting and conferring, through the court website procedure; only one date per motion. Santa Clara Super. Ct. Local Civil Rule 8(A)(2)
- Family ex parte: notice before 10:00 a.m. the court day before; notice after 10:00 a.m. or submission after 4:00 p.m. is deemed given at 9:00 a.m. the next court day. Santa Clara Super. Ct. Local Family Rule 5(A)(2)
- Family: additional continuances only by written request to the APJ by 9:00 a.m. the court day before the hearing, on good cause. Santa Clara Super. Ct. Local Family Rule 5(G)(2)
- Family: 'no-read' voicemail to courtroom clerk (and Duty Clerk) by 9:00 a.m. the court day before when a hearing is resolved or going off calendar. Santa Clara Super. Ct. Local Family Rule 5(I)(2)
- Family tentative rulings (where issued) are posted the day of the hearing or announced at argument. Santa Clara Super. Ct. Local Family Rule 5(M)
- Probate Advance Case Status Reports (pre-approval/examiner notes) posted generally two court days before the hearing and no later than 5:00 p.m. the court day before; not posted for conservatorship or guardianship appointment calendars. Santa Clara Super. Ct. Local Probate Rule 1(H)
- Probate hearing dates must be reserved through the court website procedure; minor's compromise in an existing civil case uses Local Civil Rule 8(C). Santa Clara Super. Ct. Local Probate Rule 1(D)
- Temporary conservatee change of residence petitions must be calendared for the first Tuesday afternoon conservatorship appointment calendar after filing. Santa Clara Super. Ct. Local Probate Rule 11(T)(7)
- Guardian/conservator accountings: court sets first account compliance date on the Friday 10:00 a.m. calendar no later than 60 days after the first anniversary of appointment, and thereafter no later than 60 days after each biennial anniversary (court-set). Santa Clara Super. Ct. Local Probate Rule 9(A)(2)(c)
- Juvenile ex parte: written opposition to the courtroom clerk within 48 hours of receipt of notice (or noted on the application); applicant files Local Form JV-2000 declaration re notice. Santa Clara Super. Ct. Local Juvenile Rule 1(G)(2)-(3)
- Juvenile: settlement conference held before every contested hearing; represented parties must electronically send briefs, motions in limine and witness lists to all parties (no day count stated). Santa Clara Super. Ct. Local Juvenile Rule 1(I)
- Criminal ex parte Order Shortening Time: notice of intent to all parties no later than 10:00 a.m. the court day before the ex parte application. Santa Clara Super. Ct. Local Criminal Rule 7(L)(2); 7(F)(2)
- Criminal: Request for Calendar Setting (CR-6008), signed by the presiding judicial officer, filed with the Clerk's Office at least 48 hours before the requested court date. Santa Clara Super. Ct. Local Criminal Rule 10
- Felony After Arraignment Calendar: filing deadline is noon on the Thursday immediately before the calendar is called (except PC 1050 motions); earlier if Thursday is a holiday. Santa Clara Super. Ct. Local Criminal Rule 4(C)(1)
- Criminal: motion to file beyond a declared last day to file requires an affidavit of good cause. Santa Clara Super. Ct. Local Criminal Rule 7(E)
- Complex/mass tort: Complex Civil Litigation Departments 8 and 22: Complex Civil Litigation Guidelines, class certification guidelines, class settlement approval guidelines, model protective order Department-level guidelines for complex cases; Judge Peterson assigned to the Complex Division in Dept. 8 effective August 20, 2026 (Dept. 19 complex cases reassigned). Guideline PDFs not parsed for day counts. Source
- Complex/mass tort: General Order Deeming Related Google Incognito Mode Cases Complex and Staying Discovery Responsive and Pleading Deadlines (May 13, 2024) Mass-action general order deeming listed related cases complex and staying discovery and responsive pleading deadlines; not parsed. 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.
California evictions deadlines covered
Rules changelog · For developers: /api/deadlines?state=CA-UD and the calculate_deadline tool in the 1Court MCP server.