Return of child within 2 working days after finding no jurisdiction
2 court days after date the court found the child is not described by section 300, under Cal. Rules of Court, rule 5.684.
Rule text
The court must order that the child be returned to the physical custody of the parent or guardian immediately but, in any event, not more than two working days following the date of that finding, unless the parent or guardian and the agency with custody of the child agree to a later date for the child's release.
Calculate this deadline
- Trigger (Date the court found the child is not described by section 300): Friday, November 6, 2026.
- Count 2 court days (Saturdays, Sundays, and court holidays are not counted): Tuesday, November 10, 2026.
Cal. Rules of Court, rule 5.684
The court must order that the child be returned to the physical custody of the parent or guardian immediately but, in any event, not more than two working days following the date of that finding, unless the parent or guardian and the agency with custody of the child agree to a later date for the child's release.Official source
Code Civ. Proc. 12, 12a, 10, 133-135; Gov. Code 6800; Cal. Rules of Court, rule 1.10. 'Judicial day' / 'court day': not defined in WIC or CRC 5.502.
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 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." CCP 133: "Courts of justice may be held and judicial business transacted on any day, except as provided in this article." Gov. Code 6800: "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." CRC 1.10(a): "The time in which any act provided by these rules is to be performed is computed by excluding the first day and including the last, unless the last day is a Saturday, Sunday, or other legal holiday, and then it is also excluded." CRC 1.10(b): "Unless otherwise provided by law, if the last day for the performance of any act that is required by these rules to be performed within a specific period of time falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or other legal holiday, the period is extended to and includes the next day that is not a holiday."Official source
- 'Working days' treated as court days. 'Immediately' is the primary command; 2 working days is the outer limit.
- 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.
Worked example
Date the court found the child is not described by section 300 on Monday, March 15, 2027, personal service: due Wednesday, March 17, 2027.
- Trigger (Date the court found the child is not described by section 300): Monday, March 15, 2027.
- Count 2 court days (Saturdays, Sundays, and court holidays are not counted): Wednesday, March 17, 2027.
Notes
'Working days' treated as court days. 'Immediately' is the primary command; 2 working days is the outer limit.
Related deadlines
- Dependency jurisdiction hearing (child detained): within 15 judicial days of detention order (15 court days after)
- Dependency jurisdiction hearing (child not detained): within 30 days of petition (30 days after)
- Notice of dependency jurisdiction hearing (child detained): at least 5 days before (5 days before)
- Notice of dependency jurisdiction hearing (child not detained): at least 10 days before (10 days before)
Local rules by county
County local rules and courtroom procedures can add to or change this deadline. Pick a county to calculate with them applied.
- Alameda
- Alpine
- Amador
- Butte
- Calaveras
- Colusa
- Contra Costa
- Del Norte
- El Dorado
- Fresno
- Glenn
- Humboldt
- Imperial
- Inyo
- Kern
- Kings
- Lake
- Lassen
- Los Angeles
- Madera
- Marin
- Mariposa
- Mendocino
- Merced
- Modoc
- Mono
- Monterey
- Napa
- Nevada
- Orange
- Placer
- Plumas
- Riverside
- Sacramento
- San Benito
- San Bernardino
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Joaquin
- San Luis Obispo
- San Mateo
- Santa Barbara
- Santa Clara
- Santa Cruz
- Shasta
- Sierra
- Siskiyou
- Solano
- Sonoma
- Stanislaus
- Sutter
- Tehama
- Trinity
- Tulare
- Tuolumne
- Ventura
- Yolo
- Yuba
Rules current as of 2026-10-26. Confirm against the official source and any local rule or court order before relying on a date. Rules changelog.