CEQA: agency files notice of settlement meeting within 20 days of service of petition

20 days after date the petition was served on the public agency, under Cal. Pub. Res. Code 21167.8(a).

Rule text

(a) Not later than 20 days from the date of service upon a public agency of a petition or complaint brought pursuant to Section 21167, the public agency shall file with the court a notice setting forth the time and place at which all parties shall meet and attempt to settle the litigation. The meeting shall be scheduled and held not later than 45 days from the date of service of the petition or complaint upon the public agency.

Cal. Pub. Res. Code 21167.8(a), official source

Calculate this deadline

Deadline
Monday, November 30, 2026
  1. Trigger (Date the petition was served on the public agency): Friday, November 6, 2026.
  2. Exclude the trigger day and count 20 calendar days: Thursday, November 26, 2026.
  3. 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; Cal. Gov. Code 6800, 6707 (state agency filings); Fed. R. Civ. P. 6(a) (federal statutes and federal court filings)).
Rules applied
Cal. Pub. Res. Code 21167.8(a)
(a) Not later than 20 days from the date of service upon a public agency of a petition or complaint brought pursuant to Section 21167, the public agency shall file with the court a notice setting forth the time and place at which all parties shall meet and attempt to settle the litigation. The meeting shall be scheduled and held not later than 45 days from the date of service of the petition or complaint upon the public agency.
Official source
Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 12, 12a, 12b; Cal. Gov. Code 6800, 6707 (state agency filings); Fed. R. Civ. P. 6(a) (federal statutes and federal court filings)
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." Gov. Code 6707: "When the last day for filing any instrument or other document with a state agency falls upon a Saturday or holiday, such act may be performed upon the next business day with the same effect as if it had been performed upon the day appointed." FRCP 6(a): "The following rules apply in computing any time period specified in these rules, in any local rule or court order, or in any statute that does not specify a method of computing time. (1) ... (A) exclude the day of the event that triggers the period; (B) count every day, including intermediate Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays; and (C) include the last day of the period, but if the last day is a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the period continues to run until the end of the next day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday."
Official source
  • Respondent agency deadline. Runs from service of the petition; CCP 1013 extension not stated (modeled none). Meeting itself: ceqa_settlement_meeting_45_days.
  • 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 petition was served on the public agency on Monday, March 15, 2027, personal service: due Monday, April 5, 2027.

  1. Trigger (Date the petition was served on the public agency): Monday, March 15, 2027.
  2. Exclude the trigger day and count 20 calendar days: Sunday, April 4, 2027.
  3. That day is a Sunday, so the deadline moves to the next court day: Monday, April 5, 2027 (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 12, 12a, 12b; Cal. Gov. Code 6800, 6707 (state agency filings); Fed. R. Civ. P. 6(a) (federal statutes and federal court filings)).

Notes

Respondent agency deadline. Runs from service of the petition; CCP 1013 extension not stated (modeled none). Meeting itself: ceqa_settlement_meeting_45_days.

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Rules current as of 2026-10-27. Confirm against the official source and any local rule or court order before relying on a date. Rules changelog.