Creditor claim deadline: 4 months after letters (alternative 1)
4 months after date letters first issued to a general personal representative, under Cal. Prob. Code 9100(a)(1).
Rule text
(a) A creditor shall file a claim before expiration of the later of the following times:(1) Four months after the date letters are first issued to a general personal representative.(2) Sixty days after the date notice of administration is mailed or personally delivered to the creditor. Nothing in this paragraph extends the time provided in Section 366.2 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
Calculate this deadline
- Trigger (Date letters first issued to a general personal representative): Friday, November 6, 2026.
- Add 4 months: Saturday, March 6, 2027.
- That day is a Saturday, so the deadline moves to the next court day: Monday, March 8, 2027 (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 12, 12a, 12b, 10, 17(b)(4), applied to probate proceedings by Prob. Code 1000; Cal. Rules of Court, rule 1.10).
Cal. Prob. Code 9100(a)(1)
(a) A creditor shall file a claim before expiration of the later of the following times:(1) Four months after the date letters are first issued to a general personal representative.(2) Sixty days after the date notice of administration is mailed or personally delivered to the creditor. Nothing in this paragraph extends the time provided in Section 366.2 of the Code of Civil Procedure.Official source
Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 12, 12a, 12b, 10, 17(b)(4), applied to probate proceedings by Prob. Code 1000; 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." CCP 17(b)(4): "“Month” means a calendar month, unless otherwise expressed." Prob. Code 1000(a): "Except to the extent that this code provides applicable rules, the rules of practice applicable to civil actions, including discovery proceedings and proceedings under Title 3a (commencing with Section 391) of Part 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure, apply to, and constitute the rules of practice in, proceedings under this code."Official source
- LATER-OF RULE: the creditor's deadline is the LATER of this rule and creditor_claim_deadline_notice (60 days after notice of administration mailed/delivered). Compute both and take the later date. 9100(b): a reference in another statute to 'the time for filing a claim' means this 4-month period. A claim must be filed with the court AND a copy delivered to the PR (9052 form text). 'Before expiration of' four months: the dataset treats the 4-month anniversary date as the last day, with CCP 12a roll (REVIEW). Untimely claims are barred (9002); late-claim relief under 9103. Neither alternative extends CCP 366.2 (one year after death).
- 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 letters first issued to a general personal representative on Monday, March 15, 2027, personal service: due Thursday, July 15, 2027.
- Trigger (Date letters first issued to a general personal representative): Monday, March 15, 2027.
- Add 4 months: Thursday, July 15, 2027.
Unsettled points
- The calculator runs the 9051 notice and 12200 status-report dates from the first letters issued, including special letters, the earlier date.Other reading: If only general letters count, those dates run from the later general letters date.
- The calculator shows the four-month anniversary of letters, rolled to the next court day if a holiday, as CCP 12, 12a and 366.2 support.Other reading: If the forward roll were not honored, the last day would be the unrolled anniversary, one to three days earlier.
Notes
LATER-OF RULE: the creditor's deadline is the LATER of this rule and creditor_claim_deadline_notice (60 days after notice of administration mailed/delivered). Compute both and take the later date. 9100(b): a reference in another statute to 'the time for filing a claim' means this 4-month period. A claim must be filed with the court AND a copy delivered to the PR (9052 form text). 'Before expiration of' four months: the dataset treats the 4-month anniversary date as the last day, with CCP 12a roll (REVIEW). Untimely claims are barred (9002); late-claim relief under 9103. Neither alternative extends CCP 366.2 (one year after death).
Related deadlines
- Creditor claim deadline: 60 days after notice of administration mailed or delivered (alternative 2) (60 days after)
- Notice of administration to known creditors: 4 months after letters (alternative 1) (4 months after)
- Notice of administration to creditor: 30 days after PR first learns of creditor (alternative 2) (30 days after)
- Petition to file late creditor claim (60 days after)
- Creditor may treat claim as rejected if PR/court has not acted (30 days after filing) (30 days after)
- Creditor suit on rejected claim (claim due when rejection given): 90 days after notice of rejection (90 days after)
- Creditor suit on rejected claim (claim not yet due when rejected): 90 days after claim becomes due (90 days after)
- Outside limit for actions on decedent's liabilities: one year after death (12 months after)
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 2026-10-23. Confirm against the official source and any local rule or court order before relying on a date. Rules changelog.