Defendant not properly served: motion to vacate judgment
180 days after date the defendant discovered or should have discovered that judgment was entered, under Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 116.740(a).
Rule text
(a) If the defendant was not properly served as required by Section 116.330 or 116.340 and did not appear at the hearing in the small claims court, the defendant may file a motion to vacate the judgment with the clerk of the small claims court. The motion shall be accompanied by a supporting declaration, and shall be filed within 180 days after the defendant discovers or should have discovered that judgment was entered against the defendant.
Calculate this deadline
- Trigger (Date the defendant discovered or should have discovered that judgment was entered): Friday, November 6, 2026.
- Exclude the trigger day and count 180 calendar days: Wednesday, May 5, 2027.
Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 116.740(a)
(a) If the defendant was not properly served as required by Section 116.330 or 116.340 and did not appear at the hearing in the small claims court, the defendant may file a motion to vacate the judgment with the clerk of the small claims court. The motion shall be accompanied by a supporting declaration, and shall be filed within 180 days after the defendant discovers or should have discovered that judgment was entered against the defendant.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
- Trigger is a factual (discovery) date; use the earliest defensible date. Court may suspend enforcement pending the hearing (116.740(b)).
- 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 defendant discovered or should have discovered that judgment was entered on Monday, March 15, 2027, personal service: due Monday, September 13, 2027.
- Trigger (Date the defendant discovered or should have discovered that judgment was entered): Monday, March 15, 2027.
- Exclude the trigger day and count 180 calendar days: Saturday, September 11, 2027.
- That day is a Saturday, so the deadline moves to the next court day: Monday, September 13, 2027 (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 12, 12a, 12b, 10; Cal. Rules of Court, rule 1.10).
Notes
Trigger is a factual (discovery) date; use the earliest defensible date. Court may suspend enforcement pending the hearing (116.740(b)).
Related deadlines
- Plaintiff who did not appear: motion to vacate judgment (30 days after)
- Hearing on plaintiff's motion to vacate: earliest date (10 days after)
- Motion to correct clerical error or vacate for incorrect legal basis (30 days after)
- Defendant who did not appear: motion to vacate judgment (30 days after)
- Judgment debtor's statement of assets delivered to creditor (30 days after)
- Statement of assets after motion to vacate or appeal concludes (30 days after)
- Judgment creditor files acknowledgment of satisfaction after full payment and written demand (14 days after)
- Payment to court by check or other non-guaranteed method: satisfaction entered after delay (30 days 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.