3-day notice to pay rent or quit: last day to pay (earliest day the tenancy is forfeit)

3 court days after date the 3-day notice was served on the tenant (ccp 1162 method), under Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 1161(2) (operative Feb. 1, 2025).

Rule text

three days’ notice, excluding Saturdays and Sundays and other judicial holidays, in writing, requiring its payment, stating the amount that is due

Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 1161(2) (operative Feb. 1, 2025), official source

Calculate this deadline

Deadline
Thursday, November 12, 2026
  1. Trigger (Date the 3-day notice was served on the tenant (CCP 1162 method)): Friday, November 6, 2026.
  2. Count 3 court days (Saturdays, Sundays, and court holidays are not counted): Thursday, November 12, 2026.
Rules applied
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 due
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
  • 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.
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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 3-day notice was served on the tenant (CCP 1162 method) on Monday, March 15, 2027, personal service: due Thursday, March 18, 2027.

  1. Trigger (Date the 3-day notice was served on the tenant (CCP 1162 method)): Monday, March 15, 2027.
  2. Count 3 court days (Saturdays, Sundays, and court holidays are not counted): Thursday, March 18, 2027.

Notes

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)).

Related deadlines

All California evictions deadlines

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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.