Limited civil: request for statement of witnesses and evidence (earliest day to serve)
45 days before date first set for trial (limited civil case), under Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 96(b).
Rule text
The request shall be served no more than 45 days or less than 30 days prior to the date first set for trial, unless otherwise ordered.
Calculate this deadline
- Trigger (Date FIRST set for trial (limited civil case)): Friday, November 6, 2026.
- Count back 45 calendar days: Tuesday, September 22, 2026.
Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 96(b)
The request shall be served no more than 45 days or less than 30 days prior to the date first set for trial, unless otherwise ordered.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
- This is the OPENING of the service window (a request served earlier is premature). roll none: an opening date should not be moved. trial_continuance initial_only: 'date first set for trial'.
- 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 FIRST set for trial (limited civil case) on Monday, March 15, 2027, personal service: due Friday, January 29, 2027.
- Trigger (Date FIRST set for trial (limited civil case)): Monday, March 15, 2027.
- Count back 45 calendar days: Friday, January 29, 2027.
Unsettled points
- The calculator shows the earliest service day as 45 days before trial with no mail adjustment, rolled forward if it is a weekend, so a mailed request is never premature.Other reading: If CCP 1013 applied to the opening date, a mailed request could be sent about 5 days earlier.
Notes
This is the OPENING of the service window (a request served earlier is premature). roll none: an opening date should not be moved. trial_continuance initial_only: 'date first set for trial'.
Related deadlines
- Jury fee deposit, unlawful detainer (5 days before trial) (5 days before)
- Jury fee deposit when no case management conference is set (365 days after the complaint is filed) (365 days after)
- Jury fee deposit for late-appearing parties (25 days before the initial trial date) (25 days before)
- Mandatory settlement conference statement (submit and serve) (5 court days before)
- CCP 998 offer to compromise: last day to serve before trial (10 days before)
- CCP 998 offer: acceptance window (30 days after offer made) (30 days after)
- CCP 998 offer: acceptance cut off by commencement of trial (0 days before)
- Notice of trial served by a party (clerk did not serve) (15 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 2026-10-25. Confirm against the official source and any local rule or court order before relying on a date. Rules changelog.