California discovery response deadline calculator
Responses to interrogatories, requests for production, and requests for admission are due 30 days after service. The date on the proof of service, the method of service, and the court holiday calendar each affect the date that actually controls.
Your dates
Example: interrogatories served Nov 20, 2026, mailed in California
MON
Monday, December 28, 2026
- 30 daysCCP § 2030.260(a)
- +5 calendar daysCCP § 1013
- Christmas, FRI Dec 25, 2026CCP § 12a
- Dec 28, 2026
Rules read against the code 2026-09-29
Enter your dates and the example above is replaced by your result.
Not legal advice. Rules attested September 29, 2026; last full pass August 17, 2026. Verify every date yourself. Read the full disclaimer
Each verified rule carries its own date on the methodology page, all of them September 29, 2026: the date the maintaining attorney last attested it. The last full pass, signed off on August 17, 2026, checked the rules against their official sources (the code, the California Rules of Court, or for court holidays the Judicial Council calendar), with the exceptions listed on the about page. Rules still awaiting sign-off are listed on the methodology page as not yet verified. County local rules are paraphrased summaries. Individual department and judge standing orders are included only where the court publishes them and we have read the document, so assume your own department has requirements beyond what you see here. Verify every date against the operative code sections, your court's rules and your department's own order before relying on it. Using this site creates no attorney-client relationship.
How the math works
Step 1: the 30-day period. Responses to interrogatories (CCP § 2030.260), requests for production (CCP § 2031.260), and requests for admission (CCP § 2033.250) are due 30 days after service. The clock runs from the date on the proof of service.
Step 2: service extensions. The method of service changes the due date. The calculator applies the extension automatically. The table below is provided so you can confirm which authority supplies it, which the dropdown does not show:
| Method of service | Extension | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Electronic service | +2 court days if served by Dec. 31, 2026; none from Jan. 1, 2027 | CCP § 1010.6 |
| Personal service | none | CCP § 1011 |
| Mail within California | +5 calendar days | CCP § 1013 |
| Mail outside California, within the U.S. | +10 calendar days | CCP § 1013 |
| Mail outside the U.S. | +20 calendar days | CCP § 1013 |
| Express mail / overnight delivery | +2 court days | CCP § 1013 |
| Mail to a Safe at Home confidential address (address-confidentiality program) | +12 calendar days | CCP § 1013(a) |
Step 3: the roll. If the final day lands on a weekend or judicial holiday, the deadline rolls forward to the next court day (CCP § 12a). California courts close on several holidays that most desk calendars omit, among them Lincoln's Birthday (February 12) and Native American Day (the fourth Friday in September). This calculator validates against the official Judicial Council holiday calendar.
Step 4: which way the extension runs. On a response deadline, service by mail gives you more time. On a notice period, such as a motion hearing or a summary judgment motion, it runs the other way. The extension attaches to the notice you must give, so the papers go out earlier. Serving a motion by mail within California turns 16 court days into 16 court days plus 5, before the roll. Each result states the rule applied and the direction it ran.
In federal court, interrogatories, document requests and requests for admission are answered 30 days after service under FRCP 33(b)(2), 34(b)(2)(A) and 36(a)(3), and Rule 6(d) adds 3 days for service by mail, not 5. federalcourtdeadlines.com runs the federal count.
Further reading on discovery deadlines
- Interrogatory response deadlinesThe 30-day clock under CCP § 2030.260, what extends it, and what waiver costs you.
- Requests for productionCCP § 2031.260 deadlines, and why the response date and the production date differ.
- Requests for admissionThe 30-day deadline and the deemed-admitted consequence under CCP § 2033.280.
Common questions
How do I calculate a discovery response deadline in California?
Start from the date on the proof of service. Responses to interrogatories, requests for production, and requests for admission are due 30 days later. Add the service extension under CCP section 1013 if service was by mail or overnight delivery, and under CCP section 1010.6 if it was electronic service made before January 1, 2027. Electronic service on or after that date adds nothing. Then, under CCP section 12a, roll the result forward to the next court day if it lands on a weekend or judicial holiday.
Does the mail extension apply to discovery responses?
Yes. Service by mail within California adds five calendar days, service outside California but within the United States adds 10, and service outside the United States adds 20. Overnight delivery adds two court days. Electronic service adds two court days if made by December 31, 2026 and nothing from January 1, 2027, when AB 540 (Stats. 2026, ch. 263) removes the extension from CCP section 1010.6. On a response deadline the extension gives you more time; on a notice period it runs the other way and your papers go out earlier.
Does this include California court holidays?
Yes. Judicial holidays are validated against the official Judicial Council calendar, including the ones most desk calendars omit: Lincoln's Birthday on February 12 and Native American Day on the fourth Friday in September. The weekday prints next to every date, so a roll is visible on its face.