San Francisco Ex Parte Deadlines: Two Hours Before the Hearing

Not legal advice. Rules checked against the code on August 20, 2026. Verify every date yourself. Read the full disclaimer

Core CCP rules were checked against Westlaw (via CoCounsel legal research) on August 20, 2026. County local rules are paraphrased summaries; individual department standing orders are NOT included. Verify every date against the operative code sections and your court’s rules before relying on it. Using this site creates no attorney-client relationship.

San Francisco measures the filing deadline in hours before the hearing rather than against a clock time on the previous day, and it is the only county on this site that does. Endorsed-filed moving papers are due to the Law and Motion clerk no later than two hours before the hearing. With Law and Motion sitting at 11:00 a.m., that is a 9:00 a.m. deadline on the morning of, not a deadline the day before.

The statewide notice rule has not moved, though, and the two do not line up. Notice is still due by 10:00 a.m. the court day before under CRC 3.1203(a), so the notice obligation lands a full day ahead of a filing obligation measured in hours. Work from the notice date; the filing hour is the easy half.

Then check which department you are in. Rule 9.0 splits ex parte practice across Law and Motion, the Presiding Judge, Real Property, and Civil Case Management, each with its own time and mechanics, and Real Property runs on noon the day before rather than the two-hour rule.

Your dates

The rule, before you enter anything

Notify all parties no later than 10:00 a.m. on the court day before the ex parte appearance. CRC 3.1203(a). That is a clock deadline, not a date deadline. It is not extended by mail or electronic service, and if the day before the hearing is not a court day the deadline moves to the preceding court day, never the following one.

Then there is the county filing deadline, which is usually the one that bites. Enter a date and pick your county.

The San Francisco rule, in full

Filing: Two hours before the hearing. "Endorsed-filed copies of all moving papers must be submitted to the clerk in the Law and Motion Department no later than two (2) hours prior to hearing." In practice: e-file the moving papers AND deliver a copy to Dept. 301 (odd case numbers) or Dept. 302 (even). Real Property Court differs: 12:00 p.m. the day before (LRSF 8.10(C)(2)).
Reservation: Required only for a defined subset: a temporary restraining order, alternative writ, appointment of a receiver or similar matter must be scheduled with the court at least 24 hours in advance (by email to the Dept. 301 or 302 calendar address, or by phone). For ordinary ex parte applications no reservation is required by rule.
Notice: Rule 9 incorporates CRC 3.1200-3.1207 in its own caption. No SF-specific notice hour was found.
Opposition: Not published. San Francisco sets no county-wide opposition deadline, which is the ordinary position in California.
When heard: Law and Motion / Discovery: 11:00 a.m. Monday to Friday. Presiding Judge: 11:00 a.m. Tuesday to Friday. Real Property Court: 9:00 a.m. Monday to Friday, except Tuesday 10:00 a.m. reserved solely for UD stays of execution.
E-filing: All papers in Designated Cases must be e-filed, and Designated Cases include all general civil except small claims (LRSF 2.11(A)(3), (C)(1)).
Department variation: Rule 9.0 itself splits ex parte practice among Law and Motion, the Presiding Judge, Real Property, Civil Case Management, family and probate, each with different times and mechanics. SF does not send you to an individual judge standing order. In the Civil Case Management Department ex parte applications other than to shorten time are submitted on the papers with no personal appearance, and require a proposed order and a self-addressed stamped envelope (LRSF 3.4).
Rules relied on: LRSF Rule 9.0 (Ex Parte Applications, CRC 3.1200-3.1207); LRSF 3.4 (Civil Case Management); LRSF 8.10(C) (Real Property)
Edition read: Uniform Local Rules revised Jul 1 2026; Rule 9 last revised Jan 1 2024. Court source

What is not here

The family and probate variants. Rule 9.0 reaches them too, and they carry their own times and mechanics that this calculator does not model. What San Francisco does not do is send you to an individual judge’s standing order, which makes the department, rather than the judge, the thing to identify first.

FAQ

What is the San Francisco ex parte filing deadline?

Two hours before the hearing. LRSF Rule 9.0 requires endorsed-filed copies of all moving papers to be submitted to the clerk in the Law and Motion Department no later than two hours prior to the hearing. In practice that means e-filing the moving papers and delivering a copy to Department 301 for odd case numbers or Department 302 for even.

Is the Real Property Court deadline the same?

No. Real Property Court runs on noon the day before under LRSF 8.10(C)(2), which is a different rule from the two-hour Law and Motion deadline and a full day earlier.

Do you need to reserve a San Francisco ex parte hearing?

Only for a defined subset. A temporary restraining order, alternative writ, appointment of a receiver or similar matter must be scheduled with the court at least 24 hours in advance, by email to the Department 301 or 302 calendar address or by phone. For ordinary ex parte applications no reservation is required by rule.

When are ex parte applications heard in San Francisco?

Law and Motion and Discovery at 11:00 a.m. Monday to Friday. The Presiding Judge at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday to Friday. Real Property Court at 9:00 a.m. Monday to Friday, except Tuesday at 10:00 a.m., which is reserved solely for unlawful detainer stays of execution.

Is there a San Francisco specific ex parte notice deadline?

No. Rule 9.0 incorporates CRC 3.1200 to 3.1207 in its own caption and no San Francisco specific notice hour was found, so the statewide 10:00 a.m. the court day before applies.

Practicing in another county? Compare all 17 county rules.