When Are Interrogatory Responses Due in California?

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.

Responses to interrogatories are due 30 days after service. Code of Civil Procedure section 2030.260 sets that clock, and it starts on the day the interrogatories are served, not the day you receive them or the day you first read them.

The 30 days is only the starting point. How the discovery was served changes the real due date, and this is where calendaring mistakes happen.

Service extensions that change your due date

If the interrogatories were served electronically on or before December 31, 2026, add 2 court days (CCP section 1010.6). Electronic service on or after January 1, 2027 adds nothing, because AB 540 (Stats. 2026, ch. 263) takes the extension out of the statute. Served by mail sent and addressed within California, add 5 calendar days. If either the place of mailing or the address is outside California but inside the US, add 10, and if either is outside the country, add 20 (CCP section 1013(a)). Express mail or overnight delivery adds 2 court days. Personal service adds nothing.

Then one more rule: if the final day lands on a weekend or a court holiday, the deadline rolls forward to the next court day (CCP section 12a). California courts observe holidays most people forget about, including Lincoln's Birthday in February and Native American Day in September, so a deadline that looks fine on a regular calendar can move.

Our calculator stacks all of this for you. Enter the service date and method, get the real due date.

Your dates

Example, not your dates

Example: interrogatories served Nov 20, 2026, mailed in California

MON

Monday, December 28, 2026

CCP § 2030.260(a)

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.

What happens if you miss the deadline

You waive all objections, including attorney-client privilege and work product (CCP section 2030.290). The propounding party can move to compel and seek sanctions. Relief from waiver exists, but it requires a motion, a showing of mistake or excusable neglect, and responses in substantial compliance. Nobody wants to write that motion.

FAQ

Can the parties agree to extend the deadline?

Yes. CCP section 2030.270 allows a written agreement extending the time. Get it in writing, and confirm the agreement preserves objections.

Do the responses need to be verified?

Yes, unless the response contains only objections: the responding party signs it under oath (CCP section 2030.250(a)). An entity signs through an officer or agent (section 2030.250(b)). The 45-day clock for a motion to compel further responses runs from service of the verified response (CCP section 2030.300(c)).

Does the deadline change in unlawful detainer cases?

Yes. The response period is 5 days from service in unlawful detainer proceedings, not 30 (CCP section 2030.260(b)).

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