58 federal and California deadline periods, each with its citation, counting unit, and service extensions. Open any rule for a worked example and the full counting sequence.
A defendant must serve an answer within 21 days after being served with the summons and complaint. Enter the date of service as the trigger.
A defendant who timely returns a waiver of service must answer within 60 days after the request for waiver was sent. Enter the date the request was sent as the trigger.
When the waiver request was sent to a defendant outside any judicial district of the United States, the answer is due 90 days after the request was sent.
The United States, a United States agency, or a United States officer or employee sued in an official capacity must serve an answer within 60 days after service on the United States attorney.
If the court denies a Rule 12 motion or postpones its disposition until trial, the responsive pleading must be served within 14 days after notice of the court's action.
A party may amend once as a matter of course within 21 days after serving the pleading, or — if the pleading requires a response — within 21 days after service of a responsive pleading or of a Rule 12(b), (e), or (f) motion, whichever is earlier.
Unless the court orders otherwise, any required response to an amended pleading must be made within the time remaining to respond to the original pleading or within 14 days after service of the amended pleading, whichever is later.
The parties must confer at least 21 days before a scheduling conference is to be held or a scheduling order is due under Rule 16(b). Enter the scheduling conference date as the trigger; the result is the latest permissible conference date.
The parties must submit a written report outlining the discovery plan within 14 days after the Rule 26(f) conference.
The responding party must serve answers and any objections within 30 days after being served with the interrogatories.
The party to whom a request for production is directed must respond within 30 days after being served.
A matter is admitted unless, within 30 days after being served, the party serves a written answer or objection. This deadline is self-executing — missing it admits the matter.
A renewed motion for judgment as a matter of law must be filed no later than 28 days after the entry of judgment.
A motion to amend the court's findings or make additional findings must be filed no later than 28 days after the entry of judgment.
A motion for a new trial must be filed no later than 28 days after the entry of judgment.
A motion to alter or amend a judgment must be filed no later than 28 days after the entry of the judgment.
Unless a statute or court order provides otherwise, a motion for attorney's fees must be filed no later than 14 days after the entry of judgment.
A party has 14 days after being served with a magistrate judge's non-dispositive order, or with a report and recommendation on a dispositive matter, to serve and file objections.
A motion under Rule 60(b)(1), (2), or (3) — mistake, newly discovered evidence, or fraud — must be made no more than one year after entry of the judgment or order.
A generic 14-day period computed under Rule 6(a): exclude the day of the triggering event, count every day, and roll forward if the last day is a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday.
When a party may or must act within a specified time after being served, 3 days are added after the period would otherwise expire — for service by mail, by leaving with the clerk, or by other means consented to.
In a civil case, the notice of appeal must be filed with the district clerk within 30 days after entry of the judgment or order appealed from.
When the United States, a United States agency, or a United States officer or employee sued in an official capacity is a party, the notice of appeal may be filed within 60 days after entry of the judgment or order.
If one party timely files a notice of appeal, any other party may file within 14 days after the date the first notice was filed, or within the time otherwise allowed — whichever is later.
In a criminal case, a defendant's notice of appeal must be filed within 14 days after the entry of the judgment or order being appealed, or the filing of the government's notice of appeal.
A motion to extend the time to file a notice of appeal must be filed no later than 30 days after the original appeal period expires. Enter the original appeal deadline as the trigger.
Unless the time is shortened or extended by order or local rule, a petition for panel rehearing may be filed within 14 days after entry of judgment.
In a civil case where the United States, a United States agency, or a United States officer or employee sued in an official capacity is a party, a petition for panel rehearing may be filed within 45 days after entry of judgment.
The appellant must serve and file a brief within 40 days after the record is filed. Enter the date the record was filed as the trigger.
The appellee must serve and file a brief within 30 days after the appellant's brief is served.
The appellant may serve and file a reply brief within 21 days after service of the appellee's brief — but at least 7 days before argument unless the court permits later filing.
A party who wants costs taxed must file an itemized and verified bill of costs within 14 days after entry of judgment.
A defendant may move for a judgment of acquittal, or renew such a motion, within 14 days after a guilty verdict or after the court discharges the jury, whichever is later.
A motion for a new trial grounded on any reason other than newly discovered evidence must be filed within 14 days after the verdict or finding of guilty.
A motion for a new trial grounded on newly discovered evidence must be filed within 3 years after the verdict or finding of guilty.
Within 14 days after sentencing, the court may correct a sentence that resulted from arithmetical, technical, or other clear error.
In a Chapter 7 case, a complaint objecting to the debtor's discharge must be filed no later than 60 days after the first date set for the meeting of creditors under § 341(a). Enter that first scheduled date as the trigger.
A complaint to determine the dischargeability of a debt under § 523(c) must be filed no later than 60 days after the first date set for the meeting of creditors under § 341(a).
A notice of appeal must be filed with the bankruptcy clerk within 14 days after entry of the judgment, order, or decree being appealed.
Moving papers must be served and filed at least 16 court days before the hearing. Counted backward from the hearing date, skipping weekends and judicial holidays. Enter the hearing date as the trigger.
All papers opposing a noticed motion must be served and filed at least 9 court days before the hearing.
All reply papers must be served and filed at least 5 court days before the hearing.
Service by mail within California extends a response period by 5 calendar days. Modeled here on a 30-day base response period.
When the place of address is outside California but within the United States, mail service extends a response period by 10 calendar days. Modeled on a 30-day base period.
When the place of address is outside the United States, mail service extends a response period by 20 calendar days. Modeled on a 30-day base period.
A party may demur to a complaint or cross-complaint within 30 days after service, unless extended by stipulation or court order.
A party may serve and file a notice of motion to strike the whole or any part of a pleading within the time allowed to respond to it — 30 days after service of a complaint or cross-complaint.
Notice of a motion for summary judgment and supporting papers must be served on all other parties at least 75 days before the hearing. Enter the hearing date as the trigger.
Opposition papers to a motion for summary judgment must be served and filed not less than 14 days preceding the noticed date of hearing.
Reply papers on a motion for summary judgment must be served and filed not less than 5 days preceding the noticed date of hearing.
The responding party must serve responses to interrogatories within 30 days after service of the interrogatories.
The party to whom a demand for inspection, copying, testing, or sampling is directed must respond within 30 days after service of the demand.
The party to whom requests for admission are directed must serve a response within 30 days after service of the requests.
A notice of intention to move for a new trial must be filed and served within 15 days after the date of mailing of the notice of entry of judgment by the clerk, or service of written notice of entry by a party, or 180 days after entry of judgment — whichever is earliest.
The summons and complaint must be served on a defendant within three years after the action is commenced. Enter the filing date as the trigger.
An action must be brought to trial within five years after it is commenced against the defendant. Enter the filing date as the trigger.
A notice of appeal must be filed within 60 days after the clerk serves a document entitled 'Notice of Entry' of judgment or a filed-endorsed copy of the judgment, or after a party serves such a document.
If neither the clerk nor a party serves a notice of entry, the notice of appeal must be filed within 180 days after entry of judgment. Enter the entry date as the trigger.