California Code of Civil Procedure
Service of summons and complaint (3-year limit)
Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 583.210(a)
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.
Not legal advice. Computed dates are informational only. Verify every deadline against the governing rule, your court's local rules, and the judge's standing orders.
How this deadline is computed
- Period
- 3 years
- Counted
- forward
- If it lands on a non-court day
- roll forward
- Service extensions
- none
Dismissal under § 583.250 is mandatory once the period runs.
Worked example
For a triggering event on Monday, June 15, 2026 with service by personal, the deadline under Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 583.210(a) is Friday, June 15, 2029. Every counting step is shown below.
- 1Jun 15, 2026
Trigger date
Monday. The triggering event under Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 583.210(a).
- 2Jun 15, 2026
Exclude the trigger day
The day of the triggering event is not counted. Counting begins with the next day (FRCP 6(a)(1)(A) and analogous state rules).
- 3Jun 15, 2029
Count 3 year(s) forward
Calendar years from the trigger date.
- 4Jun 15, 2029
No service extension
Service by personal does not extend this period under Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 583.210(a).
- 5Jun 15, 2029
No roll needed
Friday is a court day.
- 6Jun 15, 2029
Deadline
Friday, Jun 15, 2029.
Calculate your own date
Open the calculator with this rule already selected and enter your own triggering event.
Use Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 583.210(a) in the calculatorQuestions about Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 583.210(a)
- How many days is the deadline under Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 583.210(a)?
- 3 years, counted after the triggering event. 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.
- Do weekends and holidays count toward the 3 years?
- Yes. Every intervening day counts, including weekends and holidays. Only the final day is adjusted: if it falls on a weekend or holiday, it rolls forward to the next court day.
- Does the day of the triggering event count?
- No. The day of the triggering event is excluded and counting begins the following day, under Fed. R. Civ. P. 6(a)(1)(A) and the analogous state provisions.
- Does the method of service change the deadline under Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 583.210(a)?
- No. This period is not extended by the method of service — it runs from the triggering event itself.
- Worked example: what is the deadline for a triggering event on Monday, June 15, 2026?
- Friday, June 15, 2029, reached in 6 steps with service by personal.
Source and verification
Read the text of Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 583.210(a)
Not yet checked against the official text. This entry encodes the rule as published, but no line-by-line verification against the current statute has been recorded. Confirm the period against the source above before relying on it.
Other California (State Courts) deadlines
- Motion notice period (16 court days before the hearing)Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 1005(b)
- Opposition papers (9 court days before the hearing)Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 1005(b)
- Reply papers (5 court days before the hearing)Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 1005(b)
- Response period extended by in-state mail service (§ 1013(a))Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 1013(a)
- Response period extended by out-of-state mail service (§ 1013(a))Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 1013(a)
- Response period extended by mail service outside the United States (§ 1013(a))Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 1013(a)
- Demurrer to a complaint or cross-complaintCal. Code Civ. Proc. § 430.40(a)
- Motion to strikeCal. Code Civ. Proc. § 435(b)(1)
- Summary judgment motion — 75 days' noticeCal. Code Civ. Proc. § 437c(a)(2)
- Summary judgment opposition — 14 days before the hearingCal. Code Civ. Proc. § 437c(b)(2)