California court date calculator
Counts California deadlines in calendar or court days, forward from service or back from a hearing, with the CCP 1013 and 1010.6 days for mail, overnight, fax and e-service added.
- 1.Mon, Nov 9, 2026 is the day of the event and is not counted. (CCP 12)
- 2.Counting forward 30 calendar days, weekends and holidays included, lands on Wed, Dec 9, 2026. Holidays inside the period still count: Nov 11, 2026 (Veterans Day), Nov 26, 2026 (Thanksgiving Day), Nov 27, 2026 (Day after Thanksgiving). (CCP 12)
Counts from the day service of the summons is complete, which for some methods is later than the day the papers are delivered or mailed (CCP 415.10 to 415.50).
Check every result against the rules, any local rule and any order in your case. A court order, a closure of the clerk's office, a local holiday or a rule that sets its own method of counting can change the date. This page is not legal advice and not a docketing system.
Source: Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 12, 12a, 12c, 135, 1005, 1010.6, 1013 and 437c (California Legislative Information); Cal. Rules of Court, rule 1.11; Judicial Council court holidays for 2026 and 2027 (as of 2026-11-09).
CCP 12 and 12a: the counting rule
Exclude the first day and include the last (CCP 12). If the last day is a holiday, the period runs to the next day that is not (CCP 12a). A holiday here means a Saturday, a Sunday, a judicial holiday under CCP 135, and a day the public office concerned is closed for the whole day (CCP 12b).
A summons served on Sunday March 1, 2026 gives 30 days to respond. Day 30 is Tuesday March 31, Farmworkers Day, so the response is due Wednesday April 1. Served a day later, on March 2, the deadline is still April 1: March 31 falls inside the period and counts.
Motions: court days before the hearing
Moving papers are served and filed at least 16 court days before the hearing, the opposition 9 court days before and the reply 5 (CCP 1005(b)). The count runs back from the hearing, leaving the hearing day out (CCP 12c).
For a hearing on Friday March 20, 2026, the motion is due Thursday February 26, the opposition Monday March 9 and the reply Friday March 13. Served by mail within California, the motion needs 5 more calendar days counted back from February 26, which lands on Saturday February 21; the calculator moves it to Friday February 20, because moving it later would cut the notice short.
A summary judgment motion needs 81 days' notice, plus 5, 10 or 20 days for mail and 2 court days for fax or overnight delivery; the opposition is due 20 days and the reply 11 days before the hearing (CCP 437c). For a hearing on Monday June 1, 2026, that is Thursday March 12, Tuesday May 12 and Thursday May 21.
CCP 1013 and 1010.6: days for the method of service
| Served by | Adds | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Mail, within California | 5 calendar days | CCP 1013(a) |
| Mail, another state | 10 calendar days | CCP 1013(a) |
| Mail, outside the US | 20 calendar days | CCP 1013(a) |
| Overnight or Express Mail | 2 court days | CCP 1013(c) |
| Fax | 2 court days | CCP 1013(e) |
| Electronic service | 2 court days | CCP 1010.6(a)(3)(B) |
None of these extends the time for a notice of appeal, a notice of intention to move for a new trial, or a notice of intention to vacate a judgment under section 663a. Motions under section 1005 have their own figures: overnight and fax add 2 calendar days there, not court days.
The calculator adds the days to the period's own last day and applies CCP 12a once, at the end. Discovery mailed on Thursday February 5, 2026 runs 30 days to Saturday March 7, and 5 more to Thursday March 12. Rolling to Monday first would give March 16, the later of two readings in use; the earlier date is the safe one to calendar.
Los Angeles Superior Court (LASC)
LASC observes the statewide judicial holidays, so the same count applies in Los Angeles as in any superior court. In 2027 Farmworkers Day moves to April 10, a Saturday, and the courts close on Friday April 9; the calculator has that date. LASC's local rules and each department's own requirements can set other times for particular filings, and a court order always controls.
The 2026 and 2027 holiday lists are on the court holidays 2026 page, and federal cases in California are counted on the federal deadline calculator.
Questions and answers
Updates
See all
Principles
Timekeeping software free plans: five compared
Timekeeping software free plans suit reliable timer users; compare five apps, their billing limits and when Sixminute's automatic capture pays.
Principles
Law firm time tracking software Netherlands: 11 picks
Law firm time tracking software Netherlands firms can choose includes Sixminute for automatic capture and practice suites for billing and matters.
Principles
Legal time tracking software pricing in 2026
Legal time tracking software pricing compared by plan, billing term and capture coverage, with official prices checked in November 2026.