California civil deadlines · transparent counting

California Court Date Calculator: count backward. See every day.

This court date calculator counts California court days or calendar days from a date you already know. Enter the starting date, choose the kind of days, and select whether the deadline falls before or after that date. The result shows every counting step and the statewide holidays that were skipped.

Use the California court date calculator as a careful first pass, then compare the answer with the statute, local rules, and your court’s calendar. Different filings use different counting rules, so choose a specific calculator below when you are working with a motion, summary judgment motion, or summons.

Statewide holidays are built in. Your inputs stay in this browser.

Rules verified Jul 15, 2026 · Holidays through Dec 31, 2027

The date you’re counting from — a hearing date, a service date, or today.

Day Type

Court days skip weekends and court holidays. Calendar days count every day.

Direction

“Before” counts backward — used for deadlines like “16 court days before the hearing.”

Need a specific deadline instead? Pick a calculator below.

Sample calculation shown. Enter your own dates on the left to get yours.

Result Date

Monday, July 13, 2026

  1. 1

    Base period: 10 calendar days forward from Wed, Jul 1, 2026 → Sat, Jul 11, 2026

  2. 2

    Sat, Jul 11, 2026 is not a court day → extended to next court day (CCP § 12a/§ 12c)

  3. Final deadline: Monday, July 13, 2026

Calendar download and link sharing unlock once you calculate with your own dates.

This calculator is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. It does not create an attorney-client relationship. Deadlines depend on facts of your case and local rules — always confirm with the court or a licensed California attorney.

Statewide court holidays applied. Individual courts may observe additional closure dates — check your court’s official calendar.

Rule-Specific Tools

Need a Specific Deadline?

These tools apply the rule’s own base period, service extension, and related filing dates.

CCP § 1005

Motion Deadlines

Find the moving-paper, opposition, and reply dates for a noticed motion hearing.

Calculate →

2026 · AB 2049

MSJ Deadlines

Use the current 81/20/11 schedule for a California summary judgment motion.

Calculate →

30-day response period

Summons Response

Work from the legally complete service date to estimate the last day to respond.

Calculate →

Plain-Language Method

How the Court Date Calculator Counts Days

A court date calculator is useful only when the input and counting direction match the governing rule. Begin with the date identified by the statute or notice. That might be a hearing date, service date, mailing date, or another event. The tool does not decide which date controls your case; it performs the count you request and makes the arithmetic visible so you can check it.

Step 1

Start the Court Date Calculator With the Right Date

Copy the date from the filed notice, proof of service, court order, or statute. Do not substitute the day you opened the mail unless the rule actually uses that event.

Step 2

Choose Court or Calendar Days

Calendar days include every date. Court days omit Saturdays, Sundays, and listed judicial holidays. The controlling statute tells you which unit applies.

Step 3

Check the Landing Date

After the base count, confirm whether the final date is a court day and whether the applicable rule moves the date forward or backward.

California Code of Civil Procedure § 12 generally excludes the first day and includes the last day. In practical terms, a forward ten-day count begins on the day after the start date. A backward count similarly begins with the preceding date. The court date calculator exposes that first-day exclusion in its step trace instead of silently returning a date.

Court Date Calculator: Court Days Versus Calendar Days

A calendar-day period counts Mondays, weekends, holidays, and every date between them. The calendar may still affect the last day: when a forward deadline lands on a weekend or court holiday, Code of Civil Procedure § 12a commonly extends it to the next court day. When a deadline is counted backward, § 12c may require an earlier court day. Always read the statute that creates the deadline because a specific rule can change the general result.

A court-day period is different from a calendar period with a landing adjustment. During a court-day count, each weekend and listed judicial holiday is skipped throughout the count. That is why the California court day calculator may travel much farther across the calendar than the number entered. Sixteen court days before a hearing is not normally the same date as sixteen calendar days before it.

The phrase “court days” can also be confused with “business days.” Use the term stated by the controlling California rule. This court days calculator California workflow uses statewide judicial holidays, but a particular superior court may close for a local event or emergency. A local closure is a reason to verify the answer, not a reason to guess a different counting unit.

Counting UnitDates IncludedWhat to Verify
Calendar daysEvery date, including weekends and holidaysThe final-day adjustment and any service extension
Court daysWeekdays when the court is openStatewide holidays and additional local closures

Worked Examples

Two Court Date Calculator Examples: Forward and Backward

Forward, With a Weekend Landing

Suppose the start date is Wednesday, July 1, 2026, and the instruction is to count ten calendar days after that date. The start day is excluded, so July 2 is day one. Day ten is Saturday, July 11. Because that landing date is not a court day, the forward calculation moves to Monday, July 13, 2026. The example result shown in the tool comes from the same calculation engine and verified holiday table used for your entries.

  1. Exclude July 1. The count starts the next day.
  2. Count ten calendar days. The provisional date is July 11.
  3. Adjust the landing. Saturday moves forward to Monday, July 13.

This worked example does not mean every ten-day deadline moves in the same direction. A backward period can use an earlier adjustment, and a specialized statute can provide its own rule. The court date calculator shows arithmetic; the legal source tells you which arithmetic to request.

Backward, From a Hearing Date

Moving papers for a noticed motion are generally due at least 16 court days before the hearing. The calendar below counts backward from a hearing date, skips weekends and statewide court holidays along the way, and adds the mail-service extension.

A worked example

Motion filing deadline, counted back

CCP § 1005(b)

Hearing Fri, Sep 18, 2026 · served by mail in California

August — September 2026

  1. Sun, Aug 16, 2026 — 2026-08-16
  2. Mon, Aug 17, 2026 — 2026-08-17
  3. Tue, Aug 18, 2026 — 2026-08-18
  4. Wed, Aug 19, 2026 — 2026-08-19
  5. Thu, Aug 20, 2026 — 2026-08-20
  6. Fri, Aug 21, 2026 — Deadline
  7. Sat, Aug 22, 2026 — Mail extension
  8. Sun, Aug 23, 2026 — Mail extension
  9. Mon, Aug 24, 2026 — Mail extension
  10. Tue, Aug 25, 2026 — Mail extension
  11. Wed, Aug 26, 2026 — Court day 16
  12. Thu, Aug 27, 2026 — Court day 15
  13. Fri, Aug 28, 2026 — Court day 14
  14. Sat, Aug 29, 2026 — Weekend — skipped
  15. Sun, Aug 30, 2026 — Weekend — skipped
  16. Mon, Aug 31, 2026 — Court day 13
  17. Tue, Sep 1, 2026 — Court day 12
  18. Wed, Sep 2, 2026 — Court day 11
  19. Thu, Sep 3, 2026 — Court day 10
  20. Fri, Sep 4, 2026 — Court day 9
  21. Sat, Sep 5, 2026 — Weekend — skipped
  22. Sun, Sep 6, 2026 — Weekend — skipped
  23. Mon, Sep 7, 2026 — Court holiday
  24. Tue, Sep 8, 2026 — Court day 8
  25. Wed, Sep 9, 2026 — Court day 7
  26. Thu, Sep 10, 2026 — Court day 6
  27. Fri, Sep 11, 2026 — Court day 5
  28. Sat, Sep 12, 2026 — Weekend — skipped
  29. Sun, Sep 13, 2026 — Weekend — skipped
  30. Mon, Sep 14, 2026 — Court day 4
  31. Tue, Sep 15, 2026 — Court day 3
  32. Wed, Sep 16, 2026 — Court day 2
  33. Thu, Sep 17, 2026 — Court day 1
  34. Fri, Sep 18, 2026 — Hearing
  35. Sat, Sep 19, 2026 — 2026-09-19
Hearing dateCourt day countedWeekend — skippedCourt holiday — skippedMail extension · 5 daysFiling deadline

File and serve moving papers by

Friday, August 21, 2026

16 court days + 5 mail

Holidays, Court Closures, and the California Court Date Calculator

The California court date calculator reads a maintained list of statewide judicial holidays. The verified badge states when the legal rules were reviewed and the last date covered by the holiday file. If your count crosses beyond that coverage, the result warns you instead of pretending future dates are complete. That warning matters because a missing holiday can change every later court-day position.

Statewide data cannot promise that an individual courthouse was open. Fires, emergencies, local administrative orders, and county-specific observances can affect access. Check the superior court’s official calendar and any order addressing the relevant date. If e-filing or service timing is involved, also confirm cutoff times and local electronic-filing rules; this tool calculates dates, not filing-hour deadlines.

For a detailed explanation of skipped dates, read the forthcoming guide to counting court days in California. If your task is a noticed motion, use the motion deadline calculator so the proper base period and service method are applied together.

Before You File

Verify Every Court Date Calculator Result

Treat the result as a transparent worksheet. Confirm the trigger date against the document, confirm that the statute uses court or calendar days, and confirm the direction of the count. Then review the timeline for skipped dates and landing adjustments. A copied date entered one day late produces a polished but wrong answer, so input review is as important as arithmetic.

  • Match the event date to the governing document.
  • Read the cited statute and any current amendments.
  • Check statewide holidays and local court closures.
  • Allow time for filing, service, and technical problems.

The court date calculator is not an official court determination and cannot evaluate facts, extensions ordered by a judge, stipulations, or emergency rules. When a deadline affects a legal right, confirm it with the court or a licensed California attorney. Saving the result to a calendar is helpful, but it does not replace that final review.

Quick Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is a Court Day in California?

A California court day is a weekday when the court is open. Saturdays, Sundays, and statewide judicial holidays do not count. Government Code § 6700 identifies state holidays, while individual courts may publish additional local closure dates.

What Is the Difference Between Court Days and Calendar Days?

Calendar days include every day. Court days exclude weekends and court holidays. California Code of Civil Procedure § 12 generally excludes the first day and includes the last, but the statute governing your filing decides which kind of day to count.

Does This Court Date Calculator Include California Court Holidays?

Yes. The calculator applies the statewide California judicial holidays listed in its verified holiday data for 2025 through 2027. A superior court may observe an additional closure, so compare the result with that court’s official calendar.

Is This Court Date Calculator Official?

No. This is an independent informational tool, not a court service or law firm. The Los Angeles Superior Court publishes its own basic date calculator, and every user should confirm a deadline with the governing rule, the court, or a licensed California attorney.