MSJ Deadline Calculator California
This MSJ deadline calculator applies California’s current timing for a motion for summary judgment or summary adjudication under Code of Civil Procedure § 437c. Enter the hearing date, choose the MSJ moving papers’ service method, and optionally enter the trial date.
The California MSJ deadline calculator uses the 81/20/11 calendar-day schedule effective January 1, 2025. Deadlines changed under AB 2049; calculators and guides that still use 75/14/5 are out of date.
Last Day to File & Serve the MSJ
Monday, September 14, 2026
- 1
Last day to file & serve the MSJ: 81 calendar days backward from Fri, Dec 4, 2026 → Mon, Sep 14, 2026
- Final deadline: Monday, September 14, 2026
Opposition Due
Friday, November 13, 2026
No service-method extension applies to MSJ opposition or reply papers (CCP § 437c). Serve them by a method that ensures next-business-day delivery.
Reply Due
Monday, November 23, 2026
No service-method extension applies to MSJ opposition or reply papers (CCP § 437c). Serve them by a method that ensures next-business-day delivery.
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.
Current California Rule
What Changed in the MSJ Deadline Calculator Under AB 2049?
AB 2049 amended § 437c for motions filed on or after its effective date. The minimum notice period increased from 75 to 81 calendar days, the opposition period increased from 14 to 20 calendar days, and the reply period increased from 5 to 11 calendar days. The change gives each stage more time, but it also makes an old MSJ checklist dangerous because every date in a 75/14/5 schedule can be too late.
The MSJ deadline calculator does not ask you to choose between the old and current schedule. Its verified rule data applies the effective rule to the hearing and trigger dates. If your case raises a transition issue, do not infer the answer from this summary; read the statute and any controlling court order.
MSJ Deadline Calculator: Current and Obsolete Periods
| Filing Stage | Current Rule | Obsolete Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Moving papers / notice | 81 calendar days before hearing | 75 days |
| Opposition | 20 calendar days before hearing | 14 days |
| Reply | 11 calendar days before hearing | 5 days |
All three periods use calendar days, unlike the court-day periods for regular noticed motions under § 1005. Calendar days include weekends and holidays during the count. A final date that lands when the court is closed can still move under the applicable landing rule. That distinction is why the summary judgment deadline calculator California page does not reuse the regular-motion counting routine.
Three Separate Counts
How the MSJ Deadline Calculator Counts 81/20/11
The MSJ hearing date is the anchor for all three results. The calculate MSJ deadlines workflow excludes that date and counts backward 81 calendar days for the moving papers, 20 calendar days for opposition, and 11 calendar days for reply. Each provisional date receives its own landing analysis. The calculations do not chain from notice to opposition or from opposition to reply.
Step 1
Start the MSJ Deadline Calculator With the Hearing
Enter the actual MSJ hearing date from the reservation, notice, or court order. Confirm it before calculating because every result depends on it.
Step 2
Count Calendar Days Backward
Weekends and holidays remain in the 81, 20, and 11-day counts. Only a non-court-day landing is adjusted.
Step 3
Check Service and Trial Spacing
Apply the selected MSJ service extension to moving papers and compare the hearing with an optional trial date.
The MSJ deadline calculator keeps the intermediate MSJ date visible. This matters when an 81-day result lands on a weekend or when an electronic-service extension crosses a holiday. You can see whether the base period, extension, or final adjustment produced the displayed date and then verify the same sequence against the statute.
Worked Schedule
MSJ Deadline Calculator Example for a December 4, 2026 Hearing
Assume the hearing is Friday, December 4, 2026, and the moving papers are personally served. The 81-calendar-day notice date is Monday, September 14, 2026. Twenty calendar days before the hearing is Saturday, November 14, so the opposition date moves earlier to Friday, November 13. Eleven calendar days before the hearing is Monday, November 23, 2026, which is already a court day.
Notice due
Monday, September 14, 2026
Opposition due
Friday, November 13, 2026
Reply due
Monday, November 23, 2026
If the same moving papers are electronically served, the configured 2-court-day extension requires earlier notice; the golden calculation reaches Thursday, September 10, 2026. The opposition and reply dates do not receive that extension. Change the selected service method only when it matches how the moving papers will actually be served.
Service Extensions in the California MSJ Deadline Calculator
The MSJ 81-day period is a minimum notice period, so mail or electronic service can require the papers to be served earlier. The rule data applies the selected extension after the base 81-calendar-day count, using the extension’s own calendar-day or court-day unit. That sequence preserves the difference between an electronic extension and a mail extension instead of flattening both into ordinary dates.
The MSJ service extension applies to moving papers. It does not extend the 20-day opposition or 11-day reply periods. Like regular motion papers, opposition and reply must be served by a method that satisfies the statute’s prompt-delivery requirement. The result card places that warning beside those dates so the absence of an extension is not mistaken for missing functionality.
Review the current text of § 437c and the service statutes before filing. An agreement, scheduling order, amended hearing date, or local rule can affect the practical MSJ schedule. The MSJ deadline calculator reports the configured statewide rule; it does not determine whether service was valid in the facts of a particular case.
Trial-Date Check for an MSJ Hearing
Code of Civil Procedure § 437c(a)(3) generally provides that the hearing must be at least 30 days before trial unless the court orders otherwise. When you enter a trial date, the summary judgment deadline calculator California workflow compares the hearing with trial and warns if the gap is shorter. The warning does not move the hearing or choose a replacement date; only the court controls its calendar.
A trial date can change after the motion is filed. Recalculate after any continuance and read the new order carefully. A changed MSJ hearing date also changes all three backward deadlines. Avoid treating a calendar export as permanent when the court later modifies either anchor.
For a fuller explanation of the amendment, service methods, and trial spacing, continue to the MSJ deadlines 2026 guide. To compare the different counting units, read how California counts court days.
Before You Rely on It
Verify the MSJ Deadline Calculator Result
Confirm that the motion is governed by § 437c, use the assigned MSJ hearing date, and identify the actual service method for moving papers. Check every intermediate date, holiday adjustment, and service extension. Then compare the hearing with trial and review local rules, the judge’s procedures, and any scheduling order.
- Reject any source still using 75/14/5 without a transition analysis.
- Verify whether service adds calendar days or court days.
- Confirm the hearing remains at least 30 days before trial.
- File early enough to address rejection or service problems.
The MSJ deadline calculator is an informational counting aid, not legal advice or a court ruling. Summary judgment deadlines can affect the disposition of a case. When a date is close, disputed, or already past, consult the court or a licensed California attorney promptly.
Quick Answers
Frequently Asked Questions
What Changed for MSJ Deadlines Under AB 2049?
Effective Jan 1, 2025, AB 2049 replaced the historical 75/14/5 timing with 81 calendar days for notice under CCP § 437c(a)(2), 20 calendar days for opposition under CCP § 437c(b)(2), and 11 calendar days for reply under CCP § 437c(b)(4). The MSJ deadline calculator presents these current MSJ periods.
Are MSJ Deadlines Counted in Court Days or Calendar Days?
The current periods are 81 calendar days for notice, 20 calendar days for opposition, and 11 calendar days for reply. The MSJ deadline calculator treats each MSJ period as calendar time, but a final date that lands on a weekend or judicial holiday may move under the applicable landing rule.
Does Electronic Service Extend the 81-Day MSJ Notice Period?
The current rule data lists these moving-paper service adjustments: personal service: 0 calendar days; mail within California: 5 calendar days under CCP § 437c(a)(2); mail elsewhere in the United States: 10 calendar days under CCP § 437c(a)(2); international mail: 20 calendar days under CCP § 437c(a)(2); express delivery: 2 court days under CCP § 437c(a)(2); electronic service: 2 court days under CCP § 1010.6(a)(3)(B). The MSJ deadline calculator applies the selected adjustment to MSJ notice only; it does not extend opposition or reply.
How Close to Trial May an MSJ Hearing Be Set?
Code of Civil Procedure § 437c(a)(3) generally requires the hearing to occur at least 30 days before trial unless the court orders otherwise. The MSJ trial-date check flags a schedule with less than that interval.