The caption of a declaration must state the name of the declarant and must specifically identify the motion or other proceeding that it supports or opposes.
Rule 3.1115.Declarations
Division 11. Law and Motion · Chapter 2. Format of Motion Papers · Last amended 2007 · Last verified July 29, 2026
In one sentenceRule 3.1115 requires the caption of any declaration filed in support of or opposition to a motion or other proceeding to state the declarant’s name and identify the specific matter the declaration addresses.
Full Text of Rule 3.1115
Plain-English Summary
Rule 3.1115 is one sentence, and it does one job: it tells you what has to sit at the top of a declaration. The caption must give the declarant’s name and identify, specifically, the motion or other proceeding the declaration supports or opposes.
That sounds minor, but it solves a real filing problem. Declarations pile up fast in a motion practice — a single hearing might draw declarations from a party, an attorney, and several witnesses, all filed around the same time. Without a caption that names the declarant and pins down exactly which motion the declaration relates to, a clerk or a judge flipping through a case file has no quick way to match a given declaration to the argument it is meant to support.
Frequently Asked Questions
What has to be on the first page of a declaration?
The declarant’s name and a specific identification of the motion or other proceeding the declaration supports or opposes. Rule 3.1115 requires both in the caption.
Can one declaration support more than one motion without saying so?
The rule requires the caption to identify the particular motion or proceeding the declaration addresses, so a declaration meant to support multiple filings should say so specifically rather than leave the connection to guesswork.
Amendment History
Rule 3.1115 amended and renumbered effective January 1, 2007; adopted as rule 315 effective January 1, 1984.
Source & verification. Rule text is reproduced verbatim from
the Judicial Council of California. Adopted by the Judicial Council of California.
Last verified July 29, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: declaration caption requirements californiawhat goes on top of a declarationrule 3.1115 declarations