(a) Cover sheet required The first paper filed in an action or proceeding must be accompanied by a case cover sheet as required in (b). The cover sheet must be on a form prescribed by the Judicial Council and must be filed in addition to any cover sheet required by local court rule. If the plaintiff indicates on the cover sheet that the case is complex under rule 3.400 et seq., or a collections case under rule 3.740, the plaintiff must serve a copy of the cover sheet with the complaint. In all other cases, the plaintiff is not required to serve the cover sheet. The cover sheet is used for statistical purposes and may affect the assignment of a complex case. (Subd (a) amended effective January 1, 2009; previously amended effective January 1, 2000, January 1, 2002, and January 1, 2007.)
Rule 3.220.Case cover sheet
Division 3. Filing and Service · Chapter 3. Papers to Be Served · Last amended 2009 · Last verified July 29, 2026
In one sentenceRule 3.220 requires the first paper filed in a California civil action to come with a Judicial Council case cover sheet, used to sort cases for statistics and to flag complex or collections filings, and it sets consequences for filing without one.
Full Text of Rule 3.220
(b) List of cover sheets
(1) Civil Case Cover Sheet (form CM-010) must be filed in each civil action or proceeding, except those filed in small claims court or filed under the Probate Code, Family Code, or Welfare and Institutions Code.
(2) [Note: Case cover sheets will be added for use in additional areas of the law as the data collection program expands.] (Subd (b) amended effective January 1, 2007; previously amended effective July 1, 2002, and July 1, 2003.)
(c) Failure to provide cover sheet If a party that is required to provide a cover sheet under this rule or a similar local rule fails to do so or provides a defective or incomplete cover sheet at the time the party’s first paper is submitted for filing, the clerk of the court must file the paper. Failure of a party or a party’s counsel to file a cover sheet as required by this rule may subject that party, its counsel, or both, to sanctions under rule 2.30. (Subd (c) amended effective January 1, 2007; adopted effective January 1, 2002.)
Plain-English Summary
Every new civil case in California starts with paperwork beyond the complaint itself. Rule 3.220 requires that first filing to be accompanied by a case cover sheet on the Judicial Council's own form — the Civil Case Cover Sheet, form CM-010, for nearly every civil case outside small claims, probate, family, and welfare proceedings. Courts use the information to track caseloads and case types, and the form is also where a plaintiff flags a case as complex or as a debt-collection matter, which can steer how the case gets assigned.
Service of the cover sheet is the exception rather than the rule. Most plaintiffs file the cover sheet with the court but never have to hand a copy to the defendant. The one time service matters is when the plaintiff checks the box marking the case complex or a collections case — then a copy must go out with the complaint, so the defendant knows from day one what track the case is on.
Skipping the form does not stop a case from moving forward. The clerk must still accept and file the underlying paper even if the cover sheet is missing, defective, or incomplete. But that leniency has a limit: a party or attorney who fails to file the required cover sheet can still face sanctions under rule 2.30.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to serve the civil case cover sheet on the defendant?
What is the Civil Case Cover Sheet used for?
It is filed with the first paper in almost every civil case for statistical tracking, and it is also where a plaintiff can designate the case as complex, which can affect how the case is assigned.
What happens if I forget to file a cover sheet?
The clerk must still file your paper. Rule 3.220(c) makes clear a missing or defective cover sheet does not block filing, though it can expose the responsible party or attorney to sanctions.
Is the Civil Case Cover Sheet required in every type of case?
No. Small claims cases and cases filed under the Probate Code, Family Code, or Welfare and Institutions Code do not use form CM-010.
Amendment History
Rule 3.220 amended effective January 1, 2009; adopted as rule 982.2 effective July 1, 1996; previously amended and renumbered as rule 201.8 effective July 1, 2002, and as rule 3.220 effective January 1, 2007; previously amended effective January 1, 2000, January 1, 2002, and July 1, 2003.
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
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