The time in which any act provided by law is to be done is computed by excluding the first day, and including the last, unless the last day is a holiday, and then it is also excluded.
§ 12.Computation of time, first and last days
Preliminary Provisions · Enacted 1872 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 12 sets the baseline rule for counting deadlines: exclude the first day, include the last day, and exclude the last day too if it happens to be a holiday.
Full Text of § 12
Plain-English Summary
Section 12 is the starting point for every deadline computed under California civil procedure. Count the days between two events by leaving out the first day and counting the last day — unless that last day turns out to be a holiday, in which case leave it out as well.
Sections 12a through 12c build on this baseline: 12a tells you what to do when the last day is a holiday (push the deadline forward), and 12c tells you how to count backward from a hearing date instead of forward from a starting event.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you count days under the California Code of Civil Procedure?
Exclude the first day and include the last day, per Section 12 — unless the last day is a holiday, in which case exclude that day too.
What happens if the deadline lands on a holiday?
Section 12 excludes that day from the count, and Section 12a explains where the deadline lands instead.
Amendment History
Enacted 1872.
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
the Deering's California Codes Annotated / vLex. Enacted by the California Legislature.
Last verified July 28, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: how to compute time California civil procedureCCP section 12 computation of timefirst and last day rule California