A response shall be served and filed within 10 days after service of the petition except that if the petition is served in the manner provided in paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 1290.4, the response shall be served and filed within 30 days after service of the petition. The time provided in this section for serving and filing a response may be extended by an agreement in writing between the parties to the court proceeding or, for good cause, by order of the court.
§ 1290.6.Time For Serving and Filing Response
Title 9. Arbitration · Chapter 5. General Provisions Relating to Judicial Proceedings · Article 1. Petitions and Responses · Enacted 1961 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 29, 2026
In one sentenceSection 1290.6 gives a respondent 10 days after service of the petition to serve and file a response, or 30 days if the petition was served by out-of-state mail, and lets the parties or the court extend that period.
Full Text of § 1290.6
Plain-English Summary
This section supplies the deadline that matches the service rules in Section 1290.4. Ordinarily, a response must be served and filed within 10 days after service of the petition.
That window stretches to 30 days when the petition itself was served under the out-of-state mail procedure in Section 1290.4, since that longer service method already assumes more time is needed to reach the respondent. Either deadline can move, though: the parties may agree in writing to extend it, or the court may extend it for good cause even without the parties' agreement, giving some flexibility when circumstances warrant more time.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a respondent have to serve and file a response to a petition?
10 days after service of the petition, or 30 days if the petition was served by the out-of-state mail method under Section 1290.4.
Can the response deadline be extended?
Yes. The parties may extend it by written agreement, or the court may extend it for good cause.
Why is the response deadline longer for out-of-state mail service?
Because that service method already takes longer to reach the respondent, so the response period is stretched to match.
Amendment History
Added by Stats. 1961, Ch. 461.
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
the Deering's California Codes Annotated / vLex. Enacted by the California Legislature.
Last verified July 29, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: deadline to respond to arbitration petitionextend time to respond arbitration petition