(a) Unless the court orders otherwise under Section 2025.260, the deposition of a natural person, whether or not a party to the action, shall be taken at a place that is, at the option of the party giving notice of the deposition, either within 75 miles of the deponent's residence, or within the county where the action is pending and within 150 miles of the deponent's residence.
§ 2025.250.Location of deposition; mileage restrictions
Title 4. Civil Discovery Act · Chapter 9. Oral Deposition Inside California · Article 2. Deposition Notice · Last amended 2005 · Last verified July 29, 2026
In one sentenceSection 2025.250 sets the default geographic limits for where a deposition may be taken, keyed to mileage from the deponent's residence or an organization's California office, or the county where the action is pending, with different rules for individuals, party organizations, and other organizations.
Full Text of § 2025.250
(b) The deposition of an organization that is a party to the action shall be taken at a place that is, at the option of the party giving notice of the deposition, either within 75 miles of the organization's principal executive or business office in California, or within the county where the action is pending and within 150 miles of that office.
(c) Unless the organization consents to a more distant place, the deposition of any other organization shall be taken within 75 miles of the organization's principal executive or business office in California.
(d) If an organization has not designated a principal executive or business office in California, the deposition shall be taken at a place that is, at the option of the party giving notice of the deposition, either within the county where the action is pending, or within 75 miles of any executive or business office in California of the organization.
Plain-English Summary
Depositions have to happen somewhere, and this section sets the default map absent a court order under Section 2025.260. A natural person, whether a party or not, can be required to appear at the noticing party's choice of two zones: within 75 miles of that person's residence, or within the county where the case is pending and within 150 miles of the residence.
Organizations get their own rules keyed to a California office rather than a residence. A party organization can be deposed, at the noticing party's option, within 75 miles of its principal executive or business office in California, or within the county where the action is pending and within 150 miles of that office. A nonparty organization gets a narrower, single zone: within 75 miles of its California office, unless it consents to somewhere more distant. And if an organization has not designated a principal office in California at all, the deposition can be held either in the county where the action is pending or within 75 miles of any California office the organization has.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can an individual be required to appear for deposition?
Within 75 miles of that person's residence, or within the county where the action is pending and within 150 miles of the residence, at the noticing party's option.
Where can a party organization be deposed?
Within 75 miles of its California principal office, or within the county where the action is pending and within 150 miles of that office.
What about a nonparty organization?
Within 75 miles of its California office, unless it consents to a more distant place.
What if the organization hasn't designated a principal California office?
The deposition can be taken in the county where the action is pending, or within 75 miles of any California office the organization has.
Amendment History
(Added by Stats.2004, c. 182 (A.B.3081), § 23, operative July 1, 2005. Amended by Stats.2005, c. 294 (A.B.333), § 7.)
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
the West's Annotated California Codes / Thomson Reuters. Enacted by the California Legislature.
Last verified July 29, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: deposition location rules californiamileage limit deposition california