(a) The party demanding inspection, copying, testing, or sampling and the responding party may agree to extend the date for the inspection, copying, testing, or sampling or the time for service of a response to a set of demands, or to particular items or categories of items in a set, to a date or dates beyond those provided in Sections 2031.030, 2031.210, 2031.260, and 2031.280.
§ 2031.270.Extension of time to respond; agreement of parties
Title 4. Civil Discovery Act · Chapter 14. Inspection, Copying, Testing, Sampling, and Production of Documents, Electronically Stored · Article 2. Response to Inspection Demand · Last amended 2009 · Last verified July 29, 2026
In one sentenceSection 2031.270 lets the demanding and responding parties agree, informally but confirmed in writing, to extend the inspection date or response deadline, and preserves the responding party's full range of response options unless the agreement says otherwise.
Full Text of § 2031.270
(b) This agreement may be informal, but it shall be confirmed in a writing that specifies the extended date for inspection, copying, testing, or sampling, or for the service of a response.
Plain-English Summary
Rather than forcing every extension through a motion, this section lets the parties agree between themselves to move the clock. The demanding party and the responding party may agree to extend the date for the inspection, copying, testing, or sampling, or the deadline for serving a response, beyond what the demand and the general timing sections would otherwise require.
That agreement can start out informal, but it has to end up confirmed in writing specifying the new date, whether for the inspection itself or for service of the response. And unless the agreement expressly says otherwise, it does not narrow the responding party's options: the party can still respond to any item covered by the agreement in any of the ways the response article allows, including a statement of compliance, an inability-to-comply representation, or an objection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the parties extend a deadline without going to court?
Yes, by agreement, though the agreement has to be confirmed in writing specifying the extended date.
Does an extension agreement limit how the responding party can respond?
No, unless the agreement expressly says so, the responding party keeps every response option available under the response article.
What deadlines can be extended this way?
The date for the inspection, copying, testing, or sampling itself, and the deadline for serving a response.
Amendment History
(Added by Stats.2004, c. 182 (A.B.3081), § 23, operative July 1, 2005. Amended by Stats.2007, c. 738 (A.B.1248), § 8; Stats.2009, c. 5 (A.B.5), § 16, eff. June 29, 2009.)
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: stipulation to extend discovery response deadline californiaagreement to extend inspection date california