§ 2032.340.Actions involving allegations of sexual abuse of minor;

Title 4. Civil Discovery Act · Chapter 15. Physical or Mental Examination · Article 3. Motion for Physical or Mental Examination · Enacted 2017 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 29, 2026

In one sentenceSection 2032.340 caps a mental examination of a child under 15 in a case alleging sexual abuse of a minor at three hours including breaks, unless the court grants an extension for good cause.

Full Text of § 2032.340

Text sizeJump to: (a) (b)

(a) If any action involving allegations of sexual abuse of a minor, including any act listed in paragraphs (1) to (3), inclusive, of subdivision (a) of Section 1002, the mental examination of a child less than 15 years of age shall not exceed three hours, inclusive of breaks.

(b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), the court may grant an extension of the three-hour limit for good cause.

Plain-English Summary

Cases alleging sexual abuse of a minor call for special care when a court orders a mental examination of a young alleged victim, and this section supplies a hard limit. In such an action, if the examinee is under 15 years old, the mental examination cannot exceed three hours, counting any breaks taken during it.

That cap is not absolute. The court can grant an extension beyond the three-hour limit, but only for good cause, keeping the default protection in place while still allowing flexibility when a longer exam is truly justified.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a time limit on mental exams of child sexual abuse plaintiffs?

Yes. Section 2032.340 caps the exam at three hours, including breaks, when the case alleges sexual abuse of a minor and the examinee is under 15.

Can the three-hour limit be extended?

Yes, but only if the court grants an extension for good cause.

Does this time limit apply to examinees who are 15 or older?

No. The three-hour cap in this section applies specifically to examinees under 15 years of age.

Amendment History

(Added by Stats.2017, c. 133 (S.B.755), § 2, eff. Jan. 1, 2018.)

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: three hour limit mental exam minorsexual abuse minor examination time limit