(a) If only a part of a request for admission is objectionable, the remainder of the request shall be answered.
§ 2033.230.Partial objection to requested admission; statement of grounds for
Title 4. Civil Discovery Act · Chapter 16. Requests for Admission · Article 2. Response to Requests for Admission · Enacted 2004 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 29, 2026
In one sentenceSection 2033.230 requires an answer to the non-objectionable part of any request for admission that is only partly objectionable, and requires every objection to state its specific ground clearly, including express identification of any privilege claimed and express assertion of any work-product protection claimed.
Full Text of § 2033.230
(b) If an objection is made to a request or to a part of a request, the specific ground for the objection shall be set forth clearly in the response. If an objection is based on a claim of privilege, the particular privilege invoked shall be clearly stated. If an objection is based on a claim that the matter as to which an admission is requested is protected work product under Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 2018.010), that claim shall be expressly asserted.
Plain-English Summary
An objection to one part of a request for admission does not excuse a non-answer to the whole thing. This section requires that when only a portion of a request is objectionable, the responding party still has to answer the remainder. An all-or-nothing refusal is not permitted just because some piece of the request triggers a valid objection.
Where an objection is made, whether to a whole request or to part of one, this section requires more than a bare assertion. The specific ground for the objection has to be set out clearly in the response, so the requesting party and the court can evaluate it without guessing what the objecting party means by it. Two categories get singled out for extra specificity: an objection resting on privilege has to clearly identify which particular privilege is being invoked, rather than gesturing vaguely at privilege in general, and an objection resting on the work-product protection has to expressly assert that claim by name.
Frequently Asked Questions
If only part of a request for admission is objectionable, does the responding party still have to answer the rest?
Yes. The remainder of the request, the part that is not objectionable, still has to be answered.
How specific must an objection to a request for admission be?
The response must clearly set forth the specific ground for the objection, not just state a general or conclusory objection.
What must an objection based on privilege state?
It must clearly identify the particular privilege being invoked, rather than objecting on privilege grounds generally.
What must an objection based on work-product protection state?
It must expressly assert the work-product claim, rather than leaving the basis for the objection implicit.
Amendment History
(Added by Stats.2004, c. 182 (A.B.3081), § 23, operative July 1, 2005.)
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: ccp 2033.230 partial objection request for admissionspecificity required for privilege objection admissionwork product objection request for admission