(a) Within 30 days after service of requests for admission, the party to whom the requests are directed shall serve the original of the response to them on the requesting party, and a copy of the response on all other parties who have appeared, unless on motion of the requesting party the court has shortened the time for response, or unless on motion of the responding party the court has extended the time for response.
§ 2033.250.Time to respond; shortening or extension of time; copies to all parties
Title 4. Civil Discovery Act · Chapter 16. Requests for Admission · Article 2. Response to Requests for Admission · Last amended 2007 · Last verified July 29, 2026
In one sentenceSection 2033.250 sets the deadline to respond to requests for admission at 30 days after service, shortened to at least five days in unlawful detainer and related summary possession proceedings, subject to a court-ordered shortening or extension on motion, and requires the response be served on every other party who has appeared in the action.
Full Text of § 2033.250
(b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), in an unlawful detainer action or other proceeding under Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 1159) of Title 3 of Part 3, the party to whom the request is directed shall have at least five days from the date of service to respond, unless on motion of the requesting party the court has shortened the time for response, or unless on motion of the responding party the court has extended the time for response.
Plain-English Summary
This section fixes the clock that Section 2033.280's waiver-of-objections rule runs against. In an ordinary civil action, the party asked to admit something has 30 days from service of the requests to serve its original response on the requesting party, with a copy going to every other party who has appeared. That 30-day period is a default, not an immovable wall: on motion, the requesting party can ask the court to shorten it, and the responding party can ask the court to extend it.
Unlawful detainer actions and other summary proceedings to recover possession of real property get a dramatically shorter deadline, at least five days from service, reflecting how compressed the entire litigation timeline is in a possession case where a court date can arrive within weeks of filing. That five-day period is likewise subject to court-ordered shortening or extension on motion. In both settings, the responding party's obligation runs not only to the party who sent the requests but to every other appeared party as well, so nobody else in the litigation is left guessing what was admitted or denied.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a party have to respond to requests for admission in an ordinary civil case?
30 days after service of the requests, unless the court has shortened or extended that time on motion.
How long does a party have to respond to requests for admission in an unlawful detainer case?
At least five days from the date of service, unless the court has shortened or extended that time on motion.
Can the response deadline be changed by court order?
Yes. On motion of the requesting party the court may shorten the time, and on motion of the responding party the court may extend it.
Who must be served with the response to requests for admission?
The requesting party receives the original response, and every other party who has appeared in the action must be served with a copy.
Amendment History
(Added by Stats.2004, c. 182 (A.B.3081), § 23, operative July 1, 2005. Amended by Stats.2007, c. 113 (A.B.1126), § 13.)
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 2033.250 deadline to respond to requests for admission30 day request for admission response deadlineunlawful detainer five day admission response