(a) The plaintiff has the option to serve case questionnaires with the complaint, using forms approved by the Judicial Council. The questionnaires served shall include a completed copy of the plaintiff’s completed case questionnaire, and a blank copy of the defendant’s case questionnaire.
§ 93.Case questionnaire; Form; Order compelling response; Sanctions
Title 1. Organization and Jurisdiction · Chapter 5.1. Limited Civil Cases · Article 2. Economic Litigation for Limited Civil Cases · Last amended 2005 · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 93 lets parties in a limited civil case exchange Judicial Council case questionnaires that gather basic facts about witnesses, documents, damages, and insurance, and authorizes a motion to compel a response — with sanctions available — when a party fails to answer completely or on time.
Full Text of § 93
(b) Any defendant upon whom a case questionnaire is served shall serve a completed defendant’s case questionnaire upon the requesting plaintiff with the answer.
(c) The case questionnaire shall be designed to elicit fundamental information about each party’s case, including names and addresses of all witnesses with knowledge of any relevant facts, a list of all documents relevant to the case, a statement of the nature and amount of damages, and information covering insurance coverages, injuries and treating physicians. The Judicial Council shall design and develop forms for case questionnaires.
(d) Approved forms shall be made available by the clerk of the court.
(e) If a party on whom a case questionnaire has been served under subdivision (a) or (b) fails to serve a timely or a complete response to that questionnaire, the party serving the questionnaire may move for an order compelling a response or a further response and for a monetary sanction under Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 2023.010) of Title 4 of Part 4. If a party then fails to obey an order compelling a response or a further response, the court may make those orders that are just, including the imposition of an issue sanction, an evidence sanction, or a terminating sanction under Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 2023.010) of Title 4 of Part 4. In lieu of or in addition to that sanction, the court may impose a monetary sanction under Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 2023.010) of Title 4 of Part 4.
Plain-English Summary
Before formal discovery even starts, § 93 gives the parties in a limited civil case a quick way to trade basic facts. A plaintiff may serve a case questionnaire on each defendant, and a defendant served with one must return a completed defendant’s version along with the answer.
The Judicial Council designs the questionnaire form itself, so every limited civil case uses the same one, and the court clerk keeps copies available. The form is built to draw out the essentials: who the potential witnesses are and where to reach them, what documents relate to the case, how much the damages are and what kind, and what insurance coverage and medical treatment are involved.
If a party ignores the questionnaire or answers it incompletely, § 93 backs the process with teeth: the other side can move to compel a response, and the court can order sanctions — monetary, or in serious cases an issue, evidence, or terminating sanction — under the general discovery sanctions statutes.
Official Comment
The following official comments are published by the California Law Revision Commission (and, for a few older sections, its predecessor Code Commissioners) alongside the statute itself — not commentary from this site.
2004 Law Revision Commission Comment. Subdivision (e) of Section 93 is amended to reflect nonsubstantive reorganization of the rules governing civil discovery.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a case questionnaire in a California limited civil case?
It’s a Judicial Council form under § 93 that both sides may use to exchange basic facts early — witness names and addresses, relevant documents, the nature and amount of damages claimed, and insurance and medical information.
What happens if a defendant doesn’t answer a case questionnaire?
The party who served it can move for an order compelling a response, and the court can impose a monetary sanction or, for continued noncompliance, an issue, evidence, or terminating sanction.
Is responding to a case questionnaire mandatory?
A defendant served with a case questionnaire must serve a completed defendant’s case questionnaire with the answer; § 93 backs that requirement with a motion to compel and sanctions for noncompliance.
Amendment History
Added Stats 1982 ch 1581 § 1. Amended Stats 1987 ch 86 § 1, effective and operative July 1, 1987; Stats 2004 ch 182 § 5 (AB 3081), operative July 1, 2005.
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
the Deering's California Codes Annotated / vLex. Enacted by the California Legislature.
Last verified July 28, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: california case questionnaire limited civil casejudicial council case questionnaire form