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Rule 5.115.Judicial notice

Division 1. Family Rules · Chapter 6. Request for Court Orders · Article 4. Evidence at Hearings · Adopted 2013 · no amendments on record · Last verified September 10, 2026

In one sentenceRule 5.115 requires a party asking the court to take judicial notice to supply the material to the court and every party, and to arrange for any court file to be in the courtroom.

Full Text of Rule 5.115

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A party requesting judicial notice of material under Evidence Code section 452 or 453 must provide the court and each party with a copy of the material. If the material is part of a file in the court in which the matter is being heard, the party must specify in writing the part of the court file sought to be judicially noticed and make arrangements with the clerk to have the file in the courtroom at the time of the hearing.
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Plain-English Summary

Judicial notice is not an invitation to gesture at something the court is assumed to know. A party requesting it under the Evidence Code must provide the court and each party with a copy of the material.

Where the material is part of a file in the same court, the requirement changes shape but not weight: the party must specify in writing which part of the file is to be noticed, and must make arrangements with the clerk to have the file in the courtroom at the time of the hearing.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I ask a family court to take judicial notice?

Provide the court and each party with a copy of the material you want noticed under Evidence Code section 452 or 453.

What if the document is already in the court’s own file?

Specify in writing the part of the court file to be judicially noticed, and arrange with the clerk to have the file in the courtroom at the time of the hearing.

Amendment History

Rule 5.115 adopted effective January 1, 2013.

Source & verification. Rule text is reproduced verbatim from the Judicial Council of California. Adopted by the Judicial Council of California. Last verified September 10, 2026. · Official source
Also known as: judicial notice family law CaliforniaEvidence Code 452 family courtrequest judicial notice court file