(a) Any plaintiff, except as otherwise provided in subsection (b) in connection with a plaintiff in the housing division as defined in Section 1-7, desiring to make a copy of any document a part of the complaint shall refer to it as Exhibit A, B, C, etc. No later than the return date, the plaintiff shall file the original or a copy of such exhibit or exhibits in court. The plaintiff shall serve a copy of such exhibit or exhibits on each party no later than ten days after receipt of notice of the appearance of such party, in the manner provided in Sections 10-12 through 10-17, and shall file proof of service on each appearing party with the court. Except as required by statute, the plaintiff shall not annex the document or documents referred to as exhibits to the complaint, or incorporate them in the complaint, at full length, and if the plaintiff does so, the plaintiff shall not be allowed in costs for such part of the fees of the officer for copies of such complaint left in service, as are chargeable for copying such document or documents referred to as exhibits.
Section 10-29.Exhibits as Part of Pleading
Current through August 12, 2025 (2026 Practice Book edition) · Last verified July 9, 2026
In one sentenceThis rule sets the procedure for a plaintiff who wants a document treated as an exhibit to the complaint — labeling it, filing it, serving copies on each appearing party within set deadlines, and generally keeping it out of the complaint itself — and extends similar procedures to later pleadings and housing division cases.
Full Text of Section 10-29
(b) The provisions of subsection (a) shall apply to a plaintiff in the housing division, as defined in Section 1-7, desiring to make a copy of any document a part of the complaint, except that the plaintiff shall serve on each party who has appeared a copy of such exhibit or exhibits at the first court session of the matter or no later than seven days after receipt of notice of the appearance of such party, whichever is earlier.
(c) When either the plaintiff or the defendant in any pleading subsequent to the complaint desires to make a copy of any document a part of his or her pleading, such party may, without reciting it therein, either annex it thereto, or refer to it therein, and shall serve it and file it in court with proof of service in the manner provided in Sections 10-12 through 10-17.
Amendment History
(P.B. 1978-1997, Sec. 141.) (Amended June 15, 2012, to take effect Jan. 1, 2013.)
Plain-English Summary
Subsection (a) covers a plaintiff, outside the housing division, who wants to make a document part of the complaint. The plaintiff refers to it as Exhibit A, B, C, and so on, and must file the original or a copy in court no later than the return date. The plaintiff must serve a copy of each exhibit on every party within ten days after receiving notice that the party has appeared, using the service methods in Sections 10-12 through 10-17, and must file proof of service on each appearing party with the court. Except where a statute requires otherwise, the plaintiff is not to annex the exhibit to the complaint or copy it into the complaint at full length; if the plaintiff does so anyway, the plaintiff is not allowed costs for the portion of the officer’s service fees attributable to copying that document.
Subsection (b) applies the same framework to a plaintiff in the housing division, with one difference in timing: service on each appearing party must happen at the first court session of the matter or no later than seven days after receiving notice of that party’s appearance, whichever is earlier. Subsection (c) covers pleadings filed after the complaint: when either the plaintiff or the defendant wants to make a document part of a later pleading, that party may annex it or refer to it without reciting it in full, and must serve and file it in court with proof of service under Sections 10-12 through 10-17.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does a plaintiff label an exhibit to a complaint?
The plaintiff refers to it as Exhibit A, B, C, and so on, rather than copying the document’s full text into the complaint.
When must an exhibit be filed with the court?
No later than the return date, the plaintiff must file the original or a copy of the exhibit in court.
What happens if the plaintiff copies the exhibit into the complaint at full length anyway?
Except where a statute requires it, the plaintiff should not do this, and if the plaintiff does, costs are not allowed for the portion of service fees attributable to copying that document.
Does the housing division follow the same exhibit deadlines?
The housing division follows the same basic framework, but service of exhibit copies on each appearing party must occur at the first court session or no later than seven days after notice of that party’s appearance, whichever comes first.
Source & verification. The section text is reproduced verbatim from the
official Connecticut Practice Book (Conn. Practice Book § 10-29). Prescribed by the Judges of the Superior Court of Connecticut (Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 51-14). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 9, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: attaching exhibits to a complaint Connecticutexhibit A B C complaint CTfiling exhibits with complaint deadlinehousing division exhibit service rule