Rule 34.Producing Documents, Electronically Stored Information, and Tangible Things, or Entering Onto Land, for Inspection and Other Purposes

Last amended December 1, 2015 · Last verified June 30, 2026

In one sentenceRule 34 lets a party request documents, electronically stored information, and tangible things, or entry onto land for inspection; the responding party must answer or object within 30 days and produce the items as kept or organized to match the requests.

Full Text of Rule 34

Text sizeJump to: (a) (b) (c)

(a) In General. A party may serve on any other party a request within the scope of Rule 26(b):

(1) to produce and permit the requesting party or its representative to inspect, copy, test, or sample the following items in the responding party's possession, custody, or control:

(A) any designated documents or electronically stored information—including writings, drawings, graphs, charts, photographs, sound recordings, images, and other data or data compilations—stored in any medium from which information can be obtained either directly or, if necessary, after translation by the responding party into a reasonably usable form; or

(B) any designated tangible things; or

(2) to permit entry onto designated land or other property possessed or controlled by the responding party, so that the requesting party may inspect, measure, survey, photograph, test, or sample the property or any designated object or operation on it.

(b) Procedure.

(1) Contents of the Request. The request:

(A) must describe with reasonable particularity each item or category of items to be inspected;

(B) must specify a reasonable time, place, and manner for the inspection and for performing the related acts; and

(2) Responses and Objections.

(A) Time to Respond. The party to whom the request is directed must respond in writing within 30 days after being served or—if the request was delivered under Rule 26(d)(2)—within 30 days after the parties' first Rule 26(f) conference. A shorter or longer time may be stipulated to under Rule 29 or be ordered by the court.

(B) Responding to Each Item. For each item or category, the response must either state that inspection and related activities will be permitted as requested or state with specificity the grounds for objecting to the request, including the reasons. The responding party may state that it will produce copies of documents or of electronically stored information instead of permitting inspection. The production must then be completed no later than the time for inspection specified in the request or another reasonable time specified in the response.

(C) Objections. An objection must state whether any responsive materials are being withheld on the basis of that objection. An objection to part of a request must specify the part and permit inspection of the rest.

(D) Responding to a Request for Production of Electronically Stored Information. The response may state an objection to a requested form for producing electronically stored information. If the responding party objects to a requested form—or if no form was specified in the request—the party must state the form or forms it intends to use.

(E) Producing the Documents or Electronically Stored Information. Unless otherwise stipulated or ordered by the court, these procedures apply to producing documents or electronically stored information:

(i) A party must produce documents as they are kept in the usual course of business or must organize and label them to correspond to the categories in the request;

(ii) If a request does not specify a form for producing electronically stored information, a party must produce it in a form or forms in which it is ordinarily maintained or in a reasonably usable form or forms; and

(iii) A party need not produce the same electronically stored information in more than one form.

(c) Nonparties. As provided in Rule 45, a nonparty may be compelled to produce documents and tangible things or to permit an inspection.

End

Amendment History

(Amended December 27, 1946, effective March 19, 1948; March 30, 1970, effective July 1, 1970; April 29, 1980, effective August 1, 1980; March 2, 1987, effective August 1, 1987; April 30, 1991, effective December 1, 1991; April 22, 1993, effective December 1, 1993; April 12, 2006, effective December 1, 2006; April 30, 2007, effective December 1, 2007; April 29, 2015, effective December 1, 2015.)

Plain-English Summary

Rule 34 is how parties get documents and data from each other. A party may ask another to produce — for inspection and copying — documents, electronically stored information (ESI), and tangible things within that party’s possession, custody, or control, and may ask to enter onto land to inspect it. Each request must describe the items with reasonable particularity, and for ESI it may specify the form of production.

The responding party has 30 days to serve a written response that, for each item, either states that production will be permitted or objects with specificity (and states whether anything is being withheld on the basis of the objection). Documents must be produced as they are kept in the ordinary course of business or organized and labeled to correspond to the categories in the request, and ESI in a reasonably usable form. Production from a nonparty is obtained by subpoena under Rule 45.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do you have to respond to a request for production?

30 days after being served (or after the Rule 26(f) conference for requests delivered early), unless stipulated or ordered otherwise (Rule 34(b)(2)).

Does Rule 34 cover electronic data?

Yes. It expressly reaches electronically stored information, which must be produced in the requested form or, if none is specified, in a reasonably usable form.

Source & verification. The rule text and amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the official Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (Fed. R. Civ. P. 34), a public-domain work of the U.S. Government. Prescribed by the United States Supreme Court under the Rules Enabling Act. The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified June 30, 2026. · Official source

Also known as: FRCP 34Fed. R. Civ. P. 34request for productiondocument productionelectronically stored informationESI discoveryRFP