Whenever a party has the right or is required to do some act or take some proceedings within a prescribed period after the service of a notice or other paper upon him and the notice or paper is served upon him by mail or electronic service, 3 days shall be added to the prescribed period. This provision shall not apply to the service of summons by mail under Rule 4.01(1)(a).
Rule 6.05.Additional time after service by mail.
Current through June 18, 2026 · Last verified July 9, 2026
In one sentenceRule 6.05 adds three days to any deadline that runs from service of a notice or paper made by mail or electronic service, but the extra time does not apply to service of a summons by mail under Rule 4.01(1)(a).
Full Text of Rule 6.05
Amendment History
(Amended February 7, 1980, effective May 1, 1980; amended October 7, 2013, effective January 1, 2014.)
Plain-English Summary
When a rule or court order gives you a set number of days to act after someone serves a notice or paper on you, Rule 6.05 adds three extra days if that service happened by mail or electronic service rather than by hand delivery. The added days account for the fact that mail and email do not arrive the moment they are sent, so the clock that starts on the date of service runs three days longer before it expires. The rule carves out one exception: it does not extend the time to respond when a summons itself was served by mail under Rule 4.01(1)(a), so a defendant served that way counts the time to answer without the added three days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the 3-day mail rule apply to email service?
Yes. Rule 6.05 adds three days to a deadline whenever service of the underlying notice or paper was made by mail or electronic service, not only by mail.
Does the extra 3 days apply when I'm served with a summons by mail?
No. Rule 6.05 states it does not apply to service of a summons by mail under Rule 4.01(1)(a), so that deadline runs without the added days.
How do I count the 3 additional days under Rule 6.05?
The rule adds three days to whatever period was already set for acting after service by mail or electronic service; those three days are added on top of the underlying deadline fixed by the applicable rule or order.
Source & verification. The rule text is reproduced verbatim from the
official Kentucky Rules of Civil Procedure (Ky. R. Civ. P. 6.05). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of Kentucky (Ky. Const. § 116). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 9, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: 3 day mail rule kentuckyextra days for service by mailelectronic service deadline extension kentuckydoes mailing add time to respondCR 6.05 additional timekentucky civil procedure mail rule