In one sentenceRule 86 explains when the Rules of Civil Procedure and their later amendments take effect and how they apply to lawsuits that are already underway when a change occurs.
Full Text of Rule 86
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86.01Effective Date and Application to Pending Proceedings
aThese rules as originally adopted took effect on January 1, 1952. They govern all proceedings and actions brought after that effective date, and also all further proceedings in actions then pending, except to the extent that in the opinion of the court their application in a particular action pending when the rules take effect would not be feasible, or would work injustice, in which event the procedure existing at the time the action was brought applies.
bUnless otherwise specified by the court, all amendments will take effect on either January 1 or July 1 in the year of or the year following their adoption. They govern all proceedings in actions brought after they take effect, and also all further proceedings in actions then pending, except as to the extent that in the opinion of the court their application in a particular action pending when the amendments take effect would not be feasible, or would work injustice, in which event the former procedure applies.
Plain-English Summary
Rule 86 addresses timing. Rule 86.01(a) records that the rules, as originally written, took effect on January 1, 1952, and that from that date forward they applied both to new cases and to further steps in cases already pending, unless applying them to a pending case would not be workable or would cause an injustice, in which case the older procedure would continue to apply to that case.
Rule 86.01(b) sets a similar approach for later amendments to the rules. Unless the court says otherwise, amendments take effect on January 1 or July 1 of the year they are adopted or the following year. Like the original rules, amendments apply to new cases filed after they take effect and to further proceedings in pending cases, except where applying the amendment to a specific pending case would not be feasible or would work an injustice, in which case the prior procedure continues to apply to that case.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Minnesota Rules of Civil Procedure originally take effect?
According to Rule 86.01(a), the rules as originally adopted took effect on January 1, 1952.
On what dates do amendments to the rules generally take effect?
Rule 86.01(b) says that unless the court specifies otherwise, amendments take effect on either January 1 or July 1 of the year they are adopted or the following year.
Do new amendments automatically apply to a lawsuit that is already pending?
Generally yes, amendments govern further proceedings in pending actions, but Rule 86.01(b) allows the prior procedure to continue applying if applying the amendment to that particular pending case would not be feasible or would work an injustice.
Source & verification. The rule text and Advisory Committee Comments are reproduced verbatim from the
official Minnesota Rules of Civil Procedure (Minn. R. Civ. P. 86). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of Minnesota (Minn. Stat. § 480.051). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 1, 2026. ·
Official source