In one sentenceRule 32 says when and how a deposition already on file can be read or played into evidence at trial or a hearing, and which objections survive that use and which are waived by waiting too long to raise them.
(a)Use of depositions. – At the trial or upon the hearing of a motion or an interlocutory proceeding or upon a hearing before a referee, any part or all of a deposition, so far as admissible under the rules of evidence applied as though the witness were then present and testifying, may be used against any party who was present or represented at the taking of the deposition or who had reasonable notice thereof, in accordance with any of the following provisions:
(1)Any deposition may be used by any party for the purpose of contradicting or impeaching the testimony of deponent as a witness.
(2)The deposition of a person called as a witness may also be used as substantive evidence by any party adverse to the party who called the deponent as a witness and it may be used by the party calling deponent as a witness as substantive evidence of such facts stated in the deposition as are in conflict with or inconsistent with the testimony of deponent as a witness.
(3)The deposition of a party or of any one who at the time of taking the deposition was an officer, director, or managing agent, or a person designated under Rule 30(b)(6) or 31(a) to testify on behalf of a public or private corporation, partnership or association or governmental agency which is a party may be used by an adverse party for any purpose, whether or not the deponent testifies at the trial or hearing.
(4)The deposition of a witness, whether or not a party, may be used by any party for any purpose if the court finds: that the witness is dead; or that the witness is at a greater distance than 100 miles from the place of trial or hearing, or is out of the United States, unless it appears that the absence of the witness was procured by the party offering the deposition; or that the witness is unable to attend or testify because of age, illness, infirmity, or imprisonment; or that the party offering the deposition has been unable to procure the attendance of the witness by subpoena; or upon application and notice, that such exceptional circumstances exist as to make it desirable, in the interest of justice and with due regard to the importance of presenting testimony of witnesses orally in open court, to allow the deposition to be used; or the witness is an expert witness whose testimony has been procured by videotape as provided for under Rule 30(b)(4).
(5)If only part of a deposition is offered in evidence by a party, an adverse party may require him to introduce any other part which is relevant to the part introduced, and any party may introduce any other parts. Substitution of parties pursuant to Rule 25 does not affect the right to use depositions previously taken; and, when an action in any court of the United States or of any state has been dismissed and another action involving the same subject matter is afterward brought between the same parties or their representatives or successors in interest, all depositions lawfully taken in the former action and duly prepared, certified, and delivered in accordance with Rule 30 may be used in the latter as if originally taken therefor.
(b)Objections to admissibility. – Subject to the provisions of Rules 28(b) and subsection (d)(3) of this rule, objection may be made at the trial or hearing to receiving in evidence any deposition or part thereof for any reason which would require the exclusion of the evidence if the witness were then present and testifying.
(c)Effect of taking or using depositions. – A party does not make a person his own witness for any purpose by taking his deposition. The introduction in evidence of the deposition or any part thereof for any purpose other than that of contradicting or impeaching the deponent makes the deponent the witness of the party introducing the deposition, but this shall not apply to the use by an adverse party of a deposition under subsection (a)(2) or (a)(3) of this rule. At the trial or hearing any party may rebut any relevant evidence contained in a deposition whether introduced by him or by any other party.
(d)Effect of errors and irregularities in depositions. –
(1)As to Notice. – All errors and irregularities in the notice for taking a deposition are waived unless written objection is promptly served upon the party giving the notice.
(2)As to Disqualification of Person before Whom Taken. – Objection to taking a deposition because of disqualification of the person before whom it is to be taken is waived unless made before the taking of the deposition begins or as soon thereafter as the disqualification becomes known or could be discovered with reasonable diligence.
(3)As to Taking of Deposition. –
a.Objections to the competency of a witness or to the competency, relevancy, or materiality of testimony are not waived by failure to make them before or during the taking of the deposition, unless the ground of the objection is one which might have been obviated or removed if presented at that time.
b.Errors and irregularities occurring at the oral examination in the manner of taking the deposition, in the form of the questions or answers, in the oath or affirmation, or in the conduct of parties, and errors of any kind which might be obviated, removed, or cured if promptly presented, are waived unless seasonable objection thereto is made at the taking of the deposition.
c.Objections to the form of written questions submitted under Rule 31 are waived unless served in writing upon the party propounding them within the time allowed for serving the succeeding cross or other questions and within five days after service of the last questions authorized.
(4)As to Completion and Return of Deposition. – Errors and irregularities in the manner in which the testimony is transcribed or the deposition is prepared, signed, certified, sealed, indorsed, transmitted, or otherwise dealt with by the person taking the deposition under Rules 30 and 31 are waived unless a motion to suppress the deposition or some part thereof is made with reasonable promptness after such defeat is, or with due diligence might have been, ascertained.
Amendment History
(1967, c. 954, s. 1; 1975, c. 762, s. 2; 1977, c. 984; 1981, c. 599, s. 2; 2005-138, ss. 5, 6.)
Plain-English Summary
Rule 32(a) lists the ways a deposition may be used at trial or on a motion: to contradict or impeach the deponent's own testimony by any party; as substantive evidence by any adverse party when the deponent was called as a witness; by any adverse party for any purpose, whether or not the deponent testifies live, when the deponent was a party or an officer, director, managing agent, or Rule 30(b)(6)/31(a) designee of a party; by any party for any purpose when the court finds the witness dead, more than 100 miles from the courthouse or outside the United States (and not through the offering party's own doing), unable to attend because of age, illness, infirmity, or imprisonment, unreachable by subpoena despite the offering party's efforts, in exceptional circumstances that make deposition testimony preferable in the interest of justice, or an expert whose testimony was videotaped under Rule 30(b)(4); and, when only part of a deposition is offered, an adverse party may require the offering party to introduce any other relevant part, and any party may introduce further parts. Substituting a party under Rule 25 doesn't affect the right to use a deposition already taken, and a deposition properly taken and filed in a dismissed case may be used again in a later case on the same subject matter between the same parties or their successors.
Rule 32(b) preserves the right to object at trial to a deposition's admissibility on any ground that would exclude the evidence if the witness testified live, subject to Rules 28(b) and 32(d)(3). Rule 32(c) makes clear that taking someone's deposition doesn't make them your own witness; introducing the deposition for a purpose other than impeachment does make the deponent the introducing party's witness, except for the adverse-party uses described in (a)(2) and (a)(3), and either side may rebut relevant deposition evidence regardless of who introduced it. Rule 32(d) sorts out which errors and irregularities are waived: notice defects are waived unless promptly objected to in writing; objections to the deposition officer's disqualification are waived unless raised before or as soon as the disqualification is discovered; competency, relevancy, and materiality objections are generally not waived by silence during the deposition (unless the problem could have been fixed at the time); errors in the manner of examination, form of questions or answers, oath, or conduct of the parties are waived unless promptly objected to during the deposition; objections to the form of Rule 31 written questions are waived unless served within the time allowed for the next round of questions and within five days of the last authorized questions; and errors in completing or returning the deposition are handled under their own timing rule.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a deposition be used at trial even if the witness is available to testify live?
Yes, in the situations Rule 32(a) lists -- for example, to contradict or impeach the witness, or when the deponent was a party or a party's officer, director, or managing agent, whose deposition an adverse party may use for any purpose regardless of live testimony.
When can a deposition be used because a witness is unavailable?
When the court finds the witness is dead, more than 100 miles away or outside the United States, unable to attend because of age, illness, infirmity, or imprisonment, unreachable by subpoena, or when exceptional circumstances make it desirable in the interest of justice.
Does taking someone's deposition make them the deposing party's own witness?
No. Rule 32(c) says a party does not make a person their own witness merely by deposing them; that only happens if the deposition is introduced at trial for a purpose other than impeachment.
Source & verification. The rule text and history citation are reproduced verbatim from the
official North Carolina General Statutes, Chapter 1A (N.C. R. Civ. P. 32). Enacted by the North Carolina General Assembly (S.L. 1967, c. 954, codified at N.C.G.S. § 1A-1). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 3, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as:using a deposition at trialdeposition as substantive evidenceimpeachment by depositionunavailable witness depositionwaiver of deposition objections100 mile rule depositiondeposition of a corporate designee at trial