California Code
PART 4 - MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
TITLE 4 - CIVIL DISCOVERY ACT

CHAPTER 1 - General Provisions

Section 2016.010. - 2016.010. This title may be cited as the “Civil Discovery...

Section 2016.020. - 2016.020. As used in this title: (a) “Action” includes a...

Section 2016.030. - 2016.030. Unless the court orders otherwise, the parties may by...

Section 2016.040. - 2016.040. A meet and confer declaration in support of a...

Section 2016.050. - 2016.050. Sections 1011 and 1013 apply to any method of...

Section 2016.060. - 2016.060. When the last day to perform or complete any...

Section 2016.070. - 2016.070. This title applies to discovery in aid of enforcement...

Section 2016.090. - 2016.090. (a) The following shall apply only to a civil...

CHAPTER 2 - Scope of Discovery

ARTICLE 1 - General Provisions

Section 2017.010. - 2017.010. Unless otherwise limited by order of the court in...

Section 2017.020. - 2017.020. (a) The court shall limit the scope of discovery...

ARTICLE 2 - Scope of Discovery in Specific Contexts

Section 2017.210. - 2017.210. A party may obtain discovery of the existence and...

Section 2017.220. - 2017.220. (a) In any civil action alleging conduct that constitutes...

ARTICLE 3 - Violation of the Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act

Section 2017.310. - 2017.310. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, it is...

Section 2017.320. - 2017.320. (a) In any civil action the factual foundation for...

CHAPTER 4 - Attorney Work Product

Section 2018.010. - 2018.010. For purposes of this chapter, “client” means a “client”...

Section 2018.020. - 2018.020. It is the policy of the state to do...

Section 2018.030. - 2018.030. (a) A writing that reflects an attorney’s impressions, conclusions,...

Section 2018.040. - 2018.040. This chapter is intended to be a restatement of...

Section 2018.050. - 2018.050. Notwithstanding Section 2018.040, when a lawyer is suspected of...

Section 2018.060. - 2018.060. Nothing in this chapter is intended to limit an...

Section 2018.070. - 2018.070. (a) The State Bar may discover the work product...

Section 2018.080. - 2018.080. In an action between an attorney and a client...

CHAPTER 5 - Methods and Sequence of Discovery

ARTICLE 1 - General Provisions

Section 2019.010. - 2019.010. Any party may obtain discovery by one or more...

Section 2019.020. - 2019.020. (a) Except as otherwise provided by a rule of...

Section 2019.030. - 2019.030. (a) The court shall restrict the frequency or extent...

Section 2019.040. - 2019.040. (a) When any method of discovery permits the production,...

ARTICLE 2 - Methods and Sequence of Discovery in Specific Contexts

Section 2019.210. - 2019.210. In any action alleging the misappropriation of a trade...

CHAPTER 6 - Nonparty Discovery

ARTICLE 1 - General Provisions

Section 2020.010. - 2020.010. (a) Any of the following methods may be used...

Section 2020.020. - 2020.020. A deposition subpoena may command any of the following:...

Section 2020.030. - 2020.030. Except as modified in this chapter, the provisions of...

ARTICLE 2 - Procedures Applicable to All Types of Deposition Subpoenas

Section 2020.210. - 2020.210. (a) The clerk of the court in which the...

Section 2020.220. - 2020.220. (a) Subject to subdivision (c) of Section 2020.410, service...

Section 2020.230. - 2020.230. (a) If a deposition subpoena requires the personal attendance...

Section 2020.240. - 2020.240. A deponent who disobeys a deposition subpoena in any...

ARTICLE 3 - Subpoena Commanding Only Attendance and Testimony of the Deponent

Section 2020.310. - 2020.310. The following rules apply to a deposition subpoena that...

ARTICLE 4 - Subpoena Commanding Only Production of Business Records for Copying

Section 2020.410. - 2020.410. (a) A deposition subpoena that commands only the production...

Section 2020.420. - 2020.420. The officer for a deposition seeking discovery only of...

Section 2020.430. - 2020.430. (a) Except as provided in subdivision (e), if a...

Section 2020.440. - 2020.440. Promptly on or after the deposition date and after...

ARTICLE 5 - Subpoena Commanding Both Production of Business Records and Attendance and Testimony of the Deponent

Section 2020.510. - 2020.510. (a) A deposition subpoena that commands the attendance and...

CHAPTER 7 - Sanctions

Section 2023.010. - 2023.010. Misuses of the discovery process include, but are not...

Section 2023.020. - 2023.020. Notwithstanding the outcome of the particular discovery motion, the...

Section 2023.030. - 2023.030. To the extent authorized by the chapter governing any...

Section 2023.040. - 2023.040. A request for a sanction shall, in the notice...

Section 2023.050. - 2023.050. (a) Notwithstanding any other law, and in addition to...

CHAPTER 8 - Time for Completion of Discovery

Section 2024.010. - 2024.010. As used in this chapter, discovery is considered completed...

Section 2024.020. - 2024.020. (a) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, any...

Section 2024.030. - 2024.030. Any party shall be entitled as a matter of...

Section 2024.040. - 2024.040. (a) The time limit on completing discovery in an...

Section 2024.050. - 2024.050. (a) On motion of any party, the court may...

Section 2024.060. - 2024.060. Parties to an action may, with the consent of...

CHAPTER 9 - Oral Deposition Inside California

ARTICLE 1 - General Provisions

Section 2025.010. - 2025.010. Any party may obtain discovery within the scope delimited...

ARTICLE 2 - Deposition Notice

Section 2025.210. - 2025.210. Subject to Sections 2025.270 and 2025.610, an oral deposition...

Section 2025.220. - 2025.220. (a) A party desiring to take the oral deposition...

Section 2025.230. - 2025.230. If the deponent named is not a natural person,...

Section 2025.240. - 2025.240. (a) The party who prepares a notice of deposition...

Section 2025.250. - 2025.250. (a) Unless the court orders otherwise under Section 2025.260,...

Section 2025.260. - 2025.260. (a) A party desiring to take the deposition of...

Section 2025.270. - 2025.270. (a) An oral deposition shall be scheduled for a...

Section 2025.280. - 2025.280. (a) The service of a deposition notice under Section...

Section 2025.290. - 2025.290. (a) Except as provided in subdivision (b), or by...

Section 2025.295. - 2025.295. (a) Notwithstanding Section 2025.290, in any civil action for...

ARTICLE 3 - Conduct of Deposition

Section 2025.310. - 2025.310. (a) At the election of the deponent or the...

Section 2025.320. - 2025.320. Except as provided in Section 2020.420, the deposition shall...

Section 2025.330. - 2025.330. (a) The deposition officer shall put the deponent under...

Section 2025.340. - 2025.340. If a deposition is being recorded by means of...

ARTICLE 4 - Objections, Sanctions, Protective Orders, Motions to Compel, and Suspension of Depositions

Section 2025.410. - 2025.410. (a) Any party served with a deposition notice that...

Section 2025.420. - 2025.420. (a) Before, during, or after a deposition, any party,...

Section 2025.430. - 2025.430. If the party giving notice of a deposition fails...

Section 2025.440. - 2025.440. (a) If a deponent does not appear for a...

Section 2025.450. - 2025.450. (a) If, after service of a deposition notice, a...

Section 2025.460. - 2025.460. (a) The protection of information from discovery on the...

Section 2025.470. - 2025.470. The deposition officer may not suspend the taking of...

Section 2025.480. - 2025.480. (a) If a deponent fails to answer any question...

ARTICLE 5 - Transcript or Recording

Section 2025.510. - 2025.510. (a) Unless the parties agree otherwise, the testimony at...

Section 2025.520. - 2025.520. (a) If the deposition testimony is stenographically recorded, the...

Section 2025.530. - 2025.530. (a) If there is no stenographic transcription of the...

Section 2025.540. - 2025.540. (a) The deposition officer shall certify on the transcript...

Section 2025.550. - 2025.550. (a) The certified transcript of a deposition shall not...

Section 2025.560. - 2025.560. (a) An audio or video recording of deposition testimony...

Section 2025.570. - 2025.570. (a) Notwithstanding subdivision (b) of Section 2025.320, unless the...

ARTICLE 6 - Post-Deposition Procedures

Section 2025.610. - 2025.610. (a) Once any party has taken the deposition of...

Section 2025.620. - 2025.620. At the trial or any other hearing in the...

CHAPTER 10 - Oral Deposition Outside California

Section 2026.010. - 2026.010. (a) Any party may obtain discovery by taking an...

Section 2027.010. - 2027.010. (a) Any party may obtain discovery by taking an...

CHAPTER 11 - Deposition by Written Questions

Section 2028.010. - 2028.010. Any party may obtain discovery by taking a deposition...

Section 2028.020. - 2028.020. The notice of a written deposition shall comply with...

Section 2028.030. - 2028.030. (a) The questions to be propounded to the deponent...

Section 2028.040. - 2028.040. (a) A party who objects to the form of...

Section 2028.050. - 2028.050. (a) A party who objects to any question on...

Section 2028.060. - 2028.060. (a) The party taking a written deposition may forward...

Section 2028.070. - 2028.070. In addition to any appropriate order listed in Section...

Section 2028.080. - 2028.080. The party taking a written deposition shall deliver to...

CHAPTER 12 - Discovery in Action Pending Outside California

ARTICLE 1 - Interstate and International Depositions and Discovery Act

Section 2029.100. - 2029.100. This article may be cited as the Interstate and...

Section 2029.200. - 2029.200. In this article: (a) “Foreign jurisdiction” means either of...

Section 2029.300. - 2029.300. (a) To request issuance of a subpoena under this...

Section 2029.350. - 2029.350. (a) Notwithstanding Sections 1986 and 2029.300, if a party...

Section 2029.390. - 2029.390. On or before January 1, 2010, the Judicial Council...

Section 2029.400. - 2029.400. A subpoena issued under this article shall be personally...

Section 2029.500. - 2029.500. Titles 3 (commencing with Section 1985) and 4 (commencing...

Section 2029.600. - 2029.600. (a) If a dispute arises relating to discovery under...

Section 2029.610. - 2029.610. (a) On filing a petition under Section 2029.600, a...

Section 2029.620. - 2029.620. (a) If a petition has been filed under Section...

Section 2029.630. - 2029.630. A petition under Section 2029.600 or Section 2029.620 is...

Section 2029.640. - 2029.640. If a party to a proceeding pending in a...

Section 2029.650. - 2029.650. (a) If a superior court issues an order granting,...

Section 2029.700. - 2029.700. (a) Sections 2029.100, 2029.200, 2029.300, 2029.400, 2029.500, 2029.600, 2029.800,...

Section 2029.800. - 2029.800. This article applies to requests for discovery in cases...

Section 2029.900. - 2029.900. Section 2029.390 is operative on January 1, 2009. The...

CHAPTER 13 - Written Interrogatories

ARTICLE 1 - Propounding Interrogatories

Section 2030.010. - 2030.010. (a) Any party may obtain discovery within the scope...

Section 2030.020. - 2030.020. (a) A defendant may propound interrogatories to a party...

Section 2030.030. - 2030.030. (a) A party may propound to another party either...

Section 2030.040. - 2030.040. (a) Subject to the right of the responding party...

Section 2030.050. - 2030.050. Any party who is propounding or has propounded more...

Section 2030.060. - 2030.060. (a) A party propounding interrogatories shall number each set...

Section 2030.070. - 2030.070. (a) In addition to the number of interrogatories permitted...

Section 2030.080. - 2030.080. (a) The party propounding interrogatories shall serve a copy...

Section 2030.090. - 2030.090. (a) When interrogatories have been propounded, the responding party,...

ARTICLE 2 - Response to Interrogatories

Section 2030.210. - 2030.210. (a) The party to whom interrogatories have been propounded...

Section 2030.220. - 2030.220. (a) Each answer in a response to interrogatories shall...

Section 2030.230. - 2030.230. If the answer to an interrogatory would necessitate the...

Section 2030.240. - 2030.240. (a) If only a part of an interrogatory is...

Section 2030.250. - 2030.250. (a) The party to whom the interrogatories are directed...

Section 2030.260. - 2030.260. (a) Within 30 days after service of interrogatories, the...

Section 2030.270. - 2030.270. (a) The party propounding interrogatories and the responding party...

Section 2030.280. - 2030.280. (a) The interrogatories and the response thereto shall not...

Section 2030.290. - 2030.290. If a party to whom interrogatories are directed fails...

Section 2030.300. - 2030.300. (a) On receipt of a response to interrogatories, the...

Section 2030.310. - 2030.310. (a) Without leave of court, a party may serve...

ARTICLE 3 - Use of Interrogatory Answer

Section 2030.410. - 2030.410. At the trial or any other hearing in the...

CHAPTER 14 - Inspection, Copying, Testing, Sampling, and Production of Documents, Electronically Stored Information, Tangible Things, Land, and Other Property

ARTICLE 1 - Inspection Demand

Section 2031.010. - 2031.010. (a) Any party may obtain discovery within the scope...

Section 2031.020. - 2031.020. (a) A defendant may make a demand for inspection,...

Section 2031.030. - 2031.030. (a) (1) A party demanding inspection, copying, testing, or...

Section 2031.040. - 2031.040. The party making a demand for inspection, copying, testing,...

Section 2031.050. - 2031.050. (a) In addition to the demands for inspection, copying,...

Section 2031.060. - 2031.060. (a) When an inspection, copying, testing, or sampling of...

ARTICLE 2 - Response to Inspection Demand

Section 2031.210. - 2031.210. (a) The party to whom a demand for inspection,...

Section 2031.220. - 2031.220. A statement that the party to whom a demand...

Section 2031.230. - 2031.230. A representation of inability to comply with the particular...

Section 2031.240. - 2031.240. (a) If only part of an item or category...

Section 2031.250. - 2031.250. (a) The party to whom the demand for inspection,...

Section 2031.260. - 2031.260. (a) Within 30 days after service of a demand...

Section 2031.270. - 2031.270. (a) The party demanding inspection, copying, testing, or sampling...

Section 2031.280. - 2031.280. (a) Any documents or category of documents produced in...

Section 2031.285. - 2031.285. (a) If electronically stored information produced in discovery is...

Section 2031.290. - 2031.290. (a) The demand for inspection, copying, testing, or sampling,...

Section 2031.300. - 2031.300. If a party to whom a demand for inspection,...

Section 2031.310. - 2031.310. (a) On receipt of a response to a demand...

Section 2031.320. - 2031.320. (a) If a party filing a response to a...

ARTICLE 3 - Inspection and Production of Documents and Other Property in Specific Contexts

Section 2031.510. - 2031.510. (a) In any action, regardless of who is the...

CHAPTER 15 - Physical or Mental Examination

ARTICLE 1 - General Provisions

Section 2032.010. - 2032.010. (a) This chapter does not affect genetic testing under...

Section 2032.020. - 2032.020. (a) Any party may obtain discovery, subject to the...

ARTICLE 2 - Physical Examination of Personal Injury Plaintiff

Section 2032.210. - 2032.210. As used in this article, “plaintiff” includes a cross-complainant,...

Section 2032.220. - 2032.220. (a) In any case in which a plaintiff is...

Section 2032.230. - 2032.230. (a) The plaintiff to whom a demand for a...

Section 2032.240. - 2032.240. (a) If a plaintiff to whom a demand for...

Section 2032.250. - 2032.250. (a) If a defendant who has demanded a physical...

Section 2032.260. - 2032.260. (a) The demand for a physical examination under this...

ARTICLE 3 - Motion for Physical or Mental Examination

Section 2032.310. - 2032.310. (a) If any party desires to obtain discovery by...

Section 2032.320. - 2032.320. (a) The court shall grant a motion for a...

Section 2032.340. - 2032.340. (a) If any action involving allegations of sexual abuse...

ARTICLE 4 - Failure To Submit To or Produce Another for Physical or Mental Examination

Section 2032.410. - 2032.410. If a party is required to submit to a...

Section 2032.420. - 2032.420. If a party is required to produce another for...

ARTICLE 5 - Conduct of Examination

Section 2032.510. - 2032.510. (a) The attorney for the examinee or for a...

Section 2032.520. - 2032.520. If an examinee submits or authorizes access to X-rays...

Section 2032.530. - 2032.530. (a) The examiner and examinee shall have the right...

ARTICLE 6 - Reports of Examination

Section 2032.610. - 2032.610. (a) If a party submits to, or produces another...

Section 2032.620. - 2032.620. (a) If the party at whose instance an examination...

Section 2032.630. - 2032.630. By demanding and obtaining a report of a physical...

Section 2032.640. - 2032.640. A party receiving a demand for a report under...

Section 2032.650. - 2032.650. (a) If a party who has demanded and received...

CHAPTER 16 - Requests for Admission

ARTICLE 1 - Requests For Admission

Section 2033.010. - 2033.010. Any party may obtain discovery within the scope delimited...

Section 2033.020. - 2033.020. (a) A defendant may make requests for admission by...

Section 2033.030. - 2033.030. (a) No party shall request, as a matter of...

Section 2033.040. - 2033.040. (a) Subject to the right of the responding party...

Section 2033.050. - 2033.050. Any party who is requesting or who has already...

Section 2033.060. - 2033.060. (a) A party requesting admissions shall number each set...

Section 2033.070. - 2033.070. The party requesting admissions shall serve a copy of...

Section 2033.080. - 2033.080. (a) When requests for admission have been made, the...

ARTICLE 2 - Response to Requests For Admission

Section 2033.210. - 2033.210. (a) The party to whom requests for admission have...

Section 2033.220. - 2033.220. (a) Each answer in a response to requests for...

Section 2033.230. - 2033.230. (a) If only a part of a request for...

Section 2033.240. - 2033.240. (a) The party to whom the requests for admission...

Section 2033.250. - 2033.250. (a) Within 30 days after service of requests for...

Section 2033.260. - 2033.260. (a) The party requesting admissions and the responding party...

Section 2033.270. - 2033.270. (a) The requests for admission and the response to...

Section 2033.280. - 2033.280. If a party to whom requests for admission are...

Section 2033.290. - 2033.290. (a) On receipt of a response to requests for...

Section 2033.300. - 2033.300. (a) A party may withdraw or amend an admission...

ARTICLE 3 - Effect of Admission

Section 2033.410. - 2033.410. (a) Any matter admitted in response to a request...

Section 2033.420. - 2033.420. (a) If a party fails to admit the genuineness...

CHAPTER 17 - Form Interrogatories and Requests for Admission

Section 2033.710. - 2033.710. The Judicial Council shall develop and approve official form...

Section 2033.720. - 2033.720. (a) The Judicial Council shall develop and approve official...

Section 2033.730. - 2033.730. (a) In developing the form interrogatories and requests for...

Section 2033.740. - 2033.740. (a) Use of the form interrogatories and requests for...

CHAPTER 18 - Simultaneous Exchange of Expert Witness Information

ARTICLE 1 - General Provisions

Section 2034.010. - 2034.010. This chapter does not apply to exchanges of lists...

ARTICLE 2 - Demand for Exchange of Expert Witness Information

Section 2034.210. - 2034.210. After the setting of the initial trial date for...

Section 2034.220. - 2034.220. Any party may make a demand for an exchange...

Section 2034.230. - 2034.230. (a) A demand for an exchange of information concerning...

Section 2034.240. - 2034.240. The party demanding an exchange of information concerning expert...

Section 2034.250. - 2034.250. (a) A party who has been served with a...

Section 2034.260. - 2034.260. (a) All parties who have appeared in the action...

Section 2034.270. - 2034.270. If a demand for an exchange of information concerning...

Section 2034.280. - 2034.280. (a) Within 20 days after the exchange described in...

Section 2034.290. - 2034.290. (a) A demand for an exchange of information concerning...

Section 2034.300. - 2034.300. Except as provided in Section 2034.310 and in Articles...

Section 2034.310. - 2034.310. A party may call as a witness at trial...

ARTICLE 3 - Deposition of Expert Witness

Section 2034.410. - 2034.410. On receipt of an expert witness list from a...

Section 2034.415. - 2034.415. An expert described in subdivision (b) of Section 2034.210...

Section 2034.420. - 2034.420. The deposition of any expert described in subdivision (b)...

Section 2034.430. - 2034.430. (a) Except as provided in subdivision (f), this section...

Section 2034.440. - 2034.440. The party designating an expert is responsible for any...

Section 2034.450. - 2034.450. (a) The party taking the deposition of an expert...

Section 2034.460. - 2034.460. (a) The service of a proper deposition notice accompanied...

Section 2034.470. - 2034.470. (a) If a party desiring to take the deposition...

ARTICLE 4 - Motion To Augment or Amend Expert Witness List or Declaration

Section 2034.610. - 2034.610. (a) On motion of any party who has engaged...

Section 2034.620. - 2034.620. The court shall grant leave to augment or amend...

Section 2034.630. - 2034.630. The court shall impose a monetary sanction under Chapter...

ARTICLE 5 - Motion To Submit Tardy Expert Witness Information

Section 2034.710. - 2034.710. (a) On motion of any party who has failed...

Section 2034.720. - 2034.720. The court shall grant leave to submit tardy expert...

Section 2034.730. - 2034.730. The court shall impose a monetary sanction under Chapter...

CHAPTER 19 - Perpetuation of Testimony or Preservation of Evidence Before Filing Action

Section 2035.010. - 2035.010. (a) One who expects to be a party or...

Section 2035.020. - 2035.020. The methods available for discovery conducted for the purposes...

Section 2035.030. - 2035.030. (a) One who desires to perpetuate testimony or preserve...

Section 2035.040. - 2035.040. (a) The petitioner shall cause service of a notice...

Section 2035.050. - 2035.050. (a) If the court determines that all or part...

Section 2035.060. - 2035.060. If a deposition to perpetuate testimony has been taken...

CHAPTER 20 - Perpetuation of Testimony or Preservation of Information Pending Appeal

Section 2036.010. - 2036.010. If an appeal has been taken from a judgment...

Section 2036.020. - 2036.020. The methods available for discovery for the purpose set...

Section 2036.030. - 2036.030. (a) A party who desires to obtain discovery pending...

Section 2036.040. - 2036.040. (a) If the court determines that all or part...

Section 2036.050. - 2036.050. If a deposition to perpetuate testimony has been taken...