California Rules of Court Pleading Format Requirements

Documents filed in California superior courts must meet the California pleading format requirements set out in Rules of Court 2.103 through 2.114, plus Rule 2.111 for the first page. In short: 8½-by-11 white paper, 12-point Times New Roman, Courier, or Arial in black or blue-black, one-and-a-half or double line spacing with numbered lines down the left margin, a one-inch left margin and half-inch right margin, and a caption block that follows a specific layout on page one. The same rules apply whether you are an attorney or filing on your own behalf.

Paper, Font, and Color

Every filing must be on paper measuring 8½ by 11 inches. Paper filings must also be opaque, unglazed, white or unbleached, and at least 20-pound weight, so ink does not bleed through and the document survives long-term storage.¹ Electronic filings still have to match the 8½-by-11 page size.

Text must be at least 12 points and either printed, typewritten, or produced by a duplication process that is as clear and permanent as printing.² Handwriting is not accepted unless the court specifically allows it. The typeface must be essentially equivalent to Courier, Times New Roman, or Arial.³ Decorative, script, or condensed fonts will not pass. Font color must be black or blue-black.⁴

Margins

The left margin must be at least one inch from the left edge of the page, and the right margin must be at least one-half inch from the right edge.⁵ Those two measurements are not the same, which is a common mistake. The wider left margin exists to leave room for hole-punching into court binders.

On the first page, content begins one inch from the top, on line 1.⁶ The rules do not fix an exact bottom margin, but most practitioners leave at least a half inch for page numbers. Word-processor templates built for California pleading paper handle these measurements automatically.

Line Spacing and Numbered Lines

Body text must be one-and-a-half spaced or double-spaced. Footnotes, quotations, and descriptions of real property may be single-spaced, but those single-spaced sections still generally have to comply with the spacing requirements of Rule 2.111.⁷ Headings are not on the list of single-spacing exceptions.

Every page must carry consecutively numbered lines in the left margin, restarting at 1 on each new page. There must be at least three line numbers for every vertical inch, which works out to roughly 28 numbered lines on a standard page.⁷ The numbers must be separated from the body text by a vertical column at least one-fifth of an inch wide, or by a single or double vertical line. Standard word processors do not produce numbered pleading paper by default, so you will need a pleading-paper template or add-on.

First-Page Caption

The layout of page one is prescribed line-by-line. In the upper-left, starting at line 1, one inch from the top, place the attorney or self-represented party’s name, office address, telephone number, fax number, email address, and State Bar number.⁶ Listing a fax number or email does not itself constitute consent to service by fax or email.

The court’s name goes on line 8, at or below 3⅓ inches from the top. Below the court name, the left side of the page carries the case title and the right side carries the case number and the nature of the document being filed.⁶ On an initial complaint or cross-complaint, each party’s name starts on a separate line beginning at the left margin. On later filings a short title is enough: the first party on each side, with “et al.” if there are more.

For an answer, response, or opposition in a case with multiple parties, the document has to identify specifically which party’s complaint, motion, or other filing it responds to.

Signatures

Under California Code of Civil Procedure section 128.7, every pleading, petition, and written motion must be signed by at least one attorney of record, or by the party if unrepresented. That signature certifies the filing is not for an improper purpose, that the legal arguments have merit, and that the factual allegations have evidentiary support. A missing or fraudulent signature can result in monetary sanctions. The attorney’s contact block goes on the first page under Rule 2.111, not next to the signature line at the end.⁶

For e-filings, Rule 2.257 defines an electronic signature as any electronic sound, symbol, or process attached to a document and executed with the intent to sign it. If the document does not require a signature under penalty of perjury, it is deemed signed by the person who e-filed it. Declarations and verifications signed under penalty of perjury have stricter rules: the declarant’s electronic signature must be unique to them, capable of verification, under their sole control, and linked to the document data. If the declarant is not the person doing the filing, the filer must keep the originally signed document available for inspection.⁸ Some courts still require wet signatures on certain originals, so check local rules before relying on an “/s/” block.

Exhibits

Exhibits attached to paper filings may be fastened to pages of the standard 8½-by-11 size, and copies must be as legible and permanent as printed material. E-filed exhibits must meet the requirements of Rule 2.256(b).⁹ Local court rules often add requirements for exhibit tabs and indexing, particularly in law-and-motion matters and at trial. Exhibit handling is one of the areas where local requirements vary the most, so check the rules for your specific courthouse.

Redacting Personal Information

Rule 1.201 requires parties and their attorneys to redact certain sensitive information from every document filed in the public court file, whether paper or electronic. This applies to every filing, not just the complaint.¹⁰ Two categories must always be redacted:

Social Security numbers: show only the last four digits.
Financial account numbers: show only the last four digits.

Failing to redact without good cause can lead to monetary sanctions under Rule 2.30, payable to the court or to the person whose information was exposed.¹¹ The trap is usually the exhibits: bank statements, tax records, and medical bills often carry account and Social Security numbers on pages you might not read closely. Review every page of every exhibit before filing.

Civil Case Cover Sheet

The first document filed in a civil action must be accompanied by a Civil Case Cover Sheet (Judicial Council Form CM-010). The cover sheet does not apply to small claims cases or to cases filed under the Probate Code, Family Code, or Welfare and Institutions Code. If the cover sheet indicates the case is complex or a collections case, a copy must be served with the complaint; otherwise the cover sheet does not have to be served. A missing or defective cover sheet will not stop the clerk from filing the complaint, but it can lead to sanctions under Rule 2.30.¹²

Electronic and Paper Filing

E-filing is mandatory in many California counties and for many case types. Rule 2.250 directs the e-filing rules to be construed to authorize electronic filing and service to the extent feasible.¹³ Whether e-filing is required or optional depends on the county and case type. Self-represented litigants are often exempt from mandatory e-filing but may still choose to e-file where the court’s system allows it.

E-filed documents must be in PDF. Courts encourage electronic bookmarks that link to each exhibit, heading, and major document component such as the table of contents, declarations, and proof of service. For documents with exhibits, bookmarks should give each exhibit’s number or letter along with a brief description. Confirm your court’s technical requirements before submitting.

For paper filings, documents go to the clerk’s office at the appropriate courthouse. Some courts require extra copies for the judge or court records, and the exact number varies by court.¹⁴ Motions and other filings generally must be served on all opposing counsel or unrepresented parties.

What Happens If You Get It Wrong

Rule 2.30 gives courts the power to impose monetary sanctions for failure to comply with the formatting and procedural rules. It applies to civil cases, unlawful detainer actions, probate proceedings, appellate division civil proceedings, and small claims cases.¹¹ Sanctions require written notice and an opportunity to be heard, either through a motion by the opposing party or an order to show cause from the court, identifying the rule violated and the conduct at issue. On top of the sanction, the court can order the violating party to pay the other side’s reasonable expenses, including attorney’s fees, from the sanctions motion.

If the formatting violation is the attorney’s fault rather than the client’s, the sanction must be imposed on the attorney and cannot hurt the client’s case. Beyond formal sanctions, repeated non-compliance costs credibility with the clerks and the bench, and that cost tends to outlast any single filing.

1
Judicial Branch of California. Rule 2.103 – Size, Quality, and Color of Papers
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Judicial Branch of California. Rule 2.104 – Font Size; Printing
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Judicial Branch of California. Rule 2.105 – Font Style
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Judicial Branch of California. Rule 2.106 – Font Color
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Judicial Branch of California. Rule 2.107 – Margins
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Judicial Branch of California. Rule 2.111 – Format of First Page
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Judicial Branch of California. Rule 2.108 – Spacing and Numbering of Lines
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Judicial Branch of California. Rule 2.257 – Requirements for Signatures on Documents
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Judicial Branch of California. Rule 2.114 – Exhibits
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Judicial Branch of California. Rule 1.201 – Protection of Privacy
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Judicial Branch of California. Rule 2.30 – Sanctions for Rules Violations in Civil Cases
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Judicial Branch of California. Rule 3.220 – Case Cover Sheet
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Judicial Branch of California. Rule 2.250 – Construction and Definitions
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Judicial Branch of California. Rule 2.259 – Actions by Court on Receipt of Electronic Filing