When must I file and serve a BC Supreme Court response to civil claim?

Unless the court otherwise orders, file Form 2 and serve a copy of the filed response within 21 days after notice-of-civil-claim service in Canada, 35 days in the United States, or 49 days elsewhere. Check pleading consent, jurisdictional responses and the actual filing and service records separately.

Responsible actor. The defendant responding to a BC Supreme Court notice of civil claim.

Confirm that the originating document is a notice of civil claim and the response is Form 2.

Establish effective service under the applicable originating-document provisions or actual service order. Do not simply apply ordinary-service deeming to an originating pleading.

Choose the branch by where the person was served. British Columbia and every other Canadian province share the 21-day branch.

Read actual court orders, pleading consent and any Form 108 jurisdictional response before treating the ordinary period as operative.

Use the ordinary response to a notice of civil claim served on a person. Select Canada, the United States or elsewhere by service place. This calculator does not decide a jurisdiction challenge, an actual extension or effective service.

1. Establish the effective service date and the applicable ordinary branch.
2. Exclude the service day. Count the selected calendar-day period.
3. Adjust a final holiday or qualifying office closure under the governing instrument.
4. Complete each required service and accepted filing act, preserving proof.

Interpretation Act section 25.2 counts forward from the day after service. These 21-, 35- and 49-day periods count intermediate weekends and holidays. Civil Rule 22-4(1) excludes intermediate holidays only for periods shorter than seven days.

Interpretation Act section 25.5 adjusts a final holiday, and separately an act in a business office when the office is closed during regular hours. Section 29 defines holidays. The bundled BC court calendar covers 2025 through 2027 and treats weekends as closed. Check local or emergency office closures separately. Official Court calendars confirm additional closed registry days on December 28, 2026, and December 27–28, 2027. These are included for the rule 3-3 office-filing branches. Reading breaks, conferences and yellow winter-break dates marked limited court open are not treated as full closures.

Fictitious example

Fictitious established effective service on July 06, 2026 in Canada. The ordinary branch governs, with no variation or extra closure.

Fictitious independently established service facts in 2026 and 2027. No contrary order, operative consent or additional closure applies. These examples do not prove effective service, default status, filing acceptance or completion of service.

Court order or pleading consent

Rule 3-3(3) is subject to a contrary court order. Rule 22-4 permits court variation and pleading-period extensions by consent. Preserve the actual operative terms.

Jurisdictional response

Rule 21-8 provides a Form 108 route and specific consequences. Do not assume every challenge automatically stops the ordinary response clock.

Ship or property service

Rule 3-3(3)(b) has a distinct 21-day branch for ship or property service under rule 21-1(5). This person-service calculator does not establish that branch.

Electronic receipt and later service

A received upload must be accepted under rule 23-3. Rule 4-6 separately addresses ordinary service and after-4-p.m. deeming. Filing acceptance does not prove service.

• Use the ordinary response to a notice of civil claim served on a person. Select Canada, the United States or elsewhere by service place. This calculator does not decide a jurisdiction challenge, an actual extension or effective service.
• The selected branch calculates an ordinary response period. Actual service, court orders, consent, jurisdictional-response consequences and completion of both required acts are not inferred.

• Preserve the notice of civil claim and evidence of effective service and service place.
• Select the corresponding 21-, 35- or 49-day branch.
• Prepare Form 2 with factual admissions, denials, positions on relief and the required legal basis.
• File the response and obtain its stamped acceptance.
• Serve a copy of the filed response on the plaintiff and retain proof of the applicable service event.
• Rule 3-3 requires filing Form 2 and serving a copy of the filed response on the plaintiff. Under rule 23-3(13), accepted electronic documents received at or before 4 p.m. on a non-Saturday, non-holiday are filed that day; later receipt moves to the next qualifying day. Preserve the stamped acceptance under rule 23-3(14). Check the actual service method and its timing separately.