When must a California requester obtain default judgment?

The court's actual entry of default

Preserve the clerk's default entry. The default request date and the later judgment entry date are different events.

Responsible actor. The party who requested the entered default. Use actual entry of default in a proceeding governed by rule 3.110. This is a target for obtaining judgment, not a guarantee of entitlement or court action.

1. Use actual entry of default in a proceeding governed by rule 3.110. This is a target for obtaining judgment, not a guarantee of entitlement or court action.
2. Exclude the established event and count 45 calendar days forward under CCP 12 and rule 1.10. Intermediate weekends and holidays count. A final judicial holiday moves to the next open day under CCP 12a. Check actual additional closures under CCP 12b.
3. Check the actual judicial holidays, closures and statutory or court-ordered qualifications.
4. Obtain the default judgment within the applicable period or preserve a granted extension. Merely filing a judgment application does not complete the stated act.

CCP 12 excludes the triggering day for ordinary day periods. CCP 12a supplies the final judicial-holiday adjustment, including Saturdays and the CCP 135 holidays. CCP 12b addresses qualifying whole-day office closures. Court-day periods exclude intermediate Saturdays, Sundays and judicial holidays. Calendar-day periods include intermediate closed days. Rule 1.11 supplies Friday observance of a Saturday judicial holiday and Monday observance of a Sunday judicial holiday. The calendar includes Lincoln Day, March 31, Juneteenth, Native American Day and Thanksgiving Friday. It excludes Columbus Day and Good Friday as ordinary full judicial holidays. The observed New Year holiday on December 31, 2027 is confirmed in the county schedule. Actual additional closures require separate evidence.

Establish the actual service method and legally completed event. The tax-cost preset is confined to personal service; rule 3.1700(b)(1) expressly recognizes CCP 1013 mail and CCP 1010.6 electronic additions. Filing-triggered brief and review-answer clocks do not begin merely with service. CCP 1013 and 1010.6 exclude their stated additions for a notice of appeal. A summons-service event and an appellate filing event have distinct requirements. These presets do not calculate excluded service or combined procedural branches.

Official 2026 Rules of Court were reviewed. Publication coverage begins January 1, 2026 and assumes the reviewed branch still governs the input. Displayed final dates use the independently retained 2026 and 2027 California judicial calendar. Earlier or amended editions, emergency orders and actual additional closures require separate review. A closed backward statement boundary receives no date because its exact adjustment is not implemented. Source guides for combined appeal clocks, stipulated responses, cost memoranda and decision finality supply no computed or paid date. These software coverage boundaries do not establish that an actual filing is late.

Fictitious example

Use actual entry of default in a proceeding governed by rule 3.110. This is a target for obtaining judgment, not a guarantee of entitlement or court action. Only the disclosed branch and established event apply, with no altered order, eligible service addition or additional closure.

Fictitious facts within the stated coverage. This is the disclosed component, not a determination of legal accrual, effective service, court action or entitlement. No tolling, different service addition, altered order or additional closure is assumed. Closed unsupported base branches receive no computed date.

Granted extension

Rule 3.110(h) expressly permits a court-granted extension. Use the actual order and its conditions.

Different collections procedure

Qualifying collections under rule 3.740 are excluded from rule 3.110 and have a separate default-judgment procedure.

Missed target

Without an extension, the rule requires an order to show cause. It does not promise judgment or state that every declaration automatically excuses noncompliance.

Service methods and distinct statutory additions

Establish the actual service method and legally completed event. The tax-cost preset is confined to personal service; rule 3.1700(b)(1) expressly recognizes CCP 1013 mail and CCP 1010.6 electronic additions. Filing-triggered brief and review-answer clocks do not begin merely with service. CCP 1013 and 1010.6 exclude their stated additions for a notice of appeal. A summons-service event and an appellate filing event have distinct requirements. These presets do not calculate excluded service or combined procedural branches.

Edition and calendar coverage

Official 2026 Rules of Court were reviewed. Publication coverage begins January 1, 2026 and assumes the reviewed branch still governs the input. Displayed final dates use the independently retained 2026 and 2027 California judicial calendar. Earlier or amended editions, emergency orders and actual additional closures require separate review. A closed backward statement boundary receives no date because its exact adjustment is not implemented. Source guides for combined appeal clocks, stipulated responses, cost memoranda and decision finality supply no computed or paid date. These software coverage boundaries do not establish that an actual filing is late.

• Use actual entry of default in a proceeding governed by rule 3.110. This is a target for obtaining judgment, not a guarantee of entitlement or court action.
• The base calculation does not resolve the excluded comparisons or establish that the responsible actor completed the required act.

• The court's actual entry of default
• Preserve the clerk's default entry. The default request date and the later judgment entry date are different events.
• Rule 3.110(h) expressly permits a court-granted extension. Use the actual order and its conditions.
• Qualifying collections under rule 3.740 are excluded from rule 3.110 and have a separate default-judgment procedure.
• Without an extension, the rule requires an order to show cause. It does not promise judgment or state that every declaration automatically excuses noncompliance.
• Obtain the default judgment within the applicable period or preserve a granted extension. Merely filing a judgment application does not complete the stated act.
• Trial court electronic filing follows CCP 1010.6 and rules 2.253 and 2.259. Qualifying court-day electronic receipt receives the stated filing-date treatment, but receipt and accepted filing confirmations are distinct. Preserve both, required fees or waiver and proof of service. Rule 2.259(c) addresses proved court-system failure and excludes complaints and other initial pleadings from that provision. Do not assume a draft upload, service receipt or rejected submission establishes filing. Check the actual court and local requirements.