United States · Federal civil procedure
When must parties make initial disclosures in federal civil litigation?
Initial disclosures ordinarily are due at or within 14 days after the Rule 26(f) conference. A party first served or joined afterward ordinarily has 30 days from service or joinder. Exemptions, stipulations, objections and court orders can change the requirement.
- Period
- 14 days after the conference, or 30 days for a later party
- Trigger
- The Rule 26(f) conference, or later service or joinder of the party
- Rule
- FRCP 26(a)(1)(B)–(E)
December 1, 2025 compilation
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Which date starts this period?
Rule 26(a)(1)(C) starts the ordinary 14-day period at the parties’ Rule 26(f) conference. The conference can also be the day disclosures are made.
A party first served or otherwise joined after the conference uses Rule 26(a)(1)(D). Its ordinary 30-day period starts at that party’s service or joinder, not the earlier conference.
Check exemptions under Rule 26(a)(1)(B) before counting. A qualifying exemption concerns whether disclosures are required, not an automatic longer period.
FRCP 26(a)(1)(B)–(E)How is the 14-day period counted?
- Use the parties’ conference date. For the later-party branch, use that party’s subsequent service or joinder date.
- Exclude that day.
- Count 14 calendar days.
- A final Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday carries the period to the next day that is not. Check additional state holidays and clerk inaccessibility.
The ordinary branch counts 14 days from the conference. The later-party branch counts 30 days from service or joinder. A different stipulated or ordered date replaces that default.
FRCP 6(a)(1)What does a worked calculation look like?
Fictitious example
The parties held their Rule 26(f) conference August 3. Disclosures are required and no different time applies. Exclude August 3. August 4–17 supplies 14 days. Day 14 is Monday.
| Step | What is counted | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Trigger | The Rule 26(f) conference, or later service or joinder of the party | August 3, 2026 |
| Count | 14 calendar days after the trigger | August 17, 2026 |
Fictitious dates. No additional state holiday, closure or different case order is assumed.
Try these dates in the calculatorCan an exception or order change the deadline?
- Exempt proceeding
- Rule 26(a)(1)(B) lists nine exempt categories, including administrative-record review, specified prisoner proceedings and actions to enforce arbitration awards. Check the exact category.
- Stipulation or order
- Rule 26(a)(1)(C) and (D) permit a different time set by stipulation or court order. This calculator does not infer that replacement date.
- Conference objection
- A party objecting at the conference that disclosures are inappropriate must state the objection in the proposed discovery plan. The court decides the required disclosures and their time.
- Incomplete investigation
- Rule 26(a)(1)(E) requires disclosure based on reasonably available information. Incomplete investigation or another party’s failure to disclose does not itself excuse disclosure.
- This page does not determine exemption eligibility, decide a disclosure objection, infer a stipulation or prepare the disclosure materials.
What should I check before acting?
Common questions
The procedure and starting event
Can a party disclose at the conference itself?
Yes. Rule 26(a)(1)(C) permits initial disclosures at or within 14 days after the Rule 26(f) conference, subject to its qualifications.
FRCP 26(a)(1)(C)Does a later party inherit the original conference deadline?
No. A party first served or otherwise joined after the conference ordinarily has 30 days from that service or joinder under Rule 26(a)(1)(D), unless a different time is stipulated or ordered.
FRCP 26(a)(1)(D)Are all federal civil cases subject to initial disclosures?
No. Rule 26(a)(1)(B) identifies exempt proceedings. Check the full list and any applicable order rather than assuming this preset applies to every case.
FRCP 26(a)(1)(B)Exceptions and completion
What happens when a party objects during the conference?
The party must state the objection in the proposed discovery plan. Rule 26(a)(1)(C) requires the court to determine what disclosures are needed and set their time.
FRCP 26(a)(1)(C)Does an unfinished investigation excuse disclosure?
No. Rule 26(a)(1)(E) requires disclosure based on information reasonably available. It also rejects relying on another party’s nondisclosure as an excuse.
FRCP 26(a)(1)(E)Must initial disclosures be filed on the docket?
Ordinarily not. Rule 5(d)(1)(A) says Rule 26(a)(1) and (2) disclosures must not be filed until used in the proceeding or the court orders filing.
FRCP 5(d)(1)(A)What information does the disclosure requirement cover?
Rule 26(a)(1)(A) addresses specified witnesses, documents or material descriptions, damages computations and supporting materials, and qualifying insurance agreements. Check its limits and exclusions.
FRCP 26(a)(1)(A)Do intermediate weekends count?
Rule 6(a)(1)(B) counts all intermediate days, including Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays. Its final-day rollover is separate.
FRCP 6(a)(1)What if the clerk’s office is inaccessible on a filing deadline?
Unless the court orders otherwise, Rule 6(a)(3)(A) extends a filing deadline to the first accessible day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday.
FRCP 6(a)(1), (3), (4) and (6)Official sources and review
Provisions used (5)
| Provision | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Rule 26(a)(1)(A) and (B) | Disclosure materials and exempt proceedings |
| Rule 26(a)(1)(B)–(E) | Conference and later-party periods, objections and available information |
| Rule 5(d)(1)(A) | Disclosure filing restriction |
| FRCP 6(a)(1) | Trigger-day exclusion and intermediate calendar days |
| FRCP 6(a)(1), (3), (4) and (6) | Final-day rollover, holidays, clerk inaccessibility and filing cutoff |