When must process be served if the limitation period is four months or less?

Establish the actual applicable limitation period and its expiry using the governing claim or proceeding provision. The filing date is not a substitute for expiry.

Confirm that the case falls within CPLR 306-b’s short-limitation branch and is not an Election Law proceeding. The calculation does not decide timely commencement, accrual, tolling or the proper respondent.

Responsible actor. The plaintiff or petitioner responsible for service in the qualifying action or proceeding. An independently established limitation period of four months or less and its actual expiry only. Election Law proceedings, disputed accrual or tolls, invalid commencement, third-party practice and court extensions are excluded.

1. Establish the actual applicable limitation period and its expiry using the governing claim or proceeding provision. The filing date is not a substitute for expiry.
2. Confirm that the case falls within CPLR 306-b’s short-limitation branch and is not an Election Law proceeding. The calculation does not decide timely commencement, accrual, tolling or the proper respondent.
3. Exclude the established event day and count 15 calendar days forward. Intermediate weekends and public holidays count. General Construction Law 25-a permits the next succeeding business day for a closed final statutory day.
4. Complete valid service of the required initiating papers by the separately calculated service boundary. Preserve the actual commencement record, limitation analysis, service evidence and any granted extension.

General Construction Law 20 excludes the established event day. Intermediate Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays count in these fifteen-, twenty-, sixty- and 120-day calendar periods. Section 25-a permits the next succeeding business day for a closed final statutory day and expressly includes a period before which an act is required. The backward notice-to-admit boundary still requires the actual trial date and separate opening condition.

The independently derived 2026 and 2027 calendar follows General Construction Law 24 and Election Law 8-100. It includes Lincoln’s Birthday, Flag Day on the second Sunday in June, Juneteenth, general election day and the other specified holidays. Section 24 adds the next day when a listed holiday falls on Sunday, except Flag Day. A Saturday holiday is not automatically observed on Friday under this provision. Additional appointed holidays and actual court or system closures require separate proof.

These calculators cover established events and final dates within January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2027. They require the disclosed statutory branch, independently valid service, no unsupported method addition, no different actual court order and no additional closure. The backward notice-to-admit preset requires an actual open-day trial date and an independently established opening condition. Earlier editions, the 2020 executive-order toll and dates beyond the retained calendar require separate review and receive no computed or paid date. This software coverage boundary does not establish that an actual act is late.

Fictitious example

An independently established limitation period of four months or less and its actual expiry only. Election Law proceedings, disputed accrual or tolls, invalid commencement, third-party practice and court extensions are excluded. Fictitious established event on the input date. An independently established limitation period of four months or less and its actual expiry only. Election Law proceedings, disputed accrual or tolls, invalid commencement, third-party practice and court extensions are excluded.

Fictitious established facts. The result does not prove valid service, the required exception, actual filing, preserved jurisdiction or a granted court extension. The applicable hour and actual court directions remain separate checks.

Election Law exception

The statute expressly excludes a proceeding commenced under the Election Law from this short-limitation branch. Do not apply this fifteen-day preset to an election proceeding.

Expiry is not filing

The fifteen days run from the date on which the applicable limitation period expires. Earlier filing does not change that selected triggering event.

Commencement still matters

Service within this branch does not prove that the action or petition was timely and properly commenced under CPLR 304. Preserve both events.

Court relief

A granted good-cause or interest-of-justice extension requires an actual court decision. Braun treats the two standards separately; this preset grants neither.

Edition and calendar coverage

These calculators cover established events and final dates within January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2027. They require the disclosed statutory branch, independently valid service, no unsupported method addition, no different actual court order and no additional closure. The backward notice-to-admit preset requires an actual open-day trial date and an independently established opening condition. Earlier editions, the 2020 executive-order toll and dates beyond the retained calendar require separate review and receive no computed or paid date. This software coverage boundary does not establish that an actual act is late.

• An independently established limitation period of four months or less and its actual expiry only. Election Law proceedings, disputed accrual or tolls, invalid commencement, third-party practice and court extensions are excluded.
• The selected date supplies only the disclosed statutory branch. It does not validate the facts or authorize an unmodeled alternative.

• Establish the actual applicable limitation period and its expiry using the governing claim or proceeding provision. The filing date is not a substitute for expiry.
• Confirm that the case falls within CPLR 306-b’s short-limitation branch and is not an Election Law proceeding. The calculation does not decide timely commencement, accrual, tolling or the proper respondent.
• Complete valid service of the required initiating papers by the separately calculated service boundary. Preserve the actual commencement record, limitation analysis, service evidence and any granted extension.
• The statute expressly excludes a proceeding commenced under the Election Law from this short-limitation branch. Do not apply this fifteen-day preset to an election proceeding.
• The fifteen days run from the date on which the applicable limitation period expires. Earlier filing does not change that selected triggering event.
• Service within this branch does not prove that the action or petition was timely and properly commenced under CPLR 304. Preserve both events.
• A granted good-cause or interest-of-justice extension requires an actual court decision. Braun treats the two standards separately; this preset grants neither.
• In the applicable Supreme Court NYSCEF program, rule 202.5-b(d)(3)(i) permits transmission day or night and identifies recorded transmission with required fee information or permitted actual later payment as the filing event. Interlocutory service under (f)(2) depends on the transmitted NYSCEF notification reaching the proper participating addresses. Filing initiating papers does not itself establish defendant service. Under (h)(2), the clerk’s entry notification is not party service of notice of entry. Preserve the actual document, proof, timestamp, fee event, recipients and court requirements. Paper filing requires the applicable office procedure and receipt. The qualifying technical-failure and emergency hard-copy branches in (i) and (d)(1)(iii) require their actual conditions and later electronic filing; they are not presumed here.