Louisiana courts
When must I Answer an ordinary Louisiana civil petition?
You normally must Answer an ordinary Louisiana civil petition within 21 calendar days after service of citation on the defendant, under La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 1001(A). If the final day is a Saturday, Sunday or Louisiana legal holiday, the computation rule carries it to the next day that is not. Louisiana legal holidays for 2026 and 2027 are applied; a local court closure or a holiday declared by the Governor or the President can extend the deadline further.
- Period
- 21 calendar days
- Trigger
- Service of citation on the defendant
- Rule
- La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 1001(A)
Louisiana rules as encoded, 2026 and 2027 legal holidays bundled
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Which date starts the 21-day period?
The period runs from the service of citation on the defendant.
For La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 1001(A), count forward from the trigger event. Confirm the event on the docket or in the service record before entering a date.
Read Louisiana Supreme Court rulesA defendant shall file his answer within twenty-one days after service of citation upon him, except as otherwise provided by law.
La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 1001(A)
This period runs from service as the rule defines it. Do not substitute the filing date, the day a courtesy copy arrived or the day you first read the paper. Confirm that event before applying La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 1001(A).
Which date do I enter?How are the 21 calendar days counted?
- La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 1001(A). Exclude the day of the trigger event.
- Count every following day, including intermediate Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays.
- If the last day is a Saturday, Sunday or Louisiana legal holiday, continue to the next day that is not one of those.
The La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 1001(A) record uses this method. Exclude the trigger day and count calendar days under La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 5059.
For La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 1001(A), if the final day is a Saturday, Sunday or Louisiana legal holiday, the computation rule carries it to the next day that is not. Louisiana legal holidays for 2026 and 2027 are applied; a local court closure or a holiday declared by the Governor or the President can extend the deadline further.
The supporting computation provision for La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 1001(A) adds this boundary. Louisiana computes time under La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 5059. The calculator applies Louisiana legal holidays for 2026 and 2027. A local court closure, an emergency closure or a holiday declared by the Governor or the President is not bundled and can extend the deadline.
Read La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 5059The calculation applies the ordinary method recorded for La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 1001(A). Check applicable holidays, court accessibility and the filing cutoff separately.
Review the filing checklistWhat does a worked calculation look like?
Fictitious example
Assume the service of citation on the defendant on Tuesday, September 1, 2026 (service of citation on the defendant on this date, with no order, motion or extension affecting the period), with no order, motion, extension or local closure affecting the result. Exclude the trigger day and count calendar days under La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 5059. The example assumes no local rule, order or closure changes the ordinary period under La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 1001(A).
| Step | What is counted | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Service | Do not count this day | September 1, 2026 |
| Day 1 | Start counting calendar days | September 2, 2026 |
| Day 21 | Ordinary deadline in this example | September 22, 2026 |
Can an order, motion or extension change the deadline?
- Extensions
- The court may grant additional time as Article 1001 permits; the calculator does not assume an extension.
- Orders and local rules
- A scheduling order, approved stipulation, standing order or local rule can control over the ordinary period described by La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 1001(A).
- The court may grant additional time as Article 1001 permits; the calculator does not assume an extension.
- A stipulation, scheduling order, standing order or local rule can control over the ordinary period described by La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 1001(A).
What should I check before filing?
Common questions
Starting the clock
Does the clock start on the service of citation on the defendant, or when I first learned of it?
Under La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 1001(A), the period runs from the service of citation on the defendant, not from the day you read about it, received a courtesy copy or attended a hearing. Use the date shown on the docket or in the service record.
Counting days and filing
Is it 21 calendar days or business days?
For La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 1001(A), count calendar days, including intermediate weekends and holidays. If the final day is a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 5059 carries it forward as provided by that rule.
La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 5059Which time zone and filing cutoff apply?
Louisiana filing rules and the court’s electronic filing system set the cutoff. This calculator does not verify filing hours or system availability. Confirm that boundary before relying on a La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 1001(A) result.
La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 5059What if the court is inaccessible on the last day?
La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 5059 and the court’s administrative orders govern an inaccessible clerk’s office. Check the court’s notices. This calculator does not predict a closure. This check remains separate from the ordinary La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 1001(A) count.
La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 5059Extensions and local rules
Can the court extend this deadline?
The court may grant additional time as Article 1001 permits; the calculator does not assume an extension. A request does not itself extend the period under La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 1001(A), and no discretionary extension is calculated here.
Do local rules, standing orders or a scheduling order change the date?
They can. A local rule, standing order or case-specific order can control over the ordinary period calculated under La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 1001(A). Compare the result with every applicable order before relying on it.
Choosing the right calculator
Does this calculator decide whether the rule applies to my case?
No. It calculates a period from the date you provide under La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 1001(A). It does not decide whether the rule governs your filing, whether an exception applies, or whether the filing has merit.
Can I calculate the deadline without an account?
Yes. Enter the trigger date to see the free calculation under La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 1001(A), including the citation, counting steps and warnings. Court-specific facts can keep a result provisional.
Results, records and your case
What is included in an Evidence Record?
An eligible La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 1001(A) record retains the inputs, result, cited rule, calculation working, warnings and review state. It records that calculation and its fingerprint, not a guarantee of legal correctness.
Does saving to a case activate the calendar?
Not automatically. A provisional La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 1001(A) result remains subject to review, and a separately labeled manual date does not alter the original calculation.
Official sources and review
Provisions used (2)
| Provision | Purpose |
|---|---|
| La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 1001(A) | Trigger and period |
| La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 5059 | Counting, holidays and the last day |