The calculators on this site apply a court’s counting rule for you, but knowing what the rule does helps you spot when a date needs a second look: a period that runs over a holiday weekend, a paper served by mail, or a hearing date counted backward. These guides explain the method, and the glossary below defines the terms the rules and our results use.
Start here
- How to calculate a court deadline, step by step walks through the method that federal courts and most states share: find the trigger, count the days, then decide whether the last day moves.
- Court days vs. calendar days explains why a “10-day” period can mean two different dates, and which courts count only the days they are open.
- Extra days for service by mail compares the days each system adds when a paper arrives by mail, and where in the count those days go.
- Mon, Nov 2Served by mailTrigger day not counted
- 14 daysCounted through Mon, Nov 16FRCP 6(a)(1)
- +3 daysService by mailFRCP 6(d)
- Thu, Nov 19Response due
Glossary of counting terms
Trigger. The event that starts a period: service of a paper, entry of a judgment, the filing of a motion, or a hearing date when the period is counted backward. The day of the trigger itself is almost never counted.
Calendar days. Every day on the calendar, weekends and holidays included. Most periods of a week or longer are counted this way in federal court and in most states.
Court days. Only the days the court is open, so weekends and court holidays are skipped as you count. California uses court days for many motion deadlines; some states count short periods this way.
Legal holiday. A day a statute or court rule says is a holiday for computing time. The list differs by court system, and a day can be a holiday for state employees without being one for court deadlines.
Observed holiday. The weekday a holiday is kept on when its date falls on a weekend, usually the Friday before a Saturday holiday or the Monday after a Sunday one. Not every system observes holidays this way; the court holidays pages compare them.
Last day. The final day of the period. If it is a weekend or legal holiday, most rules extend the period to the next day the court is open, or, for a period counted backward, to the day before.
Service. Delivering a paper to the other side in a way the rules allow: in person, by mail, by electronic filing system or e-mail with consent, and so on. The method can change the date service is complete or add days to the response time.
Mail days. The extra days some rules add when a paper is served by mail (three in federal court, five within California, five in New York). They are added either to the period or after it ends, depending on the rule.
Counted backward. A period that must be met a number of days before an event, such as notice of a motion before the hearing. The count runs toward the past, and a weekend or holiday last day moves earlier, not later.
Inaccessible clerk’s office. A day the clerk’s office is closed by weather or emergency. Federal Rule 6(a)(3) and some state rules extend a deadline over it, but only for filings that could not be made electronically.
Unsettled reading. Where courts have not decided how a rule applies, our calculators compute each reasonable reading and show the earliest date first, with the others listed so you can see the difference.
When to rely on a guide, and when not to
A guide explains the general rule; your case may be governed by a local rule, a judge’s standing order or a scheduling order that sets its own dates. Those control when they differ. Use the guides to understand a result, and the calculators’ notes and citations to check it against the rule itself.
Questions readers ask most
Where can I check which days a court treats as holidays?
On the court holidays pages, which list the 2026, 2027 and 2028 dates for the federal courts and for each state system we cover, with the statute or order behind each list and calendar files to import. The calculators apply those lists automatically.
What is a trigger date?
The event that starts a period: service of a paper, entry of a judgment, a filing, or a hearing when the period is counted backward. The trigger day itself is not counted; day one is the next day, or in Florida the next court day.
What does an unsettled reading mean in a result?
A point on which the courts have not decided how a rule applies, such as whether a state holiday on which the courthouse is open extends a deadline. The calculator computes each reasonable reading, shows the earliest date first and lists the others, so the difference is visible rather than hidden.
Can a local rule change a deadline the calculator shows?
Yes. Local rules, standing orders and scheduling orders can set a different period or a date certain, and they control when they differ from the general rule. Every result lists points to check before relying on the date, and the calculators’ notes say which local variations are known.