A notice of appeal is the one filing that almost every court treats as jurisdictional, and the one whose start day varies most. The period is 30 days in every system on this page, with longer periods for the federal government and for some California cases, but the day it starts, the events that stop it and the holidays that move its last day are different in each court. The menu above lists the appeal deadlines of the seven court systems the site covers; each result shows the count and cites the rule.
What starts the clock in each court
Federal courts count from entry of the judgment or order on the civil docket (Fed. R. App. P. 4(a)(1)(A); 4(a)(7) says what counts as entry when a separate document is required). Pennsylvania counts from entry of the order appealed from (Pa.R.A.P. 903(a)), Illinois from entry of the final judgment (Ill. S. Ct. R. 303(a)(1)), and Texas from the day the judgment is signed (Tex. R. App. P. 26.1). Florida uses rendition, the filing of the signed written order with the clerk (Fla. R. App. P. 9.020(h), 9.110(b)). New York and California instead count from service of a notice of entry, so the clock does not run until a party serves one (N.Y. C.P.L.R. 5513(a); Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.104(a)(1)), and California stops waiting after 180 days from entry.
Date the judgment or order was entered: · No federal party (30 days)
- Count 30 calendar days after (that day is not counted): .
- is not a court day (Christmas Day), so the deadline moves forward to , passing (Saturday), (Sunday).
Deadline:
Service days apply in two courts only
Because federal, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Texas and Florida deadlines run from entry or rendition, no mail days are ever added to them; the three days of Fed. R. Civ. P. 6(d) and Florida’s five days under rule 2.514(b) apply only to periods that run from service. New York is the exception that matters. A notice of entry served by mail adds five days to the 30, an overnight delivery service adds one, and service through NYSCEF adds nothing (C.P.L.R. 2103(b)). California’s rule 8.104 periods likewise run from service, but the rule fixes them as 60 days and Code of Civil Procedure § 1013’s extensions do not apply to them.
Date the judgment or order was served with notice of entry: · NYSCEF
- Count 30 calendar days after (that day is not counted): .
- NYSCEF adds no extra days.
Deadline:
Motions that stop or reset the period
A timely post-judgment motion changes the start day in every court here, but the mechanics differ. In federal court a motion under Rule 50(b), 52(b), 59 or a Rule 60 motion filed within 28 days makes the 30 days run from the order disposing of the last such motion (Fed. R. App. P. 4(a)(4)). Illinois counts from the order resolving the last timely postjudgment motion, and a motion to reconsider that ruling does not extend the time again (Rule 303(a)(1), (2)). Texas extends the appeal period to 90 days after the judgment is signed when a motion for new trial or to modify is filed in time (Tex. R. App. P. 26.1(a)). Florida suspends rendition until the motion is ruled on (rule 9.020(h)(1)). In Pennsylvania a timely post-trial motion under Rule 227.1 means no appealable judgment has been entered yet, so the 30 days start when judgment is entered on the decision.
Date the judgment or order was entered:
- Count 30 calendar days after (that day is not counted): .
- is not a court day (Sunday), so the deadline moves forward to , passing (Washington's Birthday).
Deadline:
Closed days that move the last day
Every court moves a last day that falls on a weekend or legal holiday, but each uses its own holiday list, and that is where the same calendar produces different answers. Pennsylvania’s Legal Holiday Law does not make the day after Thanksgiving a holiday even though the courts close, so the calculator shows both dates. Florida’s circuits add Good Friday and the Jewish High Holy Days by chief judge order, and rule 2.514 starts the count on the first court day after rendition. Illinois follows the Supreme Court’s yearly order, which keeps courts open on Pulaski Day and Good Friday. New York applies the General Construction Law’s public holidays, including Election Day.
Date the Rule 236 notice of the order was entered on the docket:
- Count 30 calendar days after (that day is not counted): .
Deadline:
Other reading: (Flag Day, Election Day and court-closure days also move it)
Date the signed order was filed (rendition):
- Counting starts on the first court day after , which is (day 1); day 30 is .
Deadline:
Cross-appeals and the government’s 60 days
A party who wants to cross-appeal has 14 days after the first notice is filed in federal court (Fed. R. App. P. 4(a)(3)), 10 days in New York (C.P.L.R. 5513(c)), 14 days in Pennsylvania (Pa.R.A.P. 903(b)), 10 days in Illinois (Rule 303(a)(3)), 15 days in Florida (rule 9.110(g)) and 14 days in Texas (Tex. R. App. P. 26.1(d)), each counted from the first notice rather than from the judgment. When the United States or a federal agency or officer is a party, every party’s federal appeal period is 60 days (Fed. R. App. P. 4(a)(1)(B)).
When the period has already run
The extension rules are narrow and must be invoked quickly. A federal district court may extend the time on a motion filed within 30 days after the original deadline, for excusable neglect or good cause (Fed. R. App. P. 4(a)(5)), and may reopen it for 14 days when a party did not receive notice of entry (4(a)(6)). Illinois permits a motion in the reviewing court within 30 days after the deadline, supported by a reasonable excuse (Rule 303(d)). Texas allows a motion for extension within 15 days after the deadline (Tex. R. App. P. 26.3). New York, Pennsylvania and Florida give the appellant no equivalent for a civil notice of appeal, so a missed deadline there usually ends the appeal.
The federal notice of appeal page goes further into FRAP 4, including criminal appeals and the Rule 4(a)(5) motion; the state calculators cover each court’s other post-judgment deadlines.
Questions about notice of appeal deadlines
How long do you have to file a notice of appeal in federal court?
Thirty days after the judgment or order is entered on the docket, or 60 days when the United States, a federal agency or a federal officer is a party. A timely post-judgment motion under Rules 50, 52, 59 or 60 (the last within 28 days) restarts the 30 days from the order disposing of it (Fed. R. App. P. 4(a)(1), (4)).
Does the deadline to appeal run from entry or from service?
It depends on the court. Federal, Pennsylvania, Illinois and Texas courts count from entry or signing of the judgment; Florida counts from rendition, the filing of the signed order; New York and California count from service of a notice of entry, so an unserved judgment leaves the clock stopped, subject to California’s 180-day outer limit (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.104(a)).
Does mailing the notice of entry add days in New York?
Yes. When the notice of entry is served by mail, five days are added to the 30-day period; an overnight delivery service adds one, and service through NYSCEF adds none (N.Y. C.P.L.R. 2103(b)(2), (6); 5513(a)).
What is the deadline to appeal in Florida?
Thirty days after rendition of the order, which is the date the signed written order is filed with the clerk. A timely and authorized motion for rehearing, new trial or to alter or amend suspends rendition until the motion is decided (Fla. R. App. P. 9.020(h), 9.110(b)).
Can the time to file a notice of appeal be extended?
Only within narrow limits. A federal district court may extend it on a motion filed within 30 days after the deadline on a showing of excusable neglect or good cause (Fed. R. App. P. 4(a)(5)); Illinois allows a motion in the reviewing court within 30 days after the deadline on a reasonable excuse (Ill. S. Ct. R. 303(d)); Texas gives 15 days with a reasonable explanation (Tex. R. App. P. 26.3). Most other courts cannot extend it at all.
Is the deadline to appeal jurisdictional?
In federal civil cases, yes: the 30 and 60-day periods come from 28 U.S.C. § 2107, so a late notice deprives the court of appeals of jurisdiction. State courts treat their periods with similar strictness, and a late notice is usually dismissed on the court’s own motion; the extension rules above are the only safety valves.