California Exhibit Stamps
Professional exhibit labeling for California Superior Courts
- California plaintiffs mark exhibits with Plaintiffs use numbers (1, 2, 3...), conventionally on yellow exhibit stickers. California Rules of Court 3.1110(f) governs exhibit tabbing and formatting., and defendants use Defendants use letters (A, B, C...), conventionally on blue exhibit stickers, continuing AA, BB past 26..
- California's primary exhibit rule is Cal. Rules of Court 3.1110.
- California courts e-file through County-specific; most courts use Odyssey eFileCA through an approved electronic filing service provider (EFSP), with a maximum file size of Varies by county and EFSP — confirm with the court.
- Exhibits are typically exchanged varies by county and department; in los angeles, pre-marked exhibit lists are served and filed at least 5 days before the final status conference, and individual departments may require exchange up to 18 calendar days before the fsc in California courts.
- Los Angeles is one of California's largest civil dockets and follows LA Local Rules 3.52, 3.53, 3.25.
- Color-coded system: yellow stickers for plaintiffs/petitioners, blue for defendants/respondents.
- Each paper exhibit separated by hard 8.5x11 sheet with tabs extending below page bottom.
- ExhibitPrep generates court-compliant California exhibit stamps entirely in the browser, with files never leaving the user's device.
Stamping a full exhibit set by hand takes hours. ExhibitPrep applies California-compliant labels in minutes — preview free, pay only to download.
Opens the tool set up for California — plaintiff: Numbers starting at 1; defendant: Letters starting at A.
Quick Reference
Key Requirements for California
- COLOR-CODED SYSTEM: Yellow stickers for plaintiffs/petitioners, blue for defendants/respondents
- Each paper exhibit separated by hard 8.5x11 sheet with tabs extending below page bottom
- Electronic bookmarks required for e-filed exhibits linking to first page of each exhibit
- Pages from single deposition = single exhibit
- Foreign language exhibits require certified English translations under oath
- Multi-page exhibits internally paginated per CRC 3.1110(f)
- 58 counties with significant local variations - ALWAYS verify local rules
- Text-searchable PDF required for e-filing
Major County Rules
Los Angeles
STRICTEST: Bates numbering required, plaintiff exhibits start at 001, defendant at 101. Exchange 5 calendar days before FSC. At least 3 sets of tabbed exhibit binders at trial.
Local Rule: LA Local Rules 3.52, 3.53, 3.25
San Francisco
Exhibits exchanged 10 days prior to trial. Slip sheets between exhibits.
Local Rule: LRSF 6.1, 6.4
San Diego
Tan/light brown court exhibit tags required from Civil Business Office. 5 court days prior.
Local Rule: Local Rule 2.5.6
Orange County
Electronic Evidence Portal mandatory as of January 2025. Joint Exhibit Notebooks required (two sets, max 3" each). Issue Conference at least 10 days before trial.
Local Rule: Local Rule 317
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Typical California Exhibit Timeline
Statewide framework requiring index of exhibits with tabs, electronic bookmarks for e-filed documents, and hard 8.5x11 separator sheets.
See California Exhibit Requirements in Action
Watch how ExhibitPrep auto-applies California court requirements with Plaintiffs use numbers (1, 2, 3...), conventionally on yellow exhibit stickers. California Rules of Court 3.1110(f) governs exhibit tabbing and formatting. for plaintiffs and Defendants use letters (A, B, C...), conventionally on blue exhibit stickers, continuing AA, BB past 26. for defendants.
California County Court Guides
Explore exhibit requirements for specific California counties:
California Exhibit FAQs
Why do California exhibits use yellow and blue stickers?
Most California Superior Courts color-code exhibit tags under local practice built on CRC 3.1110: yellow for plaintiffs and petitioners, blue for defendants and respondents. It lets the clerk and judge tell exhibits apart at a glance during a fast-moving trial, but the color convention is set locally, so confirm it with your specific courthouse before printing tags.
Does Los Angeles Superior Court require Bates numbering on exhibits?
Yes, and it's stricter than most California counties: under LA Local Rules 3.52, 3.53, and 3.25, plaintiff exhibits start Bates numbering at 001 and defendant exhibits start at 101, exchanged 5 calendar days before the final status conference.
What changed with Orange County's exhibit process in 2025?
Orange County Superior Court made its Electronic Evidence Portal mandatory as of January 2025 under Local Rule 317, alongside a requirement for two sets of Joint Exhibit Notebooks capped at 3 inches each, exchanged at an Issue Conference at least 10 days before trial.
Is there one statewide exhibit-exchange deadline in California?
No. CRC 3.1110 sets the statewide framework -- indexed exhibits, tabs, and electronic bookmarks for e-filed documents -- but the actual exchange deadline is set locally and ranges from 3 to 15 days before trial or the final status conference depending on the county.
What does CRC 2.256 require for e-filed California exhibits?
California Rules of Court 2.256 requires e-filed documents in PDF format, text-searchable when reasonably available, with electronic bookmarks for multi-exhibit filings and no digital signatures that block access. Per-file size caps are set by each county's e-filing provider and change over time -- confirm your court's current limit before filing.
Do California courts require searchable PDFs for exhibits?
Yes -- CRC 2.256 requires text-searchable PDFs when reasonably available. Stamping a document should preserve the searchability of the source file; for scanned paper documents, run OCR before adding exhibit stamps so the filed version remains searchable.
Related
Last updated: 2026-07. Always verify current requirements with your court.