- California Rules of Court 3.1110 (CRC 3.1110) (opens in a new tab)
General format of California motion papers, including pagination and exhibit presentation
Source links open in a new tab.
California Exhibit Stamps
Professional exhibit labeling for California Superior Courts
- California plaintiffs mark exhibits with ExhibitPrep defaults plaintiff exhibits to numbers (1, 2, 3...). California Rules of Court, rule 3.1110(f) sets the format of exhibits filed with civil law-and-motion papers (an index of exhibits, tabbed separator sheets and, except for self-represented parties, electronic bookmarks); it does not set trial exhibit labels. Confirm the format in the assigned judge's pretrial order., and defendants use ExhibitPrep defaults defendant exhibits to letters (A, B, C...). Confirm the format in the assigned judge's pretrial order..
- California's primary exhibit rule is California Rules of Court, rule 3.1110(f) (exhibits to motion papers).
- California courts e-file through Court by court: a superior court may require civil e-filing by local rule (California Rules of Court, rule 2.253(b)), with a maximum file size of Confirm the limit with the court and its e-filing service provider.
- Exhibits are typically exchanged los angeles superior court: lists of pre-marked trial exhibits are served and filed at least five days before the final status conference (local rule 3.25(f)(1)); elsewhere, check the local rules and the trial order 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 prepared for court review 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 labels for California filing review in minutes — preview free and purchase when ready to save.
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 electronic exhibits to civil motion papers, linking to the first page of each exhibit
- Pages from single deposition = single exhibit
- Foreign language exhibits may need English translations; confirm the court's certification requirements
- Multi-page exhibits internally paginated per CRC 3.1110(f)
- 58 counties with significant local variations - ALWAYS verify local rules
- E-filed documents must be text searchable when technologically feasible
Major County Rules
Los Angeles
Exhibits must be exchanged and pre-numbered (Local Rule 3.52), and lists of pre-marked exhibits are due at least five days before the final status conference (Local Rule 3.25(f)). Exchange 5 calendar days before FSC. Confirm with the assigned department how many tabbed exhibit sets it expects 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
Confirm exhibit tagging and marking requirements with the San Diego Superior Court clerk and the assigned department before trial.
Local Rule: Local Rule 2.5.6
Orange County
Electronic Evidence Portal mandatory as of January 2025. In Orange County, Local Rule 317 requires two complete sets of Joint Exhibit Notebooks, not to exceed 3” each. Issue Conference at least 10 days before trial.
Local Rule: Local Rule 317
Ready to Stamp Your California Exhibits?
ExhibitPrep creates professional stamps for California exhibit workflows. Review the exact output against current local and case-specific requirements. Preview free—purchase when you're ready to save.
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 applies common California marking conventions, including ExhibitPrep defaults plaintiff exhibits to numbers (1, 2, 3...). California Rules of Court, rule 3.1110(f) sets the format of exhibits filed with civil law-and-motion papers (an index of exhibits, tabbed separator sheets and, except for self-represented parties, electronic bookmarks); it does not set trial exhibit labels. Confirm the format in the assigned judge's pretrial order. for plaintiffs and ExhibitPrep defaults defendant exhibits to letters (A, B, C...). Confirm the format in the assigned judge's pretrial order. for defendants. Verify the current rules before filing.
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 Local Rule 317 requires two complete sets of Joint Exhibit Notebooks, not to exceed 3” each, and an Issue Conference at least 14 days before trial.
Is there one statewide exhibit-exchange deadline in California?
No. The statewide rule on exhibit format requires an index of exhibits, tabbed separator sheets for paper exhibits, and electronic bookmarks for electronic exhibits, but exchange deadlines are set by local rules and judges' orders.
What does CRC 2.256 require for e-filed California exhibits?
Under the California Rules of Court, an e-filed document must be in the format the court specifies and text searchable when technologically feasible. 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.
Last updated: 2026-07. Always verify current requirements with your court.