How to Number Exhibits for Court
The complete guide to exhibit numbering conventions for legal proceedings. Learn plaintiff vs defendant formats, Bates numbering, and state-specific requirements.
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- Plaintiffs use numbers (1, 2, 3) in California, New York, New Jersey, and most state courts.
- Defendants use letters (A, B, C) in those same jurisdictions; Texas courts instead set marking by pretrial order, most commonly D-1 or DX-1 prefixes.
- Petitioners (family law, probate, administrative) follow the plaintiff convention; respondents follow the defendant convention — San Diego Superior Court Local Rule 5.5.5 makes this pairing mandatory in family law matters.
- Colorado C.R.C.P. 16(f) codifies the split by rule: the plaintiff or petitioner's exhibits are numbered and the defendant or respondent's exhibits are lettered on the trial exhibit list.
- Joint exhibits are typically marked with a J or JX prefix: J-1, J-2, J-3.
- When the alphabet is exhausted past Z, the next exhibit is AA, then AB, AC, and so on.
- Multi-page exhibits keep one exhibit number; pages are labeled "Exhibit A, p. 1 of 5," etc.
- Bates numbering is separate from exhibit numbering: it labels every page of every document with a unique sequential number for discovery references.
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Common Numbering Conventions
Plaintiff/Petitioner Exhibits
Numbers
1, 2, 3, 4, 5... (most common)
Letters
A, B, C, D, E... (some jurisdictions)
Prefixed
PX-1, P-1, Pl. Ex. 1 (common in Texas)
Defendant/Respondent Exhibits
Letters
A, B, C, D, E... (most common)
Numbers (high range)
100, 101, 102... (some courts)
Prefixed
DX-1, D-1, Def. Ex. 1 (common in Texas)
Joint Exhibits
Documents agreed upon by all parties as authentic and admissible:
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State-Specific Numbering Rules
California
Yellow stickers for plaintiff (numbers), blue for defendant (letters). Los Angeles requires Bates numbering. CRC 3.1110 requires index with brief descriptions.
Texas
No statewide format — marking is set by each court's docket control or pretrial order. A party-prefixed numeric sequence is the most common practice: P-1, P-2 (or PX-1, PX-2) for plaintiffs and D-1, D-2 (or DX-1, DX-2) for defendants. Confirm the assigned court's order.
New York
Plaintiffs use numbers (1, 2, 3), defendants use letters (A, B, C). 22 NYCRR 202.34 requires mandatory pre-marking before trial.
Georgia (Unique)
Numbers only—Georgia practice runs one unified number sequence shared by all parties rather than a number/letter split. USCR 7.2 requires exhibits to be marked before trial but prescribes no format, so confirm the assigned judge's pre-trial order.
Ohio
Hamilton County uses PX for plaintiffs (Arabic numbers), DX for defendants (letters), JX for joint. Cuyahoga County limits exhibit size to 8.5x11 inches.
Don't see your state?
We have an exhibit requirements guide for every state — including Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina, and all 50 states plus federal courts.
Find your state's exhibit rulesRepresenting yourself?
The rule is simpler than it looks: if you filed the case (you're the plaintiff or petitioner), label your exhibits with numbers — Exhibit 1, Exhibit 2. If you're responding to a case someone filed against you (defendant or respondent), use letters — Exhibit A, Exhibit B. In small claims court, judges mainly care that every document is labeled and easy to refer to; when in doubt, your court clerk can confirm the local convention.
Bates Numbering vs Exhibit Numbering
These Are Different Things
Exhibit Numbers
- • Label entire documents
- • "Exhibit 1" = one complete document
- • Used for trial references
- • Applied via stamp or sticker
Bates Numbers
- • Label every page
- • ABC000001, ABC000002, ABC000003
- • Used for discovery references
- • Required by some courts (LA)
Exhibit Numbering Best Practices
Number Before Depositions
Pre-mark exhibits so transcript references match. "Deposition Exhibit 3" should correspond to your stamped document.
Keep Related Docs Together
Number emails in a chain consecutively (12, 13, 14) so the jury can follow the conversation.
Create an Exhibit List
Maintain a master list: "Ex. 5 - Email from Smith to Jones, 3/15/2024, RE: Contract Terms."
Leave Room for Late Additions
Don't number too tightly. Use 5A, 5B for insertions rather than re-numbering everything.
Auto-Number Your Exhibits
ExhibitPrep applies sequential numbering automatically. Choose your format, upload your documents, and let the tool handle the rest.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Are plaintiff's exhibits numbered or lettered?
Plaintiff's exhibits are numbered (Exhibit 1, Exhibit 2, Exhibit 3) in most U.S. courts, while defendant's exhibits are lettered. This pairing is the prevailing convention rather than a universal rule: a few states codify it (Colorado C.R.C.P. 16(f)), some courts use party prefixes such as P-1 or PX-1 instead, and Georgia practice runs one unified number sequence for all parties. Always check your court's local rules or pretrial order.
Do defendants use letters or numbers for exhibits?
Defendant's exhibits are lettered (Exhibit A, Exhibit B, Exhibit C) in most U.S. courts, while plaintiff's exhibits are numbered. This is the prevailing convention in California, New York, and most state and federal courts — but it is convention, not a universal rule. In Texas, marking is set by each court's docket control or pretrial order, and defendants are most commonly D-1 or DX-1. Check your court's local rules before stamping.
Do petitioners use numbers or letters for exhibits?
Petitioners use numbers (Exhibit 1, 2, 3), following the same convention as plaintiffs, and respondents use letters (A, B, C) like defendants. This holds in family law, probate, and administrative proceedings in most jurisdictions, and some courts make it a rule — San Diego Superior Court Local Rule 5.5.5 expressly requires petitioner's exhibits to be numbered and respondent's to be lettered in family law matters. Some family courts prefer P-1 and R-1 prefixes instead, so confirm your court's local rules.
What is Bates numbering for exhibits?
Bates numbering assigns a unique sequential number to every page of every document (e.g., ABC000001, ABC000002). This differs from exhibit numbering, which labels entire documents. Some courts like Los Angeles Superior Court require both Bates numbers and exhibit stamps.
How do I number joint exhibits?
Joint exhibits (agreed upon by all parties) are typically marked with a J prefix: J-1, J-2, J-3 or JX-1, JX-2. Joint exhibit lists are usually exchanged before trial as part of pretrial procedures.
What if I need to add exhibits after numbering?
Use sub-numbers like 5A, 5B or 5.1, 5.2 for late additions between existing exhibits. Alternatively, add to the end of your sequence. Re-numbering an entire exhibit set is generally not recommended as it confuses the record.
Should exhibit numbers match deposition exhibit numbers?
Not necessarily. Deposition exhibits are typically re-numbered for trial. However, maintaining a cross-reference table helps connect deposition testimony to trial exhibits. Some attorneys use dual numbering systems.
What if I have more than 26 exhibits?
When you exhaust the alphabet (A-Z), continue with double letters: AA, AB, AC, then BA, BB, BC, and so on. The convention is the same in most state courts and federal courts. Some courts use AA-1, AA-2 instead. For trial sets larger than 100 exhibits, switching to numeric labeling (Defendant 1, Defendant 2) is often clearer; check local rules. ExhibitPrep handles AA, AB, AC sequencing automatically when you exceed 26 letter labels.
How do I number multi-page exhibits?
A multi-page exhibit keeps a single exhibit number across all of its pages. Pages are typically labeled "Exhibit A, p. 1 of 5," "Exhibit A, p. 2 of 5," and so on. If a single exhibit contains multiple distinct documents (e.g. Exhibit B contains three medical records), label them B-1, B-2, B-3 within the exhibit. Bates numbering is independent and runs continuously across all pages of the production.
What is the difference between exhibit numbering and Bates numbering?
Exhibit numbering labels entire documents (Exhibit A, Exhibit 1, PX-3). Bates numbering assigns a unique sequential number to every page of every document (e.g., ABC000001 through ABC000050). They serve different purposes: exhibit numbers identify documents at trial; Bates numbers create unique, citable page-level references for discovery production. Many courts require both. For a deeper comparison, see our Bates numbering guide.
How does page numbering work for exhibits in court proceedings?
Court proceedings use three distinct numbering systems on exhibits: (1) the exhibit number itself (Exhibit 1, Exhibit A) identifies the whole document; (2) per-exhibit pagination ("Exhibit 1, p. 2 of 5") identifies a specific page within that exhibit; (3) Bates numbers (e.g., ABC000045) provide a unique production-wide page identifier. The document's own internal page numbers are not used as exhibit pagination at trial. Courts and witnesses cite "page 3 of Exhibit 1," not the document's internal pagination, to avoid ambiguity.
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