Exhibit Stamp
A label or marking applied to documentary evidence to identify it during legal proceedings. Typically includes the exhibit number or letter, party designation, and sometimes the case name.
What You Need to Know
Exhibit stamps serve as the official identifier for evidence presented in court. In civil litigation, plaintiffs typically use numbers (1, 2, 3...) while defendants use letters (A, B, C...) per California Rules of Court 3.1110(c). The stamp includes the case name, party designation, exhibit number, and date. Modern exhibit stamping uses digital tools to apply consistent, court-compliant stamps to PDF documents in seconds, saving hours compared to manual physical stamping.
Legal References
- California Rules of Court 3.1110 - Exhibit marking conventions
- Federal Rules of Evidence 901 - Authentication requirements
Relevant Practice Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What information must an exhibit stamp include?
An exhibit stamp must include: (1) the case name or caption, (2) party designation (plaintiff/defendant), (3) unique exhibit identifier (letter or number), and (4) date of marking. Some jurisdictions also require the name of the party marking the exhibit. California Rules of Court 3.1110(c) specifies that plaintiffs use numbers and defendants use letters.
Can I create exhibit stamps digitally?
Yes. Digital exhibit stamping using PDF tools like ExhibitPrep is widely accepted in courts nationwide. The stamp must be clearly visible, permanently affixed to the document, and meet court formatting requirements. Digital stamps save time compared to physical stamps and ensure consistency across all exhibits.
Do plaintiffs and defendants use different exhibit numbering?
Yes. In most jurisdictions, plaintiffs mark exhibits with numbers (Exhibit 1, 2, 3) and defendants mark exhibits with letters (Exhibit A, B, C). This convention helps distinguish which party is offering each piece of evidence during trial or depositions.
When It's Used
Required by most courts before documents can be admitted as evidence
Example
"A document marked as "Plaintiff's Exhibit 1" with a stamp showing the case number and filing date."
Legal References
- •California Rules of Court 3.1110
- •Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 26
Related Terms
Bates Numbering
A method of indexing legal documents by placing unique, sequential numbers on each page. Originally created by the Bates Automatic Numbering Machine.
Exhibit Label
The identifier assigned to a piece of evidence, typically following court-specific naming conventions (e.g., plaintiff uses numbers 1-999, defendant uses letters A-ZZZ).
Exhibit Marking
The process of applying identification labels to evidence before trial or deposition. Includes physical stamps, digital overlays, or adhesive labels.
Need to Stamp Your Exhibits?
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