Federal removal and remand deadline calculator
The time to remove a state case under 28 U.S.C. 1446, the 1446(c)(1) one-year limit on later-paper diversity removals, the time to move to remand under 1447(c), and the time to answer after removal under Rule 81(c)(2).
Your dates
Example: Notice of removal (28 U.S.C. 1446(b)(1)), from Friday, November 20, 2026
MON
Monday, December 21, 2026
This date rolled
- 30 days28 U.S.C. 1446(b)(1)
- Rolled to Dec 21, 2026
- Dec 21, 2026
Notes on this date
- This calculator does not yet apply state holidays. Rule 6(a)(6)(C) also treats as a legal holiday, for periods that are measured after an event, "any other day declared a holiday by the state where the district court is located" (for an appeal, FRAP 26(a)(6)(C) adds the state of the circuit clerk's principal office). Leaving a state holiday out can only move a forward deadline earlier, never later. That is the safe error if you are computing your own deadline. It is the wrong tool for arguing that the other side filed late: check that state's holidays first.
- The weekend and holiday roll here rests on the text of Rule 6(a) and decisions outside the Ninth Circuit; this site found no published Ninth Circuit decision. Day 30, Sunday, December 20, 2026, is a day the clerk's office is closed; the last day the clerk's office is open before it is Friday, December 18, 2026. Filing by then avoids the question.
- The service-of-summons alternative applies only if the initial pleading has then been filed in court and is not required to be served on the defendant; when both dates are given, the shorter period governs. Enter the date of receipt by the defendant, through service or otherwise, as the statute puts it, never a mailing date plus 3. The removal clock does not run from service of a paper under Rule 5(b), so Rule 6(d) adds nothing.
- Unless a statute, local rule or court order sets a different time, Rule 6(a)(4)(A) ends the last day for electronic filing at midnight in the court's time zone. No district was chosen, so the zone is not shown.
How this was computed
- Trigger → Nov 20, 2026 after the receipt by the defendant, through service or otherwise, of a copy of the initial pleading
- Count → Dec 20, 2026
- Rolled forward to the next open day → Dec 21, 2026 Sunday, December 20, 2026
Not yet countersigned. The rule text was transcribed from the official source; no attorney has countersigned this row.
Rule text: 28 U.S.C. 1446(b)(1)
(b) Requirements; Generally.-(1) The notice of removal of a civil action or proceeding shall be filed within 30 days after the receipt by the defendant, through service or otherwise, of a copy of the initial pleading setting forth the claim for relief upon which such action or proceeding is based, or within 30 days after the service of summons upon the defendant if such initial pleading has then been filed in court and is not required to be served on the defendant, whichever period is shorter.
Official source: 28 U.S.C. 1446(b)(1)
Not yet countersigned. The rule text was transcribed from the official source; no attorney has countersigned this row.
Enter your dates and the example above is replaced by your result.
Not legal advice. 68 rule rows transcribed from the official text on 2026-09-30. None has been countersigned yet. Check every date yourself. Read the full disclaimer
The calculators apply the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure and the removal statutes in title 28 of the U.S. Code, each quoted from the official text and cited to the subdivision. Every rule row shows its status on the rule verification record. 68 of 68 rule rows and 21 of 21 authority rows are not yet countersigned by an attorney.
Local rules and a judge's standing orders may change these dates. No district's local rules or chambers rules are applied yet.
This calculator does not yet apply state holidays. Rule 6(a)(6)(C) also treats as a legal holiday, for periods that are measured after an event, "any other day declared a holiday by the state where the district court is located" (for an appeal, FRAP 26(a)(6)(C) adds the state of the circuit clerk's principal office). Leaving a state holiday out can only move a forward deadline earlier, never later. That is the safe error if you are computing your own deadline. It is the wrong tool for arguing that the other side filed late: check that state's holidays first.
Check every date against the rule, the local rules and any order in your case before relying on it. Using this site creates no attorney-client relationship. See the terms of use.
How the math works
Step 1: count. Under Rule 6(a)(1), the day of the event that starts the period is left out, every day is counted, weekends and legal holidays included, and the last day is included. A period measured before an event, such as disclosures due 30 days before trial, is counted backward from the event.
Step 2: roll. If the last day is a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, a period measured after an event runs to the next day that is not one. A period measured before an event moves back to the day before under Rule 6(a)(5). Each result names the days it rolled over.
Step 3: legal holidays. Rule 6(a)(6) lists the days set aside by statute, the days the President or Congress declares, and state holidays. This calculator applies the statutory days, the Friday or Monday on which federal employees observe a weekend holiday, and the days the President closed the executive branch (4 since 2024, listed on the federal legal holidays page). The observed days are treated as legal holidays; no court of appeals has decided that point, so a result that moves only because of one also shows the observed day as the safe date. A day the President closes the executive branch is treated as a day declared a holiday by the President; the Ninth Circuit has not decided this. The Federal Register was read for closure orders through September 30, 2026.
This calculator does not yet apply state holidays. Rule 6(a)(6)(C) also treats as a legal holiday, for periods that are measured after an event, "any other day declared a holiday by the state where the district court is located" (for an appeal, FRAP 26(a)(6)(C) adds the state of the circuit clerk's principal office). Leaving a state holiday out can only move a forward deadline earlier, never later. That is the safe error if you are computing your own deadline. It is the wrong tool for arguing that the other side filed late: check that state's holidays first.
Step 4: the 3 added days. Rule 6(d) adds 3 days when a party may or must act within a time after being served and service was by mail, by leaving the paper with the clerk, or by other means consented to in writing (Rule 5(b)(2)(C), (D) and (F)). Electronic service adds nothing, and neither does handing the paper to the person or leaving it at the person's office or home (Rule 5(b)(2)(A), (B)). The days are added after the period would otherwise expire: count, roll, add 3, roll again, the order the 2005 committee note gives. A period that runs from entry, filing, your own service or service of the summons gets no added days, and each result says why.
Step 5: when the last day ends. Unless a statute, local rule or court order sets a different time, the last day for electronic filing ends at midnight in the court's time zone. The result shows the time only where the court's own document states the zone, which today is the Southern District of California; everywhere else it says the zone is not confirmed. The rule speaks only of filing, so the line appears only on filing deadlines.
An inaccessible clerk's office. This calculator does not know when a clerk's office is inaccessible. Rule 6(a)(6) lists holidays set by statute or declared by the President, Congress or a state; a court's own closure order is not on that list. Courts disagree whether an open e-filing system defeats inaccessibility, so filing on or before a closure day is the safe course.
What is particular to these rows. The removal clock runs from receipt by the defendant, through service or otherwise, as 1446(b) puts it, not from service of a paper under Rule 5(b), so Rule 6(d) adds nothing, and the date fields ask for that date. Rule 81(c)(2) gives the longest of its periods: 21 days after receiving the initial pleading or after service of the summons for a pleading on file, or 7 days after the notice of removal is filed.
Rows this calculator covers
| Deadline | Rule | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Notice of removal (28 U.S.C. 1446(b)(1)) | 28 U.S.C. 1446(b)(1) | Not yet countersigned |
| Notice of removal, each defendant (28 U.S.C. 1446(b)(2)(B), (C)) | 28 U.S.C. 1446(b)(2)(B)-(C) | Not yet countersigned |
| Notice of removal after a later paper (28 U.S.C. 1446(b)(3)) | 28 U.S.C. 1446(b)(3) | Not yet countersigned |
| One-year limit on later-paper diversity removals (28 U.S.C. 1446(c)(1)) Informational. | 28 U.S.C. 1446(c)(1) | Not yet countersigned |
| Motion to remand for a defect other than jurisdiction (28 U.S.C. 1447(c)) | 28 U.S.C. 1447(c) | Not yet countersigned |
| Answer after removal (Rule 81(c)(2)) | FRCP 81(c)(2) | Not yet countersigned |
The verbatim text, source, edition and page of every row are on the rule verification record.
Common questions
How long does a defendant have to remove a case to federal court?
30 days after the defendant receives a copy of the initial pleading, through service or otherwise, or 30 days after service of summons if the initial pleading has then been filed in court and is not required to be served on the defendant, whichever period is shorter (28 U.S.C. 1446(b)(1)). Each defendant has 30 days from its own receipt or service (1446(b)(2)(B)). Enter the date of receipt by the defendant, through service or otherwise, as the statute puts it, never a mailing date plus 3.
Does the removal deadline roll to the next business day?
The calculator applies the Rule 6(a) weekend and holiday roll, and says that the roll rests on the text of Rule 6(a) and decisions outside the Ninth Circuit; this site found no published Ninth Circuit decision. When the roll moves the date, the result shows day 30 as the safe date, and when day 30 is itself a day the clerk's office is closed, it names the last open day before it.
Is there a one-year limit on removal?
A case not removable as first filed may be removed within 30 days after the defendant receives an amended pleading, motion, order or other paper showing it has become removable (1446(b)(3)). A removal under 1446(b)(3) based on diversity jurisdiction under section 1332 may not come more than one year after commencement of the action, unless the court finds the plaintiff acted in bad faith to prevent removal (1446(c)(1)). The statute does not define commencement.
When must a motion to remand be filed?
A motion to remand on the basis of any defect other than lack of subject matter jurisdiction must be made within 30 days after the filing of the notice of removal (28 U.S.C. 1447(c)). Lack of subject matter jurisdiction can be raised any time before final judgment.