Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.40 · Article 2. Service, Filing, Filing Fees, Form, and Privacy
Cover requirements for documents filed in paper form
Text — As posted by the Judicial Council of California (read October 22, 2026)
(a) Cover color
(1) As far as practicable, the covers of briefs and petitions filed in paper form must be in the following colors:
Appellant's opening brief or appendix green
Respondent's brief or appendix yellow
Appellant's reply brief or appendix tan
Joint appendix white
Amicus curiae brief gray
Answer to amicus curiae brief blue
Petition for rehearing orange
Answer to petition for rehearing blue
Petition for original writ red
Answer (or opposition) to petition for original writ red
Reply to answer (or opposition) to petition for original writ red
Petition for transfer of appellate division case to Court of Appeal white
Answer to petition for transfer of appellate division case to Court of Appeal blue
Petition for review white
Answer to petition for review blue
Reply to answer to petition for review white
Opening brief on the merits white
Answer brief on the merits blue
Reply brief on the merits white
(2) In appeals under rule 8.216, the cover of a combined respondent's brief and appellant's opening brief filed in paper form must be yellow, and the cover of a combined reply brief and respondent's brief filed in paper form must be tan.
(3) A paper brief or petition not conforming to (1) or (2) must be accepted for filing, but in case of repeated violations by an attorney or party, the court may proceed as provided in rule 8.204(e)(2).
(b) Cover information
(1) Except as provided in (2), the cover-or first page if there is no cover-of every document filed in a reviewing court must include the name, mailing address, telephone number, fax number (if available), e-mail address (if available), and California State Bar number of each attorney filing or joining in the document, or of the party if he or she is unrepresented. The inclusion of a fax number or e-mail address on any document does not constitute consent to service by fax or e-mail unless otherwise provided by law.
(2) If more than one attorney from a law firm, corporation, or public law office is representing one party and is joining in the document, the name and State Bar number of each attorney joining in the document must be provided on the cover. The law firm, corporation, or public law office representing each party must designate one attorney to receive notices and other communication in the case from the court by placing an asterisk before that attorney's name on the cover and must provide the contact information specified under (1) for that attorney. Contact information for the other attorneys from the same law firm, corporation, or public law office is not required but may be provided.
Notes and commentary — not rule text
History
(Subd (a) amended and relettered effective January 1, 2020; adopted as subd (c); previously amended and relettered as subd (b) effective January 1, 2007; previously amended effective January 1, 2011, and January 1, 2016.)
Subd (b) amended and relettered effective January 1, 2020; adopted as subd (d); previously amended and relettered subd (c) effective January 1, 2007; previously amended effective January 1, 2013.)
Rule 8.40 amended effective January 1, 2020; repealed and adopted as rule 44 effective January 1, 2005; previously amended and renumbered as rule 8.40 effective January 1, 2007; previously amended effective January 1, 2006, January 1, 2011, January 1, 2013, and January 1, 2016.
Source of truth
- Edition
- As posted by the Judicial Council of California (read October 22, 2026)
- Official file
- https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/eight/rule8_40
- Text hash
- sha256 0165610aeb0415ae28a6c9022736d468a8734c6fcb338897f74e999c7541bb32
- Composed by
- compose_crc.py 2026-10-22: the Judicial Council's rule pages read paragraph by paragraph; verify_crc.py's second reading of the Council's per-title PDFs finds every paragraph
BenchPath cards that rely on this text
This rule cites
Provisions in this library that the text above cites, as it prints each citation. A range cited as “ss. 61.13-61.16” links its first and last provisions.
Cited by 6 provisions
Provisions in this library whose text cites Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.40. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.
California Rules of Court
- Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.46Sealed recordsPrinted as rule 8.40(b)
- Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.204Contents and format of briefsPrinted as rule 8.40(a) | rule 8.40(b)
- Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.380Petition for writ of habeas corpus filed by petitioner not represented by an attorneyPrinted as rules 8.40, 8.204, or 8.486
- Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.384Petition for writ of habeas corpus filed by an attorney for a partyPrinted as rule 8.40(b)
- Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.386Proceedings if the return is ordered to be filed in the reviewing courtPrinted as rules 8.40(b)
- Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.1006Petition for transferPrinted as rule 8.40
Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.