Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.44 · Article 2. Service, Filing, Filing Fees, Form, and Privacy
Number of copies of filed documents
Text — As posted by the Judicial Council of California (read October 22, 2026)
(a) Documents filed in the Supreme Court
Except as these rules provide otherwise, the number of copies of every brief, petition, motion, application, or other document that must be filed in the Supreme Court and that is filed in paper form is as follows:
(1) An original of a petition for review, an answer, a reply, a brief on the merits, an amicus curiae brief, an answer to an amicus curiae brief, a petition for rehearing, or an answer to a petition for rehearing and either
(A) 13 paper copies; or
(B) 8 paper copies and one electronic copy;
(2) Unless the court orders otherwise, an original of a petition for a writ within the court's original jurisdiction, an opposition or other response to the petition, or a reply; and either:
(A) 10 paper copies; or
(B) 8 paper copies and one electronic copy;
(3) Unless the court orders otherwise, an original and 2 copies of any supporting document accompanying a petition for writ of habeas corpus, an opposition or other response to the petition, or a reply;
(4) An original and 8 copies of a petition for review to exhaust state remedies under rule 8.508, an answer, or a reply, or an amicus curiae letter under rule 8.500(g);
(5) An original and 8 copies of a motion or an opposition or other response to a motion; and
(6) An original and 1 copy of an application, including an application to extend time, or any other document.
(b) Documents filed in a Court of Appeal
Except as these rules provide otherwise, the number of copies of every brief, petition, motion, application, or other document that must be filed in a Court of Appeal and that is filed in paper form is as follows:
(1) An original and 4 paper copies of a brief, an amicus curiae brief, or an answer to an amicus curiae brief. In civil appeals, for briefs other than petitions for rehearing or answers thereto, 1 electronic copy or, in case of undue hardship, proof of delivery of 4 paper copies to the Supreme Court, as provided in rule 8.212(c) is also required;
(2) An original of a petition for writ of habeas corpus filed under rule 8.380 by a person who is not represented by an attorney and 1 set of any supporting documents;
(3) An original and 4 copies of any other petition, an answer, opposition or other response to a petition, or a reply;
(4) Unless the court orders otherwise, an original and 1 copy of a motion or an opposition or other response to a motion;
(5) Unless the court provides otherwise by local rule or order, 1 set of any separately bound supporting documents accompanying a document filed under (3) or (4);
(6) An original and 1 copy of an application, other than an application to extend time, or any other document; and
(7) An original and 1 copy of an application to extend time. In addition, 1 copy for each separately represented and unrepresented party must be provided to the court.
(c) Electronic copies of paper documents
Even when filing a paper document is permissible, a court may provide by local rule for the submission of an electronic copy of the paper document either in addition to the copies of the document required to be filed under (a) or (b) or as a substitute for one or more of these copies. The local rule must provide for an exception if it would cause undue hardship for a party to submit an electronic copy.
Notes and commentary — not rule text
History
(Subd (a) amended effective January 1, 2016; previously amended effective January 1, 2014.)
(Subd (b) amended effective January 1, 2016; previously amended effective January 1, 2011, January 1, 2013, and January 1, 2014.)
Subd (c) amended effective January 1, 2020; adopted effective January 1, 2014; previously amended effective January 1, 2016.)
Rule 8.44 amended effective January 1, 2020; adopted effective January 1, 2007; previously amended effective January 1, 2007, January 1, 2011, January 1, 2013, January 1, 2014; and January 1, 2016.
Advisory Committee Comment
The initial sentence of this rule acknowledges that there are exceptions to this rule's requirements concerning the number of copies. See, for example, rule 8.150, which specifies the number of copies of the record that must be filed.
Information about electronic submission of copies of documents can be found on the web page for the Supreme Court at: www.courts.ca.gov/appellatebriefs or for the Court of Appeal District in which the brief is being filed at: www.courts.ca.gov/courtsofappeal.
Note that submitting an electronic copy of a document under this rule or under a local rule adopted pursuant to subdivision (c) does not constitute filing a document electronically under rules 8.70-8.79 and thus does not substitute for the filing of the original document with the court in paper format.
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_44
- Text hash
- sha256 cf6ee15e75f6d2fba779cb296eca46c8449f7ce4827f431e5fe7531c27314e56
- 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
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.
California Rules of Court
- Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.70Application, construction, and definitionsPrinted as rules 8.70-8.79
- Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.79Court order requiring electronic servicePrinted as rules 8.70-8.79
- Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.150Filing the recordPrinted as rule 8.150
- Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.212Service and filing of briefsPrinted as rule 8.212(c)
- Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.380Petition for writ of habeas corpus filed by petitioner not represented by an attorneyPrinted as rule 8.380
- Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.500Petition for reviewPrinted as rule 8.500(g)
- Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.508Petition for review to exhaust state remediesPrinted as rule 8.508
Cited by 6 provisions
Provisions in this library whose text cites Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.44. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.
California Rules of Court
- Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.384Petition for writ of habeas corpus filed by an attorney for a partyPrinted as rule 8.44(a) | rule 8.44(b)
- Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.386Proceedings if the return is ordered to be filed in the reviewing courtPrinted as rule 8.44(a) | rule 8.44(b)
- Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.412Briefs by parties and amici curiaePrinted as rule 8.44(b)(1)
- Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.480Appeal from order establishing conservatorshipPrinted as rule 8.44(b)(1)
- Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.486PetitionsPrinted as Rule 8.44(a) | Rule 8.44(b)
- Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.1006Petition for transferPrinted as rule 8.44(b)
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.