Stanislaus Superior Court Document Format Requirements

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 10, 2026CRITICAL

Proposed or draft document; may not be in force

Electronically filed documents must be text-searchable and comply with the California Rules of Court formatting and content requirements, including electronic-bookmark requirements.

All electronically filed documents must be in text searchable format and must comply with the formatting and content requirements of the California Rules of Court for electronic documents, including particularly Rules 2.256(b) and 3.1110(f)(4) requiring electronic bookmarks.

CRITICALProposed or draft document; may not be in force

Parties must electronically bookmark each heading, subheading, and component in a document, as well as any exhibits or attachments.

Parties shall bookmark each heading, subheading and component (including the table of contents, table of authorities, petition, verification, points and authorities, declaration, and proof of service, if included within the document) in the document, as well as any exhibits and/or attachments to the document.

CRITICALProposed or draft document; may not be in force

Electronic exhibits or evidence must be submitted on a virus-free CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or Blu-Ray, and may not be submitted on writable storage devices such as flash or thumb drives.

This rule applies to all parties and attorneys who intend to submit electronic exhibits or evidence in any civil, criminal, family, probate, juvenile, or other proceeding. Any exhibit or evidence that is submitted in an electronic or digital format must comply with the following requirements: 1. The exhibit or evidence must be on a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or Blu-Ray. 2. The CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or Blu-Ray must be virus-free and not contain any malicious or harmful code. 3. Electronic exhibits or evidence may not be submitted on a writable storage device such as a flash or thumb drive. (7/1/24)

CRITICALProposed or draft document; may not be in force

Pro Tempore Reporters must follow the listed transcript-format requirements, including limits on lines and characters, font size and indentation, and requirements for numbering, pagination, parentheticals, and the footer.

Pro Tempore Reporters must follow local standard format requirements: • 28 lines per page; • 60 characters per line; • Line numbered at left of transcripts box; • True type font no greater than 13; • Q. and A. indented no more than five spaces; • Text following Q. and A. no more than two spaces; • Colloquy and continuing paragraph indented five spaces; • Text following speaker identification no more than two spaces; • Page numbers at bottom, right-hand column; • Parentheticals indented ten spaces or centered; • No blank lines before or after parentheticals; and • Footer with reporter’s name and CSR number. (1/1/22)

CRITICALProposed or draft document; may not be in force

Evidence must be submitted in writing or on CD when the declaration and bail are filed; flash drives are not accepted.

Evidence must be submitted in writing or on a CD at the time the Declaration and bail are filed. Flash drives will not be accepted.

CRITICALProposed or draft document; may not be in force

Motions must be submitted in writing.

Motions must be submitted in writing.

CRITICALProposed or draft document; may not be in force

Orders presented for signature in court must include an original and two copies, with the signature line at the end, followed by no attachment, and not alone on a page.

Orders presented for signature in court shall be presented with an original and two (2) copies. The signature line must always be at the end of the order and not followed by any attachment. It should never be on a page by itself.

CRITICALProposed or draft document; may not be in force

When Judicial Council or local forms are specified as mandatory, they must be filed, and non-conforming papers may be rejected.

B. Use of Judicial Council Forms. When specified as mandatory, Judicial Council Forms and the Court’s Local Forms are required to be filed and non-conforming papers may be rejected.

CRITICALProposed or draft document; may not be in force

The signature line must appear at the end of the order, have no attachment after it, and not be alone on a page.

The signature line must always be at the end of the order and not followed by any attachment. It should never be on a page by itself.

CRITICAL

Electronic exhibits or evidence must be submitted on a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or Blu-Ray.

The exhibit or evidence must be on a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or Blu-Ray.

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 10, 2026CRITICAL

Electronically filed documents must be text-searchable and comply with the California Rules of Court requirements for electronic documents, including electronic bookmarks.

All electronically filed documents must be in text searchable format and must comply with the formatting and content requirements of the California Rules of Court for electronic documents, including particularly Rules 2.256(b) and 3.1110(f)(4) requiring electronic bookmarks.

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 10, 2026CRITICAL

Parties must electronically bookmark each heading, subheading, and component in a document, along with its exhibits and attachments.

Parties shall bookmark each heading, subheading and component (including the table of contents, table of authorities, petition, verification, points and authorities, declaration, and proof of service, if included within the document) in the document, as well as any exhibits and/or attachments to the document.

CRITICAL

The media used to submit electronic exhibits or evidence must be virus-free and contain no malicious or harmful code.

The CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or Blu-Ray must be virus-free and not contain any malicious or harmful code.

CRITICAL

Electronic exhibits or evidence may not be submitted on writable storage devices such as flash or thumb drives.

Electronic exhibits or evidence may not be submitted on a writable storage device such as a flash or thumb drive.

CRITICAL

Pro Tempore Reporters must format transcripts according to the listed line, typography, indentation, pagination, parenthetical, and footer requirements.

Pro Tempore Reporters must follow local standard format requirements: • 28 lines per page; • 60 characters per line; • Line numbered at left of transcripts box; • True type font no greater than 13; • Q. and A. indented no more than five spaces; • Text following Q. and A. no more than two spaces; • Colloquy and continuing paragraph indented five spaces; • Text following speaker identification no more than two spaces; • Page numbers at bottom, right-hand column; • Parentheticals indented ten spaces or centered; • No blank lines before or after parentheticals; and • Footer with reporter’s name and CSR number. (1/1/22)

CRITICAL

Motions and responses must be in writing unless good cause is shown.

A. All motions and responses thereto shall be filed in writing unless good cause is shown.

CRITICAL

An order presented for signature in court must be provided in an original and two copies.

Orders presented for signature in court shall be presented with an original and two (2) copies.

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 10, 2026CRITICAL

In every Penal Code section 1538.5 case, the motion must be written and comply with Rule 4.04 and Penal Code section 1538.5.

In all cases, the motion must be written and must comply with Rule 4.04 and 1538.5 PC.

CRITICAL

Evidence for a trial by written declaration must be submitted in writing or on a CD when the declaration and bail are filed; flash drives are not accepted.

Evidence must be submitted in writing or on a CD at the time the Declaration and bail are filed. Flash drives will not be accepted.

CRITICAL

Motions must be submitted in writing.

Motions must be submitted in writing.

CRITICAL

Orders presented for signature in court must include an original and two copies, with the signature line at the end, not followed by an attachment, and not alone on a page.

Orders presented for signature in court shall be presented with an original and two (2) copies. The signature line must always be at the end of the order and not followed by any attachment. It should never be on a page by itself.

CRITICAL

A party filing a Notice of Appeal must provide an original and five copies of the notice and accompanying documents, unless excused by a Judicial Officer or designee.

Unless excused by a Judicial Officer or his/her designee, any party submitting a Notice of Appeal for filing in Superior Court must provide an original and five (5) copies of the Notice of Appeal, as well as any accompanying documents, for distribution to the appropriate parties. (7/1/03, 1/1/21)

CRITICAL

Pro tem reporter transcripts must meet the listed page, line, font, indentation, and page-numbering requirements.

Pro Tem Reporters must follow standard local format requirements: a. 28 lines per page; b. 60 characters per line; c. Line numbered at left of transcripts box; d. True type font no greater than 13; e. Q. and A. indented no more than five spaces; f. Text following Q. and A. no more than two spaces; g. Colloquy and continuing paragraph indented five spaces; h. Text following speaker identification no more than two spaces; i. Page numbers at bottom, right-hand column;

WARNINGProposed or draft document; may not be in force

For formatting noncompliance, the Court may strike the document, continue the related hearing, or impose monetary sanctions after adequate notice and an opportunity to be heard.

In cases of non-compliance with the Court’s formatting requirements, the Court may, in its discretion, order any, or all, of the following in addition to any other sanction(s) permitted by law: 1. The non-compliant document may be stricken as improperly filed; 2. The hearing to which the non-compliant document pertains may be continued, or; 3. Monetary sanctions may be imposed for violation of the California Rules of Court or these Local Rules related to formatting of electronically filed documents, following adequate notice and an opportunity to be heard.

WARNINGProposed or draft document; may not be in force

The recording must be provided in a standardized electronic format that can be opened and viewed without specialized software.

Any party intending to offer into evidence an audio or audiovisual recording containing spoken words must serve on all other parties and the Court a copy of the recording in a standardized electronic format that can be readily opened and viewed without specialized software, together with a transcript of the spoken content, no later than three court days before the commencement of trial or an evidentiary hearing, unless otherwise ordered by the court.

WARNINGProposed or draft document; may not be in force

Format

PAPER

Paper briefs should be bound once at the top left corner and should not be covered with tape.

Briefs filed in paper form should only be bound once in the top left corner and should not be covered with tape, as an exception to the requirements set forth in Rules 8.883(9) and 8.928(c)(3).

WARNINGProposed or draft document; may not be in force

Pro Tem Reporters must format transcripts to meet the listed page, line, font, indentation, and page-number requirements.

Pro Tem Reporters must follow standard local format requirements: a. 28 lines per page; b. 60 characters per line; c. Line numbered at left of transcripts box; d. True type font no greater than 13; e. Q. and A. indented no more than five spaces; f. Text following Q. and A. no more than two spaces; g. Colloquy and continuing paragraph indented five spaces; h. Text following speaker identification no more than two spaces; i. Page numbers at bottom, right-hand column;

WARNINGProposed or draft document; may not be in force

Documents presented for filing may include no more than the original and two copies.

All documents presented for filing are limited to an original plus two (2) copies

WARNINGProposed or draft document; may not be in force

Unless a code requirement provides otherwise, the Clerk's Office will conform no more than two copies.

unless otherwise required by code, the Clerk's Office will conform a maximum of two (2) copies.

WARNINGProposed or draft document; may not be in force

Papers presented to the Probate Clerk electronically or over the counter must conform to CRCs 2.100 and 3.1110, except asset descriptions may be single spaced within each item.

Papers presented for filing with the Probate Clerk – whether electronically or over the counter - shall conform to CRCs 2.100 and 3.1110 except that descriptions of assets may be single spaced within each item.

WARNINGProposed or draft document; may not be in force

Orders should be submitted separately and not attached to another document or pleading.

The orders should be submitted separately and not attached to any other document or pleading.

WARNING

Paper briefs should be bound once at the top left and must not be covered with tape, notwithstanding the cited rule requirements.

Briefs filed in paper form should only be bound once in the top left corner and should not be covered with tape, as an exception to the requirements set forth in Rules 8.883(9) and 8.928(c)(3).

WARNING

Papers presented to the Probate Clerk, whether electronically or over the counter, must conform to CRCs 2.100 and 3.1110, except that asset descriptions may be single-spaced within each item.

Papers presented for filing with the Probate Clerk – whether electronically or over the counter - shall conform to CRCs 2.100 and 3.1110 except that descriptions of assets may be single spaced within each item.

INFOProposed or draft document; may not be in force

The Court encourages reducing copies of original wills on 14-inch legal-sized paper to 11-inch standard size.

The Court encourages reducing the copy of any original will on legal sized paper (14 inches) to standard size (11 inches).

INFO

The Court encourages reducing copies of original wills from legal-sized paper (14 inches) to standard size (11 inches).

B. The Court encourages reducing the copy of any original will on legal sized paper (14 inches) to standard size (11 inches).

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.CRITICAL?

j. Parentheticals indented ten spaces or centered; k. No blank lines before or after parentheticals; l. Footer with reporter’s name and CSR number.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.CRITICAL?

The signature line must always be at the end of the order and not followed by any attachment. It should never be on a page by itself.