How to answer a debt lawsuit in California
How long you have, how to file, what it costs and which defenses to raise.
Checked against official sources: Oct 24, 2026.
Short answer
Papers handed to you: 30 days. Papers left with someone else and mailed to you: 30 days, counted from 10 days after the mailing. Fill out an Answer, have another adult (not you) mail a copy to the plaintiff's lawyer and sign a Proof of Service (form POS-030), then file the Answer and Proof of Service with the clerk at the courthouse listed on the complaint.
- Time to answer
- 30 days
- Official answer form
- Answer—Contract (form PLD-C-010)
- Fee to answer
- You pay a first-paper filing fee when you file your Answer.
The answer deadline in California, court by court
- Papers handed to you: 30 days.
- Papers left with someone else and mailed to you: 30 days, counted from 10 days after the mailing.
30 days after you are served with the summons and complaint. If the papers were left with someone else and mailed to you, service is complete 10 days after the mailing, and the 30 days start then.
Law: Cal. Code Civ. Proc. §§ 412.20(a)(3), 415.20; Gov. Code §§ 70612, 70614
In nearby states
Your last day to answer
How you must be served in California
Service means officially getting the court papers. Your deadline usually starts that day.
The summons and complaint must be handed to you in person, or, if that fails after reasonable effort, left at your home, work or mailing address with an adult who is told what they are, and then mailed to you (substituted service). Substituted service is complete 10 days after the mailing. From January 1, 2027, "reasonable effort" means at least three tries to hand you the papers, on three different days at three different times. In a consumer debt case, at least one try must be at your home if your home address is known or can be found with reasonable effort.
Law: Cal. Code Civ. Proc. §§ 415.10, 415.20 (as amended by AB 747 (2025), operative Jan. 1, 2027)
Fees and fee waivers in California
Fee to answer
You pay a first-paper filing fee when you file your Answer. The court's self-help guide puts it at about $225 to $450. The state base fee is $205 if the amount claimed is $10,000 or less, $330 for other limited civil cases, and $355 for unlimited cases; some courts add local fees.
If you can't pay the fees
Request to Waive Court Fees (form FW-001). You qualify automatically if you get certain public benefits, or if your income is below a set amount. https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/fw001.pdf
Defenses you can raise in California
The court's self-help guide lists defenses used in debt cases, such as the statute of limitations, being sued for more than you owe, and that the plaintiff does not own the debt. A debt buyer that cannot meet the pleading and proof rules of Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1788.58 and 1788.60 cannot get a judgment. You must list your defenses in your Answer.
Law: 4 years on a written contract, Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 337
A written-contract debt in California must be sued on within 4 years. Raise an older debt as a defense in your answer.
Fill in California's official answer form: a helper
Start with the official form: Answer—Contract (form PLD-C-010)
This helper is not a court form and does not file anything. It lists what to copy onto the official form, in plain words.
What an answer is and how to file it in California
Fill out an Answer, have another adult (not you) mail a copy to the plaintiff's lawyer and sign a Proof of Service (form POS-030), then file the Answer and Proof of Service with the clerk at the courthouse listed on the complaint. You can file in person or by mail, and some courts accept e-filing.
What to do now in California
Look at the summons
Write down the court, the case number and who is suing you.
Note your last day
California's rule: Papers handed to you: 30 days; Papers left with someone else and mailed to you: 30 days, counted from 10 days after the mailing.
Write and file your answer
The court's own form: Answer—Contract (form PLD-C-010).
Make them show the paperwork
Send a documents request letter to the plaintiff's lawyer.
Get help
Ask for free help: LawHelpCA (free legal aid finder, LawHelp network) and California Courts: Resources for debt lawsuits (legal aid, law libraries).
Federal rules in every state
- Where a collector must sue. A debt collector that sues you over a consumer debt must file where you signed the contract or where you live when the suit starts. Law: 15 U.S.C. 1692i(a)(2)
- Old debts. A debt collector must not sue you, or threaten to sue you, on a debt that is too old to sue on. Law: 12 CFR 1006.26(b)
Where to get free help in California
Questions about answering in California
How long do I have to answer a debt lawsuit in California?
30 days after you are served with the summons and complaint. If the papers were left with someone else and mailed to you, service is complete 10 days after the mailing, and the 30 days start then.
How do I answer a debt lawsuit in California?
Fill out an Answer, have another adult (not you) mail a copy to the plaintiff's lawyer and sign a Proof of Service (form POS-030), then file the Answer and Proof of Service with the clerk at the courthouse listed on the complaint. You can file in person or by mail, and some courts accept e-filing.
Does California have a court answer form?
Answer—Contract (form PLD-C-010): https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/pldc010.pdf
Does it cost money to answer in California?
You pay a first-paper filing fee when you file your Answer. The court's self-help guide puts it at about $225 to $450. The state base fee is $205 if the amount claimed is $10,000 or less, $330 for other limited civil cases, and $355 for unlimited cases; some courts add local fees.
How do I ask for a fee waiver in California?
Request to Waive Court Fees (form FW-001). You qualify automatically if you get certain public benefits, or if your income is below a set amount. https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/fw001.pdf
Keep reading about California
Sources
- Cal. Code Civ. Proc. §§ 412.20(a)(3), 415.20; Gov. Code §§ 70612, 70614
- California Legislative Counsel official code data (pubinfo_2025, updated Oct. 18, 2026): CCP §§ 85, 116.220, 116.420, 412.20, 415.10, 415.20, 473, 473.5, 683.020, 683.110, 683.120, 683.130, 685.010, 703.520, 706.105; Civ. Code §§ 1788.56, 1788.58, 1788.60, 1788.61; Gov. Code §§ 70611, 70613
- California Courts Self-Help: File your Answer with the court
- California Courts Self-Help: What to expect if you default
- California Courts Self-Help: If you get a judgment
- California Courts Self-Help: Claim of exemption (bank levy)
- Judicial Council form PLD-C-010, Answer—Contract
Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.