Cal. R. app. I Emergency Rule 9

As amended through September 20, 2024
Rule Emergency Rule 9 - Tolling statutes of limitations for civil causes of action
(a) Tolling statutes of limitations over 180 days

Notwithstanding any other law, the statutes of limitations and repose for civil causes of action that exceed 180 days are tolled from April 6, 2020, until October 1, 2020.

(b) Tolling statutes of limitations of 180 days or less

Notwithstanding any other law, the statutes of limitations and repose for civil causes of action that are 180 days or less are tolled from April 6, 2020, until August 3, 2020.

(c)Sunset of rule

This rule will sunset on June 30, 2022, unless otherwise amended or repealed by the Judicial Council. This sunset does not nullify the effect of the tolling of the statutes of limitation and repose under the rule.

Cal. R. Ct. App I R. R. Emergency Rule 9

Emergency Rule 9 amended effective 3/11/2022; amended effective 5/29/2020; adopted effective 4/6/2020.

Advisory Committee Comment

Emergency rule 9 is intended to apply broadly to toll any statute of limitations on the filing of a pleading in court asserting a civil cause of action. The term "civil causes of action" includes special proceedings. (See Code Civ. Proc., §§ 312, 363 ["action," as used in title 2 of the code (Of the Time of Commencing Civil Actions), is construed "as including a special proceeding of a civil nature"); special proceedings of a civil nature include all proceedings in title 3 of the code, including mandamus actions under §§ 1085, 1088.5, and 1094.5 -all the types of petitions for writ made for California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and land use challenges]; see also Pub. Resources Code, § 21167(a)-(e) [setting limitations periods for civil "action[s]" under CEQA].)

The rule also applies to statutes of limitations on filing of causes of action in court found in codes other than the Code of Civil Procedure, including the limitations on causes of action found in, for example, the Family Code and Probate Code.

Subdivision (c). The sunset of the rule does not nullify the effect of the tolling of the statutes of limitation and repose established by the rule. Depending on the specific facts of the case and the applicable statute of limitation or repose, the effect of the tolling may survive beyond the sunset date of the rule. For example, if the right to file a cause of action subject to the four-year statute of limitation in Code of Civil Procedure section 337 first accrued on February 15, 2020, the statute of limitation, having been tolled from April 6, 2020, until October 1, 2020, under subdivision (a), would expire in August 2024 rather than February 2024.