Federal Civil Deadline Calculator
Count federal civil and appeal deadlines under Rule 6, including weekends, federal holidays and the 3 added days for some kinds of service.
Answer a complaint
Wednesday, November 25, 2026
A Rule 12 motion changes the timing. Rule 12(a)(4) sets a new period after the ruling.
How we counted
- Count 21 days after Nov 4, 2026, leaving out that day: Nov 25, 2026.
What this calculator does not check
- Court orders, scheduling orders and standing orders that set a different date
- Local rules, including local filing cut-off times
- Clerk’s office closures and e-filing outages under Rule 6(a)(3)
- Days the President or Congress declares holidays, and executive-order closures, unless you add them above
- Tolling, stays and extensions in your case, and criminal, bankruptcy or state-court deadlines
How Rule 6 counts time
- Leave out the day of the event that starts the period.
- Count every day, including weekends and legal holidays.
- Include the last day. If it is a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, keep going to the next day that is none of those.
- For a period counted back from an event, such as "21 days before" a conference, count and roll backward.
- Add Rule 6(d)’s 3 days, if they apply, after the period would otherwise end, then check the new date again.
Frequently asked questions
How do you count days under FRCP Rule 6?
Leave out the day of the event that starts the period, count every calendar day including weekends and holidays, and include the last day. If the last day is a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, the period runs to the next day that is none of those. Periods counted back from an event roll backward instead.
When do the 3 extra days apply?
Rule 6(d) adds 3 days when you must act within a set time after being served and service was by mail, by leaving the paper with the clerk, or by other means you consented to. It does not apply to electronic service. The days are added after the period would otherwise end.
Which holidays count?
Rule 6(a)(6) lists New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday, Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans’ Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. It also covers days declared by the President or Congress and, for periods counted forward, state holidays.
Does this replace local rules or a scheduling order?
No. A statute, local rule or court order can set a different time, and a date fixed by the court is not counted under Rule 6 at all. Always check the docket, the judge’s standing orders and your local rules.
What time on the last day is the deadline?
Under Rule 6(a)(4), electronic filing ends at midnight in the court’s time zone, and other filing ends when the clerk’s office is scheduled to close, unless a statute, local rule or order says otherwise.
This guide is general information, not legal advice, and using it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Laws vary by state and change often. Talk to a lawyer licensed in the relevant state before relying on it.
Tracking more than one deadline?
CaseDocker keeps matters, hearings and tasks with owners and reminders in one system.