Judicial notice

What judicial notice means

Put simply, judicial notice is part of the working vocabulary of a civil case. The short definition above covers the usual meaning. Still, a specific rule, statute or contract can give it a narrower meaning. For that reason, check how it is used in your own documents.

Where judicial notice comes up

For example, the term appears in these procedures:

• Request for Judicial Notice (Fed. R. Evid. 201): a request asking the court to accept a fact as true without formal proof because it is not subject to reasonable dispute — for example the contents of court records, public records of a government agency, or a date on a calendar.

How to research the term

To research judicial notice, begin with the rule, statute or contract where the word is used. Each one can give it a slightly different meaning. Then compare that text with how courts in your area have applied it. Also check the local rules of your court, since they can add requirements. If your case is in state court, the state rules control. So start with our state procedures guide to find them. In the end, always confirm that the source you rely on is current.

You can read the official rule text online for free.

Related legal terms

• Request: asking a person, a party, the clerk or the court to do something.
• Judicial: relating to the courts, judges or the administration of justice. For example, judicial power is the power to decide cases, and a judicial act is one a judge performs in that role.
• Judicial foreclosure: foreclosure carried out through a lawsuit and a court judgment before the property is sold.
• Judicial immunity: the rule that a judge cannot be sued for money damages over judicial acts.

Why precise terms matter

Courts read legal terms closely. As a result, knowing the exact meaning of a word helps you follow orders, rules and filings. Each glossary entry on Lawtopolis is short on purpose and links to the pages where the term is used.