Notice (Court Filing)

When the notice is used

Timing: whenever a rule, local rule or court order requires the parties or the court to be told of something. Pleadings come first in a civil case. They tell the court and the other side what each party claims or denies.

What the rule requires

• Unless the Federal Rules provide otherwise, a written notice, appearance, demand or offer of judgment, or any similar paper, must be served on every party (Rule 5(a)(1)(E)).
• Some notices have their own rule. For example, a written motion and notice of the hearing must be served at least 14 days before the hearing, unless the motion may be heard ex parte or a rule or court order sets a different time (Rule 6(c)(1)); subject to Rules 23(e), 23.1(c), 23.2 and 66 and any applicable federal statute, a plaintiff may dismiss without a court order by filing a notice of dismissal before the opposing party serves either an answer or a motion for summary judgment (Rule 41(a)(1)(A)(i)); and a party who wants to depose a person by oral questions must give reasonable written notice to every other party (Rule 30(b)(1)).
• Notices of appearance, change of address and related cases are usually governed by local rules, so check your court's local rules for the required form and content.

In practice, read each requirement closely. Then check whether your court adds anything of its own. For example, many courts set page limits, formatting rules or a duty to confer with the other side first.

You can read the full text of Fed. R. Civ. P. 5(a)(1)(E) online. Also, the federal judiciary publishes the current rules and recent amendments.

The notice in state court

State courts follow their own rules of procedure. Many states model their rules on the federal rules, so you will often find a similar notice procedure. However, the name, the deadline and the required form can differ. Therefore, look up the matching rule in your state’s rules of civil procedure. Also read your court’s local rules. Our state procedures guide links to each state’s official rules.

Key terms

In addition, these terms come up often with this procedure:

• Hearing: a proceeding before a judge or other judicial officer to consider a motion, a request or another matter.
• Notice: information about a fact, a claim or a proceeding.

Related procedures

Similarly, these procedures often come up alongside it:

• Motions: Form and Requirements: the general rules every written motion must follow.
• Voluntary Dismissal: the ways a plaintiff can end its own case.
• Notice of Appeal: the filing that starts an appeal from a federal district court to a court of appeals.
• Notice of Removal: the filing a defendant uses to move a case from state court to federal court when the federal court would have had original jurisdiction.
• Depositions: questioning of a witness under oath, outside court, with a record made of the testimony.

Before you rely on this page

First, read the current text of the rule. After that, check your court’s local rules and any standing order from the judge. In addition, look at recent decisions from your own court. They show how judges apply the rule in practice. For advice about your own case, speak with a licensed attorney, for example through our directory.

State court procedure for this filing

The federal rule above applies in federal court. In state court, the same filing is governed by that state's own rules of civil procedure, statutes and local court rules. Many states model their rules on the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, so the requirements are often similar, but names, numbers, deadlines and forms can differ. Always use the version that applies to the court where your case is filed.

Examples from the largest state court systems

Each state citation was checked against the rule or code text (official source or a published copy) on October 24, 2026. Rules are amended often, so confirm the current version on the state's official site below.

Find the rule in your state

In your state's rules, look for the rule on notice (court filing). In states that number their rules like the federal rules, it is often the same rule number as the federal rule.