Texas civil cases involve deadlines triggered by service, pleadings, discovery, motions, trial settings, judgments, and appeals. This Texas court deadlines cheat sheet summarizes common deadlines under the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure and Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure.
The deadlines below are general statewide deadlines. A court order, discovery control plan, local rule, standing order, agreement, statute, or the circumstances of a particular case may change the applicable deadline. Always review the current rule and any orders governing the case before relying on a calculated date.
Updated for the 2026 Texas rule changes, including the amendments to Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 166a effective March 1, 2026. The Rule 166a amendments apply to summary judgment motions filed on or after that date.
Texas Civil Court Deadlines at a Glance
| Deadline | General Rule | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Defendant’s answer | 10:00 a.m. Monday next after expiration of 20 days after service | Tex. R. Civ. P. 99(b) |
| Initial disclosures | 30 days after first answer or general appearance* | Tex. R. Civ. P. 194.2(a) |
| Response to requests for production | Generally 30 days after service* | Tex. R. Civ. P. 196.2(a) |
| Response to interrogatories | Generally 30 days after service* | Tex. R. Civ. P. 197.2(a) |
| Response to requests for admission | Generally 30 days after service* | Tex. R. Civ. P. 198.2(a) |
| Serve interrogatories | No later than 30 days before discovery period ends | Tex. R. Civ. P. 197.1 |
| Serve requests for admission | No later than 30 days before discovery period ends | Tex. R. Civ. P. 198.1 |
| Level 2 discovery cutoff | Earlier of 30 days before trial or 9 months after first initial disclosures are due* | Tex. R. Civ. P. 190.3 |
| Affirmative-relief expert designations | 90 days before discovery period ends* | Tex. R. Civ. P. 195.2(a) |
| Other expert designations | 60 days before discovery period ends* | Tex. R. Civ. P. 195.2(b) |
| Pretrial disclosures | At least 30 days before trial, unless otherwise ordered | Tex. R. Civ. P. 194.4 |
| Summary judgment response | Within 21 days after motion is filed* | Tex. R. Civ. P. 166a(d) |
| Summary judgment reply | Within 7 days after response is filed* | Tex. R. Civ. P. 166a(e) |
| Earliest summary judgment hearing or submission | 35 days after motion is filed | Tex. R. Civ. P. 166a(g) |
| Summary judgment hearing or submission | Generally within 60 days after filing; up to 90 days in specified circumstances | Tex. R. Civ. P. 166a(g) |
| Jury request and fee | Reasonable time before trial on non-jury docket, but not less than 30 days in advance | Tex. R. Civ. P. 216 |
| Request for findings and conclusions | Within 20 days after judgment is signed | Tex. R. Civ. P. 296 |
| Past-due notice for findings and conclusions | Within 30 days after original request is filed | Tex. R. Civ. P. 297 |
| Motion for new trial | Within 30 days after judgment or order is signed | Tex. R. Civ. P. 329b(a) |
| Motion to modify, correct, or reform judgment | Within 30 days after judgment is signed | Tex. R. Civ. P. 329b |
| Post-judgment motion overruled by operation of law | 75 days after judgment is signed if not determined by signed order | Tex. R. Civ. P. 329b(c) |
| Notice of appeal | Generally 30 days after judgment is signed | Tex. R. App. P. 26.1 |
| Notice of appeal with qualifying post-judgment filing | Generally 90 days after judgment is signed | Tex. R. App. P. 26.1(a) |
| Accelerated appeal | 20 days after judgment or order is signed | Tex. R. App. P. 26.1(b) |
| Restricted appeal | 6 months after judgment or order is signed | Tex. R. App. P. 26.1(c) |
| Potential extension of notice-of-appeal deadline | Within 15 days after the deadline, subject to Rule 26.3 | Tex. R. App. P. 26.3 |
* These are general deadlines. Exceptions may apply. Family Code cases are subject to several different discovery provisions. A discovery control plan, court order, agreement, or other applicable rule may also change a deadline.
Texas Answer Deadline
Under Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 99(b), a defendant generally must file a written answer by 10:00 a.m. on the Monday next after the expiration of 20 days after the date of service.
This is not simply a 20-day deadline. The 20-day period is used to determine the Monday on which the answer becomes due.
For example, if the twentieth day after service falls on a Wednesday, the answer is generally due by 10:00 a.m. the following Monday.
Texas Answer Deadline Calculator
Texas Initial Disclosure Deadline
In most civil cases not governed by the Family Code, Rule 194 requires initial disclosures without waiting for a discovery request.
Under Rule 194.2(a), a party generally must make its initial disclosures within 30 days after the filing of the first answer or general appearance. A party first served or joined after that point generally must make its initial disclosures within 30 days after being served or joined. The parties may agree to a different deadline, and the court may order otherwise.
The initial-disclosure deadline is also important because it can affect the beginning and end of the Level 2 discovery period.
Texas Written Discovery Deadlines
Responses to the most common forms of written discovery are generally due 30 days after service in ordinary Texas civil cases.
Requests for Production
A response to requests for production generally must be served within 30 days after service of the requests. Tex. R. Civ. P. 196.2(a).
Interrogatories
A response to interrogatories generally must be served within 30 days after service of the interrogatories. Tex. R. Civ. P. 197.2(a).
Interrogatories generally must be served no later than 30 days before the end of the discovery period. Tex. R. Civ. P. 197.1.
Requests for Admission
A response to requests for admission generally must be served within 30 days after service of the requests. Tex. R. Civ. P. 198.2(a).
Requests for admission generally must be served no later than 30 days before the end of the discovery period. Tex. R. Civ. P. 198.1.
A request is considered admitted without the necessity of a court order unless a written answer or objection is timely served. Tex. R. Civ. P. 198.2(c).
Different response periods apply in certain Family Code cases. This cheat sheet focuses on general Texas civil litigation.
Texas Discovery Cutoff
Many Texas civil cases proceed under a Level 2 discovery control plan.
For a suit not governed by the Family Code, the Level 2 discovery period generally begins when the first initial disclosures are due and continues until the earlier of:
- 30 days before the date set for trial; or
- nine months after the first initial disclosures are due.
Tex. R. Civ. P. 190.3.
Because the rule uses the earlier of the two dates, a trial setting can affect the discovery cutoff.
A Level 3 discovery control plan is governed by court order. Deadlines contained in that order must be separately calendared.
Texas Expert Designation Deadlines
Unless otherwise ordered by the court, Rule 195.2 establishes deadlines for designating testifying experts.
A party seeking affirmative relief generally must designate its testifying experts 90 days before the end of the discovery period. Tex. R. Civ. P. 195.2(a).
Other testifying experts generally must be designated 60 days before the end of the discovery period. Tex. R. Civ. P. 195.2(b).
Because these deadlines run backward from the discovery cutoff, the applicable discovery period should be determined before calculating expert designation deadlines.
Texas Pretrial Disclosure Deadline
Unless the court orders otherwise, Rule 194.4 generally requires parties to make certain pretrial disclosures at least 30 days before trial.
These disclosures include information concerning witnesses and exhibits the party expects to present or may present if the need arises. Tex. R. Civ. P. 194.4.
A docket control or scheduling order may establish a different deadline and should be checked separately.
Texas Summary Judgment Deadlines
Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 166a changed significantly effective March 1, 2026. The amendments apply to motions for summary judgment filed on or after that date.
Older Texas deadline charts may therefore contain summary judgment deadlines that no longer apply to newly filed motions.
Under the current Rule 166a:
| Event | General Deadline |
|---|---|
| Summary judgment response | Within 21 days after the motion is filed |
| Summary judgment reply | Within 7 days after the response is filed |
| Earliest hearing or submission | 35 days after the motion is filed |
| Hearing or submission | Generally within 60 days after the motion is filed |
| Extended setting | Up to 90 days after filing in circumstances permitted by the rule |
The Office of Court Administration’s current Rule 166a materials likewise describe the 60-day setting requirement and the circumstances permitting a setting within 90 days.
The response and reply deadlines may be affected by leave of court or agreement of the parties. See Tex. R. Civ. P. 166a(d)-(e).
Because the amendments apply based on when the summary judgment motion was filed, motions filed before March 1, 2026 may be governed by the former version of Rule 166a.
Texas Jury Demand Deadline
A party seeking a jury trial must file a written request a reasonable time before the date set for trial on the non-jury docket, but not less than 30 days in advance.
The jury fee must also be deposited within the time prescribed by Rule 216 unless otherwise provided by law.
Tex. R. Civ. P. 216.
Texas Post-Judgment Deadlines
The signing of a judgment can trigger several deadlines at the same time.
Motion for New Trial
A motion for new trial generally must be filed within 30 days after the judgment or other order complained of is signed.
Tex. R. Civ. P. 329b(a).
Motion to Modify, Correct, or Reform Judgment
A motion to modify, correct, or reform a judgment generally must be filed within 30 days after the judgment is signed.
Tex. R. Civ. P. 329b.
When Is a Post-Judgment Motion Overruled by Operation of Law?
If a motion for new trial or motion to modify, correct, or reform the judgment is not determined by signed written order within 75 days after the judgment is signed, it is overruled by operation of law.
Tex. R. Civ. P. 329b(c).
A timely post-judgment motion may also affect the trial court’s plenary power and the deadline for filing a notice of appeal.
Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law
In an appropriate case tried without a jury, a party may request findings of fact and conclusions of law.
The request generally must be filed within 20 days after the judgment is signed. Tex. R. Civ. P. 296.
The trial court generally must file its findings and conclusions within 20 days after a timely request is filed.
If the court does not timely file them, the requesting party must file a Notice of Past Due Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law within 30 days after filing the original request. Tex. R. Civ. P. 297.
Texas Notice of Appeal Deadlines
The deadline to file a notice of appeal depends on the type of appeal and whether a qualifying filing extends the appellate timetable.
Ordinary Civil Appeal
A notice of appeal generally must be filed within 30 days after the judgment is signed.
Tex. R. App. P. 26.1.
Extended Appellate Timetable
The notice of appeal generally must be filed within 90 days after the judgment is signed if any party timely files:
- a motion for new trial;
- a motion to modify the judgment;
- a motion to reinstate under Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 165a; or
- a request for findings of fact and conclusions of law when the request satisfies Rule 26.1(a).
Tex. R. App. P. 26.1(a).
Accelerated Appeal
In an accelerated appeal, the notice of appeal generally must be filed within 20 days after the judgment or order is signed.
Tex. R. App. P. 26.1(b).
Restricted Appeal
A notice of restricted appeal generally must be filed within six months after the judgment or order is signed.
Tex. R. App. P. 26.1(c).
Extension of Time to File a Notice of Appeal
Texas Rule of Appellate Procedure 26.3 provides a potential 15-day extension period.
Within 15 days after the deadline for filing the notice of appeal, the party must:
- file the notice of appeal in the trial court; and
- file a motion complying with Rule 10.5(b) in the court of appeals.
Tex. R. App. P. 26.3.
The 15-day period should not be treated as an automatic extension of the original deadline.
[Internal link: Texas Appellate Deadlines]
How Texas Court Deadlines Are Calculated
Identifying the applicable time period is only part of calculating a Texas court deadline.
Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 4 governs the computation of time periods prescribed or allowed by the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, court order, or applicable statute.
The method of service can also matter. For example, Rule 21a(c) generally adds three days when a prescribed period runs from service and the document is served by mail. Electronic service does not receive the three-day mail extension.
Always identify the triggering event, applicable rule, method of service, and any applicable weekend or legal-holiday provisions before calculating the filing date.
Court Orders and Local Rules Can Change Deadlines
Statewide rules are not always the end of the analysis.
Discovery control plans, docket control orders, scheduling orders, local rules, and standing orders may establish deadlines applicable to a particular case.
The Texas Judicial Branch maintains a statewide collection of local rules, forms, and standing orders. The Judicial Branch explains that these materials are uploaded by court clerks or court staff and are publicly available through its searchable system.
Always review the orders entered in the case and the rules applicable to the particular court.
Official Texas Court Rules
The Texas Judicial Branch publishes the current statewide court rules. As of September 2026, it identifies the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure as amended through July 1, 2026.
Texas Judicial Branch Rules & Standards
Disclaimer
This Texas court deadlines cheat sheet is intended as a general reference. It does not account for every exception, statute, local rule, court order, agreement, or procedural circumstance that may affect a deadline.
Review the current rules and the orders governing the particular case before relying on any deadline.
