Code of Civil Procedure § 2030.300 – Motion to Compel Further Responses to Interrogatories
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Code of Civil Procedure § 2030.300 – Motion to Compel Further Responses to Interrogatories
Code of Civil Procedure – CCP
PART 4. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS [1855 – 2107]
( Heading of Part 4 amended by Stats. 1965, Ch. 299. )TITLE 4. CIVIL DISCOVERY ACT [2016.010 – 2036.050]
( Title 4 added by Stats. 2004, Ch. 182, Sec. 23. )CHAPTER 13. Written Interrogatories [2030.010 – 2030.410]
( Chapter 13 added by Stats. 2004, Ch. 182, Sec. 23. )ARTICLE 2. Response to Interrogatories [2030.210 – 2030.310]
( Article 2 added by Stats. 2004, Ch. 182, Sec. 23. )California Law
2030.300.
(a) On receipt of a response to interrogatories, the propounding party may move for an order compelling a further response if the propounding party deems that any of the following apply:
(1) An answer to a particular interrogatory is evasive or incomplete.
(2) An exercise of the option to produce documents under Section 2030.230 is unwarranted or the required specification of those documents is inadequate.
(3) An objection to an interrogatory is without merit or too general.
(b) (1) A motion under subdivision (a) shall be accompanied by a meet and confer declaration under Section 2016.040.
(2) In lieu of a separate statement required under the California Rules of Court, the court may allow the moving party to submit a concise outline of the discovery request and each response in dispute.
(c) Unless notice of this motion is given within 45 days of the service of the verified response, or any supplemental verified response, or on or before any specific later date to which the propounding party and the responding party have agreed in writing, the propounding party waives any right to compel a further response to the interrogatories.
(d) The court shall impose a monetary sanction under Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 2023.010) against any party, person, or attorney who unsuccessfully makes or opposes a motion to compel a further response to interrogatories, unless it finds that the one subject to the sanction acted with substantial justification or that other circumstances make the imposition of the sanction unjust.
(e) If a party then fails to obey an order compelling further response to interrogatories, the court may make those orders that are just, including the imposition of an issue sanction, an evidence sanction, or a terminating sanction under Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 2023.010). In lieu of, or in addition to, that sanction, the court may impose a monetary sanction under Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 2023.010).
(Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 317, Sec. 3. (AB 2230) Effective January 1, 2019. Section operative January 1, 2020, pursuant to Sec. 6, Stats. 2018, Ch. 317.)
California Law Summary
This statute governs a party’s right to challenge inadequate or incomplete responses to interrogatories in civil discovery. It allows a motion to compel further responses when:
An answer is evasive or incomplete,
An objection is without merit or too general, or
A failure to respond in substance occurs.
The motion must be made within 45 days after service of the verified response.
Purpose
To ensure transparency and completeness in discovery by providing a mechanism for parties to challenge improper responses to interrogatories. This promotes accountability and facilitates the fair exchange of information critical to case preparation.
Application
This rule applies when a party receives objectionable or insufficient interrogatory responses. The party may:
File a motion to compel further responses within 45 days,
Clearly identify the disputed interrogatories and justify the need for more complete answers.
Failure to act within the statutory deadline waives the right to compel further responses. The court may issue orders compelling compliance and may also impose sanctions if it finds the initial responses unjustifiably deficient.
