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California Court Forms · Civil
The subpoena that orders a witness to come to a civil trial or hearing with documents, electronically stored information or things.
Mandatory form · Revised January 1, 2012 · 3 pages · A trial or hearing date
The PDF is the Judicial Council’s own file on courts.ca.gov, revised January 1, 2012. Form page on courts.ca.gov ↗
Not legal advice. This page explains what the form asks; it does not tell you what to put in your case.
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Create a free accountWhat it is
SUBP-002 orders a witness to appear at a set date, time and place, unless excused or by agreement, and to produce the records described in the declaration. It warns that disobedience may be punished as contempt, with liability for five hundred dollars and all resulting damages. It cites Code of Civil Procedure sections 1985 and following.
When it is used
Item 3 either requires personal attendance with original records, or lets a custodian mail sealed copies with a custodian’s declaration under Evidence Code sections 1560–1562 and 1271. Item 2 covers consumer or employee records when a motion to quash or objection has been served.
Section by section
Use the current official form and its instructions. The descriptions below identify the questions without choosing answers for your situation.
Date, time and place to appear as a witness.
A court order or agreement is needed before producing them once a motion to quash or objection is served.
In person with originals, or by sealed copies with the custodian’s declaration mailed to the clerk.
Who to call with questions, and witness fees and mileage if requested at service.
The exact items to produce, good cause, and why they are material, or an attached affidavit.
Personal delivery, witness fees offered or paid, and the server’s details.
Before you file
These checks come from the official form and instructions. They are not a ranking of rejection reasons; the court decides whether a filing meets its requirements.
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Live counties with a relevant case type: Butte · Calaveras · Colusa · Contra Costa · Glenn · Los Angeles · Madera · Mariposa · Mendocino · Merced · Napa · San Bernardino · San Diego · San Luis Obispo · San Mateo · Santa Barbara · Santa Clara · Santa Cruz · Sonoma · Stanislaus · Sutter · Tehama · Yolo · Yuba. Check each listing’s new-case or existing-case status and document restrictions.
Questions
Only if item 3a is checked. Under item 3b, the custodian may instead mail sealed copies of the records with a completed custodian’s declaration.
Item 5 says witnesses are entitled to witness fees and mileage both ways, as provided by law, if requested at the time of service.
Related forms
Not legal advice. This page explains public filing information. It does not tell you what to put in your own case. Legal Hub Group is a certified e-filing service provider for California courts, not a law firm.
Information checked as of October 2026. Rules, form revisions and provider prices can change. The court decides whether to accept a filing.
SUBP-002 form revision: January 1, 2012.