California Form UD-150, the Request/Counter-Request to Set Case for Trial—Unlawful Detainer, is the one-page form (with a Proof of Service on page two) that either the landlord or the tenant files to ask the court to schedule a trial date in an eviction case. Once it’s filed, the court has 20 days to hold the trial. This walks through when to use it, how to fill in each item, how to serve and file it, and what happens once the clock starts.
When UD-150 Is the Right Next Step
You file UD-150 after every defendant in the case has either filed an Answer, had a default entered against them, or been dismissed. Item 1 of the form is your representation to the court that this is true, so filing before the case reaches that point risks rejection.
If the tenant never responded to the complaint at all, UD-150 is not what you need. In that situation the landlord asks the clerk to enter a default and then requests a default judgment. UD-150 comes into play only when at least one defendant has answered and the case genuinely needs a trial. The form is free to download from the California Courts website.
Filling Out the Form Item by Item
Start with the caption at the top of the page. Enter the name and address of the courthouse where the case was filed, the plaintiff and defendant names exactly as they appear on the complaint, and the case number.
Item 1 — Plaintiff’s or Defendant’s Request. Check the box confirming that every party has been served and has either appeared, defaulted, or been dismissed. This is the formal statement that the case is ready for trial.
Item 2 — Trial preference. Enter the rental property’s street address, apartment number, city, zip, and county. Check box (a) if possession is still at issue, which triggers priority scheduling under Code of Civil Procedure section 1179a.1California Legislative Information. California Code CCP 1179a – Summary Proceedings for Obtaining Possession of Real Property in Certain Cases Check box (b) if the tenant has already moved out and only money is in dispute.
Item 3 — Jury or nonjury. Pick one. A jury demand costs a separate $150 fee, discussed below. Without a jury request, the judge decides the case.2Judicial Council of California. Request/Counter-Request to Set Case for Trial – Unlawful Detainer
Item 4 — Estimated length of trial. Check whether the estimate is in days or hours. Five hours or less qualifies as a “short cause” case under California Rules of Court.3Judicial Branch of California. Rule 3.735 – Management of Short Cause Cases Underestimate and the judge can declare a mistrial and reschedule the case as a long cause matter, which means a longer wait for a new date.
Item 5 — Unavailable dates. List dates you cannot appear and briefly say why. Keep the list short. With only 20 days to work with, a long block-out list makes it harder for the clerk to find a workable slot.
Item 6 — Unlawful detainer assistant disclosure. California law requires you to say whether a paid unlawful detainer assistant helped prepare the form. If one did, enter their name, phone, address, registration number, county of registration, and expiration date. If you prepared the form yourself or with an attorney, check the box stating no assistant was used.2Judicial Council of California. Request/Counter-Request to Set Case for Trial – Unlawful Detainer
Sign and date at the bottom of page one. If an attorney represents you, the attorney signs.
Mailing a Copy to the Other Side
Before the clerk will accept UD-150, every other party in the case must be mailed a copy. Page two of UD-150 is a built-in Proof of Service by Mail, so no separate proof-of-service form is needed for this filing.
The person who does the mailing cannot be you if you are representing yourself. It has to be someone at least 18 years old who is not a party to the case. That person completes page two with their own name and address, the date of mailing, and the name and address of each party served, then signs under penalty of perjury.2Judicial Council of California. Request/Counter-Request to Set Case for Trial – Unlawful Detainer
Because service is by mail within California, the receiving party gets five extra calendar days added to any response deadline under Code of Civil Procedure section 1013.4California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure Section 1013
Filing With the Court Clerk
Once the proof of service on page two is signed, take or send the completed form (both pages) to the clerk at the courthouse where the case is pending. Most courts accept documents in person, by mail, or through e-filing where the branch supports it for unlawful detainer matters. Check the local court’s website for the options available at your branch.
The clerk charges a filing fee. If you cannot afford it, ask the clerk for the fee waiver application before you file.2Judicial Council of California. Request/Counter-Request to Set Case for Trial – Unlawful Detainer The clerk’s file stamp fixes the filing date, and that date starts the 20-day trial clock.
The $150 Jury Fee and Its Deadline
If you checked the jury box on item 3, plan for a nonrefundable $150 jury fee. In unlawful detainer cases the fee is due at least five days before the trial date, not at the time you file UD-150.5California Legislative Information. California Code CCP 631 – Jury Fee Requirements
Miss that five-day deadline and you waive your right to a jury. The court has discretion to restore it, but judges treat the deadline seriously. One wrinkle: if another party on the same case demanded a jury and paid the fee on time, that payment covers the jury for the whole case, so a jury trial would still happen.6Judicial Branch of California. Frequently Asked Questions for Attorneys and Parties – Nonrefundable Jury Fee Parties who qualify for a fee waiver based on financial hardship can have the jury fee waived too.
What Happens After Filing
The court must hold the trial within 20 days of the filing.7California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure Section 1170.5 The clerk issues a notice with the date, time, and courtroom. If nothing arrives within about a week, check the court’s online case portal, because the digital docket often shows the date before the mailed notice lands. If you’re the defendant, missing the trial date can trigger a default judgment; if you’re the plaintiff, the case can be dismissed.
Counter-Requests
The form’s full title mentions “Counter-Request” because the opposing party can file the same form. In practice, whichever side files first starts the 20-day clock, and a later counter-request does not reset it.
Continuances
Extensions past 20 days are possible but disfavored. Both sides can stipulate to a later date, or one side can ask the court for more time. Without agreement, the court will only grant a continuance after a hearing and a finding of good cause, such as a key witness’s illness, a last-minute change of counsel, or an inability to obtain critical evidence despite diligent effort.8Judicial Branch of California. Rule 3.1332 – Motion or Application for Continuance of Trial
Preparing for a Very Short Runway
Twenty days leaves little room to build a case. Discovery in unlawful detainer actions runs on shortened deadlines: depositions, interrogatories, and document requests generally use five-day turnarounds rather than the 30 days typical in other civil cases. Start discovery before or immediately after filing UD-150, not after the trial date arrives.
California courts are encouraged to offer at least one chance to resolve the case before trial, such as a settlement conference or mediation, though participation in paid dispute resolution programs cannot be required.9Judicial Branch of California. Rule 3.2005 – Settlement Opportunities For a tenant facing likely loss, the window to move to set aside a judgment after trial is narrow, so any conversation with a lawyer is more useful before the trial date than after.