How to Request a Telephonic Appearance in California

To request a telephonic appearance in California, fill out Judicial Council Form RA-010 (Notice of Remote Appearance), serve a copy on every other party in the case, and file it with the court by the deadline that applies to your type of hearing.¹ For most routine civil hearings, that deadline is two court days before the hearing. The process is straightforward, but it is deadline-driven, and some courts have their own online system you should use instead of the paper form.

Check Your Court’s Website Before Using the Form

Some California courts run their own online system for remote appearance requests. If your court does, use it. If it does not, use Form RA-010.¹ A quick look at the court’s website or a call to the clerk will tell you which path applies.

The policy backdrop is favorable. Code of Civil Procedure section 367.75 and California Rule of Court 3.672 direct courts to allow remote appearances whenever feasible, and for hearings where no one testifies under oath (law and motion, case management conferences, status conferences, and the like) a properly filed notice is effectively automatic.²³ Trials and evidentiary hearings get closer scrutiny, which the deadlines and the form itself reflect.

Filling Out Form RA-010

The form is one page. You enter your case name, case number, and the date, time, and department of the hearing. You check a box telling the court whether you want to appear by phone or by video, and whether the notice covers a single proceeding or all future proceedings in the case. Checking “all future proceedings” means you only need to file the form once for that case.⁴

For an evidentiary hearing or trial, the form asks you to describe what parts of the proceeding you want conducted remotely. Be specific. “I will present no witnesses and plan to argue only the legal issues” gives the judge something to work with. “I want to appear by phone” does not.

Serve a copy on every other party in the case before you file. Service can be in writing, electronic, or oral, so long as the method is reasonably calculated to ensure the other side actually receives the notice by the deadline.³

Deadlines That Apply to Your Hearing

Missing the deadline is the single most common mistake with remote appearances. Which deadline applies depends on whether the hearing is evidentiary and how much advance notice you received of it.

Non-Evidentiary Hearings

For a hearing where no one will testify under oath, and you received at least three court days’ notice of the proceeding, file your notice at least two court days before the hearing. Court days are business days when the court is open; weekends and court holidays do not count.⁴

For short-notice proceedings with less than three court days’ notice, such as most ex parte applications, the rule splits by role. If you are the party requesting the hearing, include your remote appearance notice with your moving papers. If you are responding, you have until 2:00 p.m. on the court day before the hearing.⁵

Evidentiary Hearings and Trials

For trials (including small claims trials) and evidentiary hearings where you received at least 15 court days’ notice, file your notice at least 10 court days before the proceeding.³

When you receive less than 15 court days’ notice of an evidentiary hearing or trial, which is common for restraining and protective order hearings, you have two options. If you initiated the hearing, include the notice with your moving papers or file it at least five court days before the hearing. If you are a responding party, the deadline is 2:00 p.m. on the court day before.⁴

Nothing stops you from filing early. If you already know you want to appear remotely, file the notice as soon as the hearing is on calendar and remove the risk entirely.

If You Miss the Deadline

A missed deadline does not automatically bar you from appearing remotely. The RA-010 instructions say a party who misses the deadline may still ask the court for permission to appear remotely.⁴ The judge will look at whether you had good cause or whether unforeseen circumstances prevented timely notice. The rule does not spell out what counts as good cause, but think along the lines of a sudden illness, a transportation emergency, or a last-minute change in your ability to get to court. Convenience alone is not likely to carry the day.

Fees for Appearing Remotely

Government Code section 70630 authorizes courts to charge a reasonable fee for providing videoconferencing services.⁶ Whether your court actually charges, and how much, varies by county. Some charge nothing. Others assess a modest fee, and if the court uses a third-party telephonic appearance vendor, that vendor may charge its own service fee on top. Call the clerk or check the court’s website before your hearing so there are no surprises.

If you have an approved fee waiver (obtained by filing Form FW-001), the court’s remote appearance fee is waived.⁷

When the Court Can Still Require You in Person

Filing a proper notice does not guarantee you will appear remotely. CCP 367.75 lets a judge require physical presence when the court lacks the technology to run the hearing remotely, when poor audio or video quality interferes with managing the proceeding, with transcription by the court reporter, or with language access through an interpreter, when an attorney cannot adequately represent a client over the connection, or when the judge decides on a hearing-by-hearing basis that having you physically present would materially help resolve the matter.²

The court can also pull everyone into the courtroom mid-hearing. If audio drops or video freezes during a remote proceeding, the judge may continue the matter and order in-person appearances next time.³ A spotty connection does not just inconvenience you; it can cost you the ability to appear remotely at all.

Connecting on the Day

Once your request is accepted, the court sends connection instructions, usually through a minute order, an email from the clerk’s office, or a posting on the court’s website. The platform depends on the department. Many courts use Zoom or Microsoft Teams for video, and others route audio-only appearances through a dedicated telephonic service provider.⁷

Test your connection well before the hearing, not five minutes before. Join 10 to 15 minutes early. Use a wired internet connection where possible instead of Wi-Fi. Keep your device plugged in. Have a backup number to call in on audio-only if video fails.

Treat the hearing as you would an in-person one. Appear from a quiet, private location. Dress for court. Identify yourself before speaking, and keep your microphone muted when you are not addressing the judge. Background noise and visible distractions give the judge a reason to question whether the technology is working well enough, which loops back to the grounds for ordering in-person appearances.

A Note on Criminal Cases

Everything above applies to civil cases. If your case is criminal, a separate framework under Penal Code section 977 governs remote appearances, and the rules depend on the severity of the charge. Misdemeanor defendants can generally appear remotely for all proceedings except trial. Felony defendants can appear remotely for most pre-trial proceedings, but trial and sentencing require physical presence unless the court allows a limited waiver for non-testimonial portions of a felony trial. Infractions, including traffic matters, follow Penal Code section 1428.5 and generally allow remote appearances. Check with the clerk or your attorney about the specific procedures and forms for your case; they are not the same as the civil process described here.

1
California Courts. Notice of Remote Appearance (RA-010)
2
California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure 367.75
3
Judicial Branch of California. California Rules of Court Rule 3.672 – Remote Proceedings
4
Judicial Branch of California. RA-010 Notice of Remote Appearance
5
Judicial Council of California. Frequently Asked Questions Remote Civil Proceedings
6
California Legislative Information. California Government Code 70630
7
California Courts | Self Help Guide. Remote Court Hearings