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California Eviction Notice

A California eviction notice gives the tenant 3 days to pay rent or quit for nonpayment — a period that excludes Saturdays, Sundays and judicial holidays (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 1161(2)). Ending a tenancy without cause takes 30 days' notice if the tenant has lived there under one year, 60 days otherwise (Cal. Civ. Code § 1946.1). This free template builds the notice with the deadline computed from your service date.

A California eviction notice for landlords: the 3-day notice to pay rent or quit for nonpayment, the 3-day notice to perform covenant or quit for a lease violation, and the 30 or 60-day notice to end a tenancy without cause — each with the exact statutory deadline calculated from your service date.

Deadlines verified September 19, 2026 against leginfo.legislature.ca.gov. New York is also covered from the home page.

Read this before serving: this template is not legal advice and does not replace an attorney. Deadlines and service rules vary, and cities can add their own rules (rent control, just-cause ordinances). A notice served with the wrong period or the wrong form can get the case dismissed and cost months. Have a local attorney review your notice before serving it.

1Build your California notice

State of the rental property

Reason for the notice

Date you will serve the notice

2The California deadlines, notice by notice

Every deadline below was read in the official California statute text on September 19, 2026. The notice type available in the tool depends on the reason:

3-Day Notice to Pay Rent or Quit — Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 1161(2).
3-Day Notice to Perform Covenant or Quit — Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 1161(3).
30-Day Notice of Termination (tenancy under 1 year) — Cal. Civ. Code § 1946.1(c).
60-Day Notice of Termination (tenancy of 1 year or more) — Cal. Civ. Code § 1946.1(b).

3How the California notice period is counted

The 3-day notices count court days only: Saturdays, Sundays and judicial holidays are excluded (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 1161(2)-(3)). A notice served on a Friday therefore runs well past three calendar days — check the court holiday calendar before serving.
The 30-day and 60-day termination notices count calendar days from service (Cal. Civ. Code § 1946.1(b)-(c)).
All periods run from delivery of the notice to the tenant, not from the date written on it — keep dated proof of service.

4Mistakes that get a California eviction notice thrown out

Counting the 3 days as calendar days. Weekends and judicial holidays do not count toward a California 3-day notice; serving on a Friday can push the real deadline to the following week.
Using 30 days for a long-term tenant. California requires 60 days when the tenant has resided one year or more (§ 1946.1(b)); a 30-day notice to a two-year tenant fails.
Using a generic free form. An unlawful detainer notice must match the statutory scheme; a generic letter with the wrong structure or wording gets the case dismissed and the landlord starts over.
Ignoring city rules. California cities can add rent control and just-cause requirements on top of state law — a state-correct notice can still fail locally. Have a local attorney review before serving.

Questions landlords ask about California

How many days does a California eviction notice give for unpaid rent?

Three days. The notice must demand payment or possession within 3 days after service, and those 3 days exclude Saturdays, Sundays and judicial holidays — so a notice served on a Friday runs well past three calendar days (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 1161(2)). Check the court holiday calendar before serving.

How much notice does a California landlord give to end a tenancy without cause?

30 days if the tenant has resided less than one year, 60 days if one year or more (Cal. Civ. Code § 1946.1(b)-(c)). The tenant's notice must allow at least as long as the rental period. Local rent-control or just-cause ordinances can add requirements on top of these state periods.

What eviction notice is used for a lease violation in California?

A 3-Day Notice to Perform Covenant or Quit: the tenant has 3 days to remedy the violation or leave (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 1161(3)). The same weekend and judicial-holiday exclusions apply as for the nonpayment notice. This template covers the curable-violation notice; it does not draft notices under § 1161(4).

Do California's 3 days include weekends?

No. Saturdays, Sundays and judicial holidays do not count toward the 3-day period of a California unlawful detainer notice (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 1161(2)-(3)). Only court days count, which is why a notice served before a holiday weekend extends the real deadline.

Can a tenant stay in the property after a California eviction notice expires?

Yes. The notice is the required first step, not the eviction. If the tenant does not pay, cure or leave by the deadline, the landlord must file an unlawful detainer action and obtain a court judgment before recovering possession. Lockouts and self-help removal are unlawful.

Is this California eviction notice template really free?

Yes — no account, no credit card, no trial. The document is built in your browser and nothing you type is stored or sent. The optional email field only notifies you when another state is verified; it never receives the contents of your notice.

Neighboring states

Oregon, Nevada and Arizona are in the state selector, but their eviction notice requirements are not yet verified against an official source, so no notice is offered for them — an out-of-state notice fails in court. Verified notices for other states:

Every deadline for these states was read in the official statute text on September 19, 2026. For all other states, the state-by-state requirements table shows what is verified — and what is not.

This tool is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. California deadlines verified September 19, 2026 against leginfo.legislature.ca.gov. Not a substitute for a licensed California attorney.