Federal Civil Appeal Deadline (FRAP 4)
30- or 60-day deadline to file a notice of appeal after federal judgment.
These calculators are for informational purposes only and do not constitute legal, financial, or professional advice.
How the Federal Civil Appeal Deadline (FRAP 4) works
The Federal Civil Appeal Deadline calculator applies Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 4(a), which sets the deadline to file a notice of appeal after a federal district court enters judgment: 30 calendar days in an ordinary civil case, extended to 60 days when the United States, a US agency, or a US officer sued in an official capacity is a party.
The clock starts when judgment is entered on the district court's docket, and — unlike some of the other deadlines this site tracks — is adjusted under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 6(a) when the raw deadline lands on a weekend or legal holiday, rolling forward to the next business day. This calculator applies that weekend roll-forward, though it does not have visibility into federal court holiday closures beyond weekends, so always confirm against the actual court calendar near the deadline.
This deadline is treated as jurisdictional in federal practice — courts generally have no discretion to excuse a late notice of appeal absent a very narrow set of exceptions (such as a timely motion to reopen the appeal period under specific, limited circumstances). Certain post-trial motions, like a motion for a new trial or to alter the judgment, can toll or reset this deadline entirely, which is not reflected in this simple calculation.
Worked example
Judgment is entered on a Friday, October 2, in an ordinary civil case with no government party. Thirty calendar days lands on Sunday, November 1 — which Rule 6(a) rolls forward to Monday, November 2, the actual filing deadline. Had the United States been a party, the 60-day count would instead land on Friday, December 1, a weekday requiring no adjustment.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the deadline double to 60 days sometimes?
Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 4(a)(1)(B) extends the ordinary 30-day appeal window to 60 days in any civil case where the United States, one of its agencies, or a US officer or employee sued in an official capacity is a party — recognizing that government litigation often involves additional layers of internal review before an appeal decision is made.
Does filing a post-trial motion change this deadline?
Yes, often significantly — certain motions, like a motion for judgment as a matter of law, a new trial, or to alter or amend the judgment, filed within the time set by the applicable rule, reset the appeal clock to run from the ruling on that motion rather than the original judgment. This calculator does not account for that; if any post-trial motion was filed, the 30/60-day count from the original judgment is very likely not your real deadline.
Is this legal advice?
No — this is general information based on FRAP 4(a) and FRCP 6(a), not legal advice, and the appeal deadline is one of the least forgiving in federal practice — courts routinely dismiss appeals filed even a single day late. Confirm the exact deadline with the docket and an appellate attorney immediately after judgment, well before relying on any calculated date.