FL-117 is the Notice and Acknowledgment of Receipt, a Judicial Council of California family law form that accompanies court papers served by mail. The sender fills in items 1 through 4 and signs before mailing; the person served completes items 5 and 6, signs and returns it. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF. The official PDF is published by the Judicial Council of California at courts.ca.gov.
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What is FL-117?
Notice and Acknowledgment of Receipt (FL-117) is a Judicial Council of California family law form that is mailed to a person together with court papers; by signing and returning it, that person acknowledges receiving the documents listed on it.
The California courts' self-help page describes it as the way to tell the court that your spouse or domestic partner agreed to, and received, by mail the legal papers that start your case. The form is approved for optional use and cites Code of Civil Procedure sections 415.30 and 417.10.
The form has two halves. The sender completes items 1 through 4 (the name of the person served, the date of mailing, the sender's name and signature, and the list of documents sent) before mailing. The recipient completes items 5 and 6 (the date signed, and a printed name and signature) and returns it.
Item 4 lists the document sets that can be served with it: the Family Law petition, summons and blank response (FL-100, FL-110, FL-120); the Uniform Parentage set (FL-200, FL-210, FL-220); the Custody and Support set (FL-260, FL-210, FL-270); and, under item 4d, declarations, financial forms, a Request for Order (FL-300) with a blank Responsive Declaration (FL-320), or other documents the sender specifies.
The form states that it is not an answer to the action. A Spanish version is available from the California courts' self-help site.
Who needs to file FL-117?
The main group is the person who is serving family law papers by mail in a California superior court case: the sender completes items 1 through 4 and signs item 3 before mailing. The sender must not be a party in the case and must be 18 years or older.
The second group is the person being served. That person completes items 5 and 6, signing personally, or a person authorized by the recipient signs for them, and returns the form to the sender.
The form is used when the documents are served by mail together with the acknowledgment. It lists the papers that may be sent with it, including petitions, summonses and blank responses in marriage or domestic partnership, parentage and custody and support cases, and a Request for Order (FL-300) with a blank Responsive Declaration (FL-320).
The form is not a response to the case. If the recipient does not agree with what is requested, the notice on the form says a completed Response form must be submitted to the court within 30 calendar days.
When to file FL-117
The sender completes and signs FL-117 before mailing the documents, and enters the date of mailing in item 2. If the documents include a summons, the recipient must complete and return the acknowledgment to the sender within 20 days of the date of mailing. After that date, the recipient is liable for the reasonable expenses of serving or trying to serve the documents by other methods permitted by law.
When the recipient returns the form, service of a summons is deemed complete on the date the recipient signs the acknowledgment (item 5). The form is separate from the Response deadline: a recipient who disagrees with what is requested must submit a completed Response form to the court within 30 calendar days. The form prints no other deadline.
Documents you need
- The documents being served, as listed in item 4 and enclosed with the form; the recipient acknowledges receiving the documents the sender checks there.
- Family Law set, item 4a: Petition—Marriage/Domestic Partnership (FL-100), Summons (FL-110) and a blank Response—Marriage/Domestic Partnership (FL-120).
- Uniform Parentage set, item 4b: Petition to Determine Parental Relationship (FL-200), Summons (FL-210) and a blank Response to Petition to Determine Parental Relationship (FL-220).
- Custody and Support set, item 4c: Petition for Custody and Support of Minor Children (FL-260), Summons (FL-210) and a blank Response to Petition for Custody and Support of Minor Children (FL-270).
- Item 4d (1) and (2): completed and blank UCCJEA Declaration (FL-105) and Declaration of Disclosure (FL-140), when those are being served.
- Item 4d (3) to (6): completed and blank Schedule of Assets and Debts (FL-142), Income and Expense Declaration (FL-150), Financial Statement (Simplified) (FL-155) and Property Declaration (FL-160), when those are being served.
- Item 4d (7): Request for Order (FL-300) and a blank Responsive Declaration to Request for Order (FL-320), when those are being served.
- Item 4d (8): any other document the sender specifies on the Other line.
How to fill out FL-117
Enter your contact details at the top
In the box at the top left, enter the party or attorney name, State Bar number, firm name, address, telephone, fax, e-mail and the party you are attorney for, as the form asks. Leave the area marked For Court Use Only blank.
Identify the superior court
Enter the county of the Superior Court of California and its street address, mailing address, city and ZIP code, and branch name where the case is filed.
Enter the parties and case number
Write the Petitioner and Respondent names and the Case Number in the boxes in the caption.
Name the person being served in item 1
In item 1, To (name of individual being served), enter the name of the person who will receive the documents by mail.
Enter the date of mailing in item 2
In item 2, specify the date you will mail the documents. If a summons is included, the recipient's 20-day return period runs from this date.
Complete the sender's name and signature
In item 3, type or print the sender's name and sign. The sender must not be a party in the case and must be 18 years or older.
Check the documents in item 4
Under item 4, check each document set being served: 4a Family Law, 4b Uniform Parentage, 4c Custody and Support, and any of the 4d items. If you check 4d(8) Other, specify the document.
Leave items 5 and 6 for the recipient
The recipient enters the date signed in item 5 and, in item 6, prints a name and signs. The recipient returns the form to the sender.
Review and download the completed PDF
Check that items 1 through 4 are complete and item 3 is signed. Download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and mail it with the documents described under How to submit.
How to submit FL-117
FL-117 travels by mail: the sender mails it with the documents being served, and the recipient signs it and returns it to the sender.
- Sender to recipient: complete items 1 through 4, sign item 3, and mail the form with the documents listed in item 4 to the person named in item 1.
- Recipient to sender: complete items 5 and 6, sign, and return the form to the sender. If a summons is included, return it within 20 days of the date of mailing.
The form prints no mailing address, court filing address or portal, and names no other channel. For the Response that a recipient must submit to the court within 30 calendar days, use the court where the case is pending. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Having a party in the case sign item 3 as sender, or someone under 18; the form requires a sender who is not a party and is 18 years or older.
- Mailing the form without the sender completing items 1 through 4 and signing item 3 first.
- Leaving the date of mailing in item 2 blank, which is the date the 20-day return period is counted from.
- Recipient not returning the form within 20 days of mailing when a summons is included, which can make the recipient liable for the reasonable expenses of other service.
- Treating the acknowledgment as the recipient's answer; the form says it is not an answer to the action.
- Recipient missing the 30-calendar-day deadline to submit a completed Response form to the court when they disagree with what is requested.
- Checking an item 4 box for papers that were not actually enclosed with the mailing, or omitting a document that was.
- Writing a document on the Other line (4d(8)) without specifying what it is.
- Recipient signing item 6 without entering the date in item 5, or the sender completing items 5 and 6.
Frequently asked questions
What is form FL-117 used for?
FL-117 is the Notice and Acknowledgment of Receipt from the Judicial Council of California. It is mailed with family law court papers so the person served can acknowledge receiving them. The courts' self-help page describes it as telling the court your spouse or domestic partner agreed to and received the papers by mail.
Who can sign item 3 as the sender on FL-117?
The sender signing item 3 must not be a party in the case and must be 18 years or older. The form prints this requirement beside the sender's signature line, so the person who files the case cannot be the one who mails and signs.
How long does the recipient have to return FL-117?
If the documents include a summons, the recipient must return the signed acknowledgment within 20 days of the date of mailing. After that, the recipient is liable for the reasonable expenses of serving the documents by other methods the law permits.
When is service complete if the recipient returns FL-117?
Service of a summons is deemed complete on the date the recipient signs the acknowledgment of receipt (item 5), once the recipient returns the form to the sender. The date the recipient signs, not the date of mailing, controls.
Is signing FL-117 the same as responding to the case?
No. The form states it is not an answer to the action. A recipient who does not agree with what is requested must submit a completed Response form to the court within 30 calendar days.
Which documents can I serve with FL-117?
Item 4 lists the Family Law, Uniform Parentage and Custody and Support petition, summons and blank response sets, several declarations and financial forms, a Request for Order (FL-300) with a blank FL-320, and an Other line for additional documents you specify.
Can I fill out FL-117 online?
Yes. You can fill out the FL-117 PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service and does not mail, serve or file the form; service follows the mailing process the form describes.
Is there a Spanish version of FL-117?
Yes. The California courts' self-help site offers form FL-117 in Spanish. The English form on this page is the Judicial Council revision dated January 1, 2021.
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