What format do California deposition transcripts have to follow?

The statewide Minimum Transcript Format Standards, 16 CCR § 2473: at least 25 lines per page, a full text line of at least 56 characters (52 if timestamped), Q and A symbols within the first 8 spaces, text beginning no more than 10 spaces from the left margin, colloquy beginning no more than 10 spaces in, and multi-line parentheticals of at least 35 characters per line. The Court Reporters Board's own guidance says these standards apply to depositions unless the venue court has adopted its own format — and that they apply even to depositions in federal cases, because the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure set no deposition format.

Does California bill transcripts by the page?

No — official reporter transcript fees are set per 100 words (a folio), under Government Code § 69950. Unlike Michigan, where the statute defines the billable page's exact geometry, California's page-format rules exist for readability and professional discipline, not fee computation. Freelance deposition rates are set by the market.

What happens if a California reporter ignores the format standards?

16 CCR § 2473(b) states that failure to comply with the minimum standards constitutes grounds for disciplinary action against the reporter's license.

Stenobox Guides · California · Page format

How Many Lines Per Page Is a California Court Transcript? The 28‑Line Page Is a Los Angeles Rule — the Statewide Minimum Is 25

Q: How many lines per page is a California court transcript?

It depends on whose rule applies. The statewide minimum — 16 CCR § 2473, the Court Reporters Board's Minimum Transcript Format Standards — requires no fewer than 25 typed text lines per page. The famous 28-line page is Los Angeles Superior Court's own format manual, which supersedes the statewide standards for reporters working in that court. There is no statewide 28-line rule.

Published July 19, 2026 · Sources: 16 CCR § 2473 (as amended eff. Jan. 1, 2025), Cal. Rules of Court rule 8.144, the Los Angeles Superior Court Master Format Manual (Apr. 2023), and Gov. Code §§ 69950 & 69954 — quoted directly

Quick answer: Ask around and you'll hear that "California transcripts are 28 lines per page." That number is real — but it's Los Angeles Superior Court's own format manual, not state law. The statewide rule that governs every licensed reporter, including deposition work, is the Court Reporters Board's Minimum Transcript Format Standards, 16 CCR § 2473: no fewer than 25 lines per page and a full text line of at least 56 characters, with indent rules to match — and non-compliance is expressly "grounds for disciplinary action." One more thing that surprises reporters from page-rate states: California pays official transcript fees per 100 words, not per page, so there is no statutory billing page at all.

California has three rulebooks, not one

There is no single California transcript page. Three sets of rules coexist, and they answer to different situations:

Rulebook	Authority	When it governs
Minimum Transcript Format Standards (25-line / 56-character floor)	16 CCR § 2473 — Court Reporters Board regulation, amended effective Jan. 1, 2025	Every transcript a licensed CSR produces in a legal proceeding — this is the deposition rule — unless the court involved has adopted its own format
Form of the appellate record	Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.144	Reporter's transcripts filed as the record on appeal
Individual courts' own formats (this is where 28 lines lives)	e.g., Los Angeles Superior Court's Master Format Manual	Official and pro tem reporters working in that court — § 2473(a) says a court-adopted format supersedes the statewide standards

The statewide rule: 16 CCR § 2473

The Board's regulation reads like a checklist, and it's short enough to quote the parts that decide a page's shape:

"(1) No fewer than 25 typed text lines per page; (2) A full line of text shall be no less than 56 characters unless timestamping is used, in which case no fewer than 52 characters shall be used on a full line of text; … (4) Left-hand margin is defined as the first character of a line of text; (5) Each question and answer is to begin on a separate line; (6) Text is to begin no more than 10 spaces from the left margin. 'Q' and 'A' Symbols shall appear within the first 8 spaces from the left-hand margin; (7) Carry-over 'Q' and 'A' lines to begin at the left-hand margin; (8) Colloquy and paragraphed material to begin no more than 10 spaces from the left-hand margin with carry-over colloquy to the left-hand margin; (9) Quoted material to begin no more than 14 spaces from the left-hand margin with carry-over lines to begin no more than 10 spaces from the left-hand margin; (10) Parenthetical and exhibit markings of two lines or more shall be no less than 35 characters per line; and (11) In colloquy, text shall begin no more than two spaces after the colon following speaker 'ID.'" 16 CCR § 2473(a), Minimum Transcript Format Standards (Court Reporters Board of California)

And the enforcement clause, in full:

"(b) Failure to comply with these minimum standards, as noted above, constitutes grounds for disciplinary action." 16 CCR § 2473(b)

Two details worth noticing. First, the regulation defines the left margin relationally — "the first character of a line of text" — and never gives an inch measurement. In fact, § 2473 specifies no font, no characters-per-inch, no inch margins, no page size, no line spacing, and no page-number placement. Those all come from practice and court manuals, not the statewide rule. Second, the Board's own guidance published with the standards answers the deposition question directly: use the statewide standards for depositions unless the venue court has its own format — and yes, that includes depositions in federal cases, because the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure set no deposition transcript format.

The 28-line page: Los Angeles Superior Court policy

The Los Angeles Superior Court publishes a Master Format Manual for court reporter transcripts (the current revision is April 2023), and that is where the famous number lives. Its page-layout section specifies, among other things: page size 8½ × 11; pitch 9 or 10; "Characters per line: 56, inside the box"; preferred font Courier New; double spacing; "Lines per page: 28; line numbers located on left-hand side of the page, outside the box"; a standard ruled box around the text; margins of at least 1¼" left, 1" top, ½" right, and 1" bottom; tabs at 7 and 14 spaces; ALL CAPS print; no periods after Q or A; and a page number in the upper right corner of every page, including the cover, indexes, and certificate.

That's a real, detailed, binding format — for reporters working in that court. It is not a statewide rule, and a deposition reporter in Sacramento or a hearing reporter in a court with no adopted format is answering to § 2473's 25-line minimum instead. Other counties publish their own guidelines too (San Diego and Orange County among them), which likewise supersede the statewide standards for their own reporters — the practical rule is simply: your court's manual first; § 2473 everywhere else.

What the appellate rule adds (and doesn't)

California Rules of Court, rule 8.144 governs the form of the record on appeal. For the reporter's transcript it requires 8½ × 11 paper, a left margin of "at least 1¼ inches," and consecutively numbered lines "double-spaced or one-and-a-half-spaced; double-spaced means three lines to a vertical inch." Notably, rule 8.144 contains no lines-per-page count, no characters-per-line figure, no type size, and no font requirement for the reporter's transcript. The geometry constraint is indirect: three lines to a vertical inch on an 11-inch page.

The billing twist: California pays per 100 words, not per page

In Michigan, the page format matters because the statute makes the page itself the billing unit. California works differently: official reporters' transcription fees are set by Government Code § 69950 per 100 words — the unit courts and claim forms call a folio — with § 69954 extending the same rates to transcripts delivered on electronic media. Squeezing or stretching the page geometry doesn't change a California statutory bill by a cent. The format rules exist for readability and professional discipline, not fee computation. (Those fee statutes govern official court reporters; freelance deposition rates are set by the market.)

What this means for a working reporter

Depositions anywhere in California: the § 2473 minimums govern — 25+ lines, 56+ characters per full line, Q/A within the first 8 spaces, colloquy no deeper than 10 spaces, multi-line parentheticals at 35+ characters per line.
Official or pro tem work in a court with its own manual (Los Angeles being the famous example): the court's format supersedes, and in L.A. that means the 28-line boxed page, ALL CAPS, and no periods after Q and A.
Appeal-bound transcripts: rule 8.144's paper, margin, and line-numbering requirements sit on top.
Billing: the folio, not the page, is the statutory unit for official work — a different world from page-rate states, and worth knowing before quoting rates across state lines.

Primary sources

16 CCR § 2473 — Minimum Transcript Format Standards (Court Reporters Board of California PDF, including the Board's FAQ on depositions and federal cases; amended effective Jan. 1, 2025)
Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.144 — form of the record on appeal
Los Angeles Superior Court, Master Format Manual for Court Reporters' Transcripts (rev. Apr. 2023) — the 28-line page
Gov. Code § 69950 and § 69954 — transcript fees per 100 words

Common questions

Is the 28-line transcript page required in California?

Only where a court has adopted it — most famously Los Angeles Superior Court, whose Master Format Manual specifies 28 lines with the numbers outside a ruled box. Statewide, the minimum is 25 lines under 16 CCR § 2473.

What format governs a California deposition transcript?

The statewide Minimum Transcript Format Standards (16 CCR § 2473) — including for depositions taken in federal cases, per the Board's own guidance, because the FRCP sets no deposition format.

Does § 2473 require Courier, specific margins, or a page size?

No. It specifies lines, characters, and indents — but no font, no characters-per-inch, no inch margins, and no page size. Those come from court manuals (where adopted) and professional practice.

Is there a statutory billing page in California like Michigan's?

No. Official transcript fees are computed per 100 words (Gov. Code § 69950), so page geometry doesn't move a statutory bill. That is the opposite of Michigan, where MCL 600.2510 defines the exact page that is "counted, billed, and paid."

This guide reports regulations, court rules, and published court policies for general information. It is not legal advice; how these provisions apply to any particular reporter's work is a question for a California attorney.

Formatting, handled: Stenobox turns court and deposition audio into a court-formatted draft — Q&A designations, speaker labels, dates and numbers by the book — with every doubtful word flagged and linked to its moment in the audio, so you verify instead of rebuild. See how it works or start a free trial.

Try Stenobox free