California Rules of Court,  Rule 8.1115. Citation to Unpublished Opinions.

(a) Unpublished opinion. Except as provided in (b), an opinion of a California Court of Appeal or superior court appellate division that is not certified for publication or ordered published must not be cited or relied on by a court or a party in any other action.

(b) Exceptions. An unpublished opinion may be cited or relied on:

(1) When the opinion is relevant under the doctrines of law of the case, res judicata, or collateral estoppel; or

(2) When the opinion is relevant to a criminal or disciplinary action because it states reasons for a decision affecting the same defendant or respondent in another such action.

(Subd (b) amended effective January 1, 2007.)

(c) Citation procedure. A copy of an opinion citable under (b) or of a cited opinion of any court that is available only in a computer-based source of decisional law must be furnished to the court and all parties by attaching it to the document in which it is cited or, if the citation will be made orally, by letter within a reasonable time in advance of citation.

(d) When a published opinion may be cited. A published California opinion may be cited or relied on as soon as it is certified for publication or ordered published.

Rule 8.1115 amended and renumbered effective January 1, 2007; repealed and adopted as rule 977 effective January 1, 2005.