Fed. R. Civ. P. 33 — Interrogatories to Parties
Last verified: May 19, 2026 · U.S. Courts — FRCP.
Plain English
Interrogatories are written questions one party serves on another, answered in writing under oath. Rule 33 caps them at 25 per party — including discrete subparts — unless the court or a stipulation allows more. That limit is the single most-litigated feature of the rule. Answers are due in 30 days, and you either answer or object with specificity; boilerplate objections are disfavored.
Key Cases & Authority
- In re Convergent Technologies Securities Litigation, 108 F.R.D. 328 (N.D. Cal. 1985) — Leading authority on counting discrete subparts toward the 25-interrogatory limit.
- Sabol v. Brooks, 469 F. Supp. 2d 324 (D. Md. 2006) — Applies the “related-question” test for whether subparts count separately.
- 2015 Proportionality Amendment — Rule 33 interrogatory scope is now tied to Rule 26(b)(1) proportionality.
Florida Parallel
Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.340 — Florida limits interrogatories to 30 (vs. federal 25) and has its own form-interrogatory practice.
About this rule walkthrough
Part of The Federal Rule Book, hosted by John M. Phillips — Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer, Court TV analyst, admitted in 8 states + 9 federal districts + SCOTUS.
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Educational only — not legal advice.
Rule Text (verbatim from the Florida Supreme Court)
(a)(1) Unless otherwise stipulated or ordered by the court, a party may serve on any other party no more than 25 written interrogatories, including all discrete subparts.
(b) Each interrogatory must, to the extent it is not objected to, be answered separately and fully in writing under oath. Answers are due within 30 days. Grounds for objecting must be stated with specificity.
(d) Option to produce business records: if the answer may be determined by examining a party’s business records and the burden of deriving the answer is substantially the same for either party, the responding party may produce the records.
Educational reference. This page summarizes a Federal Rule of Civil Procedure for educational purposes. It is not legal advice. Federal procedural rules can change — always verify the current text at uscourts.gov before relying on this summary in any case.
What this rule means in plain English
Interrogatories are written questions answered under oath. Rule 33 caps them at 25 per party including discrete subparts. Answers due in 30 days. The subpart-counting fight is the most-litigated feature of the rule.