If a California court has asked you for a declaration and you are holding form MC-030, the job is easy to describe and easy to get wrong: you put the facts of what you saw or did in writing, then sign and date the page under penalty of perjury. This article shows a complete, clearly fictional MC-030 declaration example, then walks through each part of the form, what belongs in the statement, and what to do when one page is not enough. The sample uses invented names, addresses, and a case number so you can see the shape of the document without mistaking it for a real filing.
What MC-030 is
MC-030, titled Declaration, is a Judicial Council of California form approved for optional use. The current edition on the official PDF is revision January 1, 2006, and the California Courts Self-Help Guide describes it as a statement in writing that you swear under penalty of perjury is true, made to a court.
Two cautions come directly from that "optional" label. First, some situations require a different case-specific form, so MC-030 does not substitute for a petition, response, or other required filing. Second, whether a written declaration can stand in place of live testimony depends on the type of proceeding and the instructions that apply to your case. The self-help guidance for family law request-for-order hearings, for example, explains how witnesses can provide signed declarations and also notes when a person may instead testify in court.
The form itself is a single page with three parts: a caption, the statement, and a signature block.
How to fill out a declaration form: MC-030, part by part
The printed instructions on MC-030 are brief because the page is mostly open space. Most of the guidance you actually need comes from your own case papers. Here is what each part of the form asks for, using the exact labels printed on the current PDF.
The caption: who and where
- FOR COURT USE ONLY. Leave this box empty.
- ATTORNEY OR PARTY WITHOUT ATTORNEY (Name, State Bar number, and address). If you do not have a lawyer, write your own name and address here. The state's general form-filling guidance says that a person without a lawyer writes their name, address, and phone number and puts "Self-represented" on the Attorney for line.
- TELEPHONE NO., FAX NO. (Optional), E-MAIL ADDRESS (Optional). The form itself marks fax and email as optional.
- ATTORNEY FOR (Name). Blank or "Self-represented" if you are filing on your own behalf.
- SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF, plus STREET ADDRESS, MAILING ADDRESS, CITY AND ZIP CODE, and BRANCH NAME. Copy these from your existing case documents rather than guessing.
- PLAINTIFF/PETITIONER, DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT, and CASE NUMBER. Use the party names and case number exactly as they appear on your other case papers. If you do not have a case number yet, the clerk assigns one when you file, and you use it on everything filed afterward.
- Near the top of the form there are also boxes for your role: plaintiff, defendant, petitioner, respondent, attorney for a party, or other.
The body: the statement itself
The blank form does not print a fixed paragraph format. The middle of the page is open space for your statement, and how you organize it is a writing choice. A structure that court guides demonstrate, and that reads well to a judge, looks like this: a short first paragraph stating who you are and that you have personal knowledge of the facts, followed by numbered paragraphs with one fact or one closely related group of facts per paragraph, each carrying its own date. The declaration-writing guide published by the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara shows this pattern.
The signature block
The bottom of the form prints one exact sentence, and it stays word for word:
I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California that the foregoing is true and correct.
Below the sentence are three lines: Date, (TYPE OR PRINT NAME), and (SIGNATURE OF DECLARANT). Typing your name does not complete the signature line; the form keeps the printed name and the signature separate. Whether your court wants a handwritten signature on paper or follows electronic-signature rules for e-filing, that is controlled by the court's instructions, not by the form.
A fictional worked example
Everything in this example is invented: the parties, the address, the branch, the case number, the dates, and the facts. It exists to show the structure described above, filled in end to end.
Caption (fictional data):
ATTORNEY OR PARTY WITHOUT ATTORNEY: Jane Sample, 123 Alder Street, Apt. 4, Fairfield, CA 94533. Telephone No.: (707) 555-0142. Attorney for: Self-represented. >SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SOLANO. Street address: 1000 Example Avenue. City and ZIP code: Fairfield, CA 94533. Branch name: Example Branch. (The street address and branch name are invented; copy yours from your own case papers.) >Plaintiff/Petitioner: Jane Sample. Defendant/Respondent: Doe Storage Co. Case number: 25CV0001.
Statement (fictional data):
- I am the plaintiff in this case. The facts stated below come from my own knowledge, and I could testify to them in court.
- On March 3, 2026, I rented storage unit 214 at Doe Storage Co. in Fairfield, and I kept the only key and the only access code for that unit.
- On June 12, 2026, I visited the unit and found the door latch bent and a padlock on the door that I had never purchased.
- On June 12, 2026, I photographed the latch and the padlock with my phone. Before that date, I had not given anyone permission to change the lock or open the unit.
Signature block (fictional data):
I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California that the foregoing is true and correct. >Date: July 6, 2026 >Jane Sample (type or print name) >(Signature of declarant: the real declarant signs here personally.)
Three points about this sample. First, only Jane signs her own declaration; a witness or another party would complete and sign their own separate statement. Second, the first numbered paragraph and the one-fact-per-paragraph numbering are an organizing approach shown in court guides, not fields printed on the blank form. Third, a sample like this, or any template, is not a guarantee that a court will accept your declaration in a particular proceeding; the instructions for your case control.
Writing craft: what belongs in a declaration
A declaration earns its place in the file when it sticks to what the declarant can honestly state.
- Facts you personally saw or did. If you know something because someone told you, say where it came from instead of writing it as something you watched.
- Documents, not descriptions of documents. When a photograph, receipt, or record supports a fact, refer to it in the text and follow your case's instructions for attaching or listing exhibits. The state's self-help guidance for family law hearings describes listing attached documents on a cover sheet for the hearing and blacking out private information such as Social Security numbers before filing.
- Plain sentences with specifics. Dates, places, amounts, and unit or file numbers turn a vague claim into a checkable statement.
- No arguments and no legal conclusions. Words like "negligent" or "breached the contract" are conclusions the judge reaches. Your declaration supplies the observed facts; it does not argue the case.
| Weak (opinion or conclusion) | Stronger (observed fact) |
|---|---|
| I believe the neighbor damaged the fence. | On March 3, 2026, I observed the rear fence section leaning and split at the shared property line. |
The first sentence reports a belief. The second reports what you saw, when, and where, which is the kind of statement a declaration is built for.
When you run out of space
MC-030 is one page, and the official PDF footer prints "Page 1 of 1." The form has no continuation page of its own, so check two things before adding material: the instructions for the filing your declaration supports, and your court's local rules.
Two related Judicial Council forms exist for extra material, and they are not interchangeable:
- MC-031, Attached Declaration, provides more space for a signed factual declaration and, per its official description, is always attached to another form or court paper before it is filed.
- MC-025, Attachment to Judicial Council Form, is a general attachment used with a Judicial Council form.
Which one fits depends on the main document and the applicable instructions, not on personal preference. Do not staple extra sheets to a declaration without checking. If your situation calls for a filled MC-031, Fylune also offers an MC-031 attached declaration tool.
Not the same form: MC-031
MC-031 looks similar and serves a different job. It is an attached declaration: extra space for a factual statement made under penalty of perjury that must accompany another form or court paper, and it is not filed alone. MC-030 is a standalone declaration with its own caption, contact fields, and signature block. If your statement belongs inside another filing, let your case instructions decide which form to use.
Fill and export MC-030 with Fylune
Once your facts are written, the mechanical part is filling the official PDF. Fylune's MC-030 declaration tool opens the current official blank form in a browser editor: you fill the fields, review the page, download the PDF, and sign according to your court's rules. Manual filling is free and needs no account. A free download includes a watermark; removing it requires Premium or a purchase for that document, and the blank form itself always remains free from the court. If you use the AI assistance, review every entry it fills, because AI can make mistakes and does not sign for you.
Two boundaries worth stating plainly: Fylune is not affiliated with or endorsed by the California courts, and it does not file or serve documents. Downloading a completed PDF is not filing, and signing is still yours to do.
FAQ
Does an MC-030 declaration need to be notarized? No. The form carries its own printed penalty-of-perjury statement, and it contains no notary block. The California Courts Self-Help Guide even shows that a statement written on plain paper works as a declaration when the signer writes that same penalty sentence right before signing. Signature format, whether handwritten or electronic, follows your court's rules.
Can I attach exhibits to MC-030? Follow the instructions for your specific case. The self-help guidance for family law request-for-order hearings describes attaching documents for the hearing, listing each one on a cover sheet, and blacking out private information such as Social Security numbers. In the text of your declaration, refer to each exhibit so the judge can connect it to a specific fact.
Who signs their own declaration? The declarant, meaning the person making the statement, signs it. A witness can complete their own MC-030 for what they personally know. You cannot sign on someone else's behalf, and typing another person's name does not complete their signature line.
Ready to prepare yours? Fill MC-030 with Fylune's free editor, then review the page, download the PDF, and sign according to your court's rules.
Sources
- Declaration (MC-030), California Courts Self-Help Guide
- MC-030 Declaration, official Judicial Council of California PDF (Rev. January 1, 2006)
- Guide to court forms, California Courts Self-Help Guide
- Submit documents for your family law hearing, California Courts Self-Help Guide
- Attached Declaration (MC-031), California Courts Self-Help Guide
- Attachment to Judicial Council Form (MC-025), California Courts Self-Help Guide
- How to write a declaration, Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara
This article gives general form-filling information, not legal advice, and the worked example is fictional. It does not predict how any court will rule. Fylune helps you fill and export supported forms; it is not a government agency and does not submit forms on your behalf.