Rule 7.Pleadings Allowed; Form of Motions and Other Papers

Last amended December 1, 2007 · Last verified June 30, 2026

In one sentenceRule 7 lists the only pleadings allowed in federal court — a complaint, the answers to claims, and a reply to an answer if the court orders one — and sets the basic form for motions, which must be in writing and state the relief sought and the grounds.

Full Text of Rule 7

Text sizeJump to: (a) (b)

(a) Pleadings. Only these pleadings are allowed:

(1) a complaint;

(2) an answer to a complaint;

(3) an answer to a counterclaim designated as a counterclaim;

(4) an answer to a crossclaim;

(5) a third-party complaint;

(6) an answer to a third-party complaint; and

(7) if the court orders one, a reply to an answer.

(b) Motions and Other Papers.

(1) In General. A request for a court order must be made by motion. The motion must:

(A) be in writing unless made during a hearing or trial;

(B) state with particularity the grounds for seeking the order; and

(2) Form. The rules governing captions and other matters of form in pleadings apply to motions and other papers.

End

Amendment History

(Amended December 27, 1946, effective March 19, 1948; January 21, 1963, effective July 1, 1963; April 28, 1983, effective August 1, 1983; April 30, 2007, effective December 1, 2007.)

Plain-English Summary

Rule 7 closes the universe of pleadings. The allowed pleadings are a complaint; an answer to a complaint; an answer to a counterclaim or crossclaim; a third-party complaint and its answer; and — only if the court orders it — a reply to an answer. Anything else a party wants from the court comes by motion, not by an extra pleading.

The rest of the rule governs the form of motions and other papers. A request for a court order must be made by motion, which (unless made during a hearing or trial) must be in writing, state the grounds with particularity, and state the relief sought. These form requirements pair with Rule 10’s caption and paragraph rules.

Frequently Asked Questions

What pleadings are allowed in federal court?

A complaint; an answer to a complaint; answers to a counterclaim or crossclaim; a third-party complaint and its answer; and, if the court orders one, a reply to an answer (Rule 7(a)).

Is a reply to an answer allowed?

Only if the court orders one. Otherwise the pleadings end with the answer (Rule 7(a)(7)).

Source & verification. The rule text and amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the official Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (Fed. R. Civ. P. 7), a public-domain work of the U.S. Government. Prescribed by the United States Supreme Court under the Rules Enabling Act. The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified June 30, 2026. · Official source

Also known as: FRCP 7Fed. R. Civ. P. 7pleadings allowedform of motionscomplaint answer replywhat pleadings are allowed in federal court