(a) In General. A party may serve on any other party a request within the scope of Rule 26(b):
(1) to produce and permit the requesting party or its representative to inspect, copy, test, or sample the following items in the responding party’s possession, custody, or control:
(A) any designated documents or electronically-stored information -- including writings, drawings, graphs, charts, photographs, sound recordings, images, and other data or data compilations -- stored in any medium from which information can be obtained either directly or, if necessary, after translation by the responding party into a reasonably usable form; or
(B) any designated tangible things; or
(2) to permit entry onto designated land or other property possessed or controlled by the responding party, so that the requesting party may inspect, measure, survey, photograph, test, or sample the property or any designated object or operation on it.
(1) Contents of the Request. The request:
(A) must describe with reasonable particularity each item or category of items to be inspected;
(B) must specify a reasonable time, place, and manner for the inspection and for performing the related acts; and
(C) may specify the form or forms in which electronically-stored information is to be produced.
(2) Responses and Objections.
(A) Time to Respond. The party to whom the request is directed must respond in writing within 30 days after being served, except that a defendant may serve a response within 45 days after service of the summons and complaint upon that defendant. A shorter or longer time may be stipulated to under Rule 29 or be ordered by the court.
(B) Responding to Each Item. For each item or category, the response must either state that inspection and related activities will be permitted as requested or state an objection to the request, including the reasons.
(C) Objections. An objection to part of a request must specify the part and permit inspection of the rest.
(D) Responding to a Request for Production of Electronically-Stored Information. The response may state an objection to a requested form for producing electronically- stored information. If the responding party objects to a requested form -- or if no form was specified in the request -- the party must state the form or forms it intends to use.
(E) Producing the Documents or Electronically Stored Information. Unless otherwise stipulated or ordered by the court, these procedures apply to producing documents or electronically-stored information:
(i) A party must produce documents as they are kept in the usual course of business or must organize and label them to correspond to the categories in the request;
(ii) if a request does not specify a form for producing electronically-stored information, a party must produce it in a form or forms in which it is ordinarily maintained or in a reasonably usable form or forms; and
(iii) a party need not produce the same electronically-stored information in more than one form.
(c) Nonparties. As provided in Rule 45, a nonparty may be compelled to produce documents and tangible things or to permit an inspection.
Rule 34 is the document-discovery rule. Within the scope of Rule 26(b), a party may request that another party produce documents, electronically-stored information (ESI), or tangible things for inspection and copying, or permit entry onto land to inspect or test it.
The request must describe each item or category with reasonable particularity and may specify the form for producing ESI. The responding party must answer in writing within 30 days (45 for a defendant after service of the summons and complaint), either agreeing to produce or stating specific objections. Absent a different agreement or order, documents are produced as kept in the ordinary course of business (or labeled to match the request), and ESI is produced in its ordinary form or a reasonably usable one — and need not be produced in more than one form. Nonparties are reached through a Rule 45 subpoena.