request for admission
A request for admission is a discovery device authorized by Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 36 that allows one party to ask another to admit or deny specific statements concerning facts, the application of law to fact, or the authenticity of documents.
The purpose of a request for admission is to narrow the issues for trial by establishing certain matters as true, thereby eliminating the need to prove them through evidence. Once admitted, the matter is conclusively established unless the court allows withdrawal or amendment of the admission. A request for admission must be in writing and describe each matter to be admitted with specificity. If a party fails to respond within the time prescribed, typically 30 days under Rule 36(a)(3), the matters are deemed admitted.
[Last reviewed in November of 2025 by the Wex Definitions Team]
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