A civil case cover sheet must be filed with a complaint.

However, the Plaintiff sometimes fails to file the required civil case cover sheet (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 3.220(a); Judicial Council form CM-010). (The purpose of the civil case cover sheet addendum is to identify the appropriate venue.)

The Court has inherent authority to enter retroactive orders. (See Scalice v. Performance Cleaning Systems (1996) 50 Cal.App.4th 221, 238-239.) Per California Rules of Court, rule 2.100, “No trial court, or any division or branch of a trial court, may enact or enforce any local rule concerning the form or format of papers.” (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 2.100, subd. (a).) While this rule permits the clerk to refuse to file a paper that does not conform to the California Rules of Court, it precludes the clerk from refusing to file a paper that does not conform to a local rule. (See Carlson v. State of California Department of Fish & Game (1998) 68 Cal.App.4th 1268, 1272.)

The clerk may not reject papers solely because plaintiff fails to file a civil case cover sheet required by the California Rules of Court or similar local rule, or provides an incorrect or incomplete cover sheet. (Cal. Rules of Court, Rule 3.220(c); Mito v. Temple Recycling Ctr. Corp. (2010) 187 Cal. App. 4th 276, 280 (complaint improperly rejected because not accompanied by civil case cover sheet required by L.A. Sup.Ct. Rule 2.3(a)(1)(C)).)

The potential consequences for failure to comply with local rules are set forth at CCP § 575.2, which provides:

1. Local rules promulgated pursuant to Section 575.1 may provide that if any counsel, a party represented by counsel, or a party if in pro se, fails to comply with any of the requirements thereof, the court on motion of a party or on its own motion may strike out all or any part of any pleading of that party, or, dismiss the action or proceeding or any part thereof, or enter a judgment by default against that party, or impose other penalties of a lesser nature as otherwise provided by law, and may order that party or his or her counsel to pay to the moving party the reasonable expenses in making the motion, including reasonable attorney fees. No penalty may be imposed under this section without prior notice to, and an opportunity to be heard by, the party against whom the penalty is sought to be imposed.
2. It is the intent of the Legislature that if a failure to comply with these rules is the responsibility of counsel and not of the party, any penalty shall be imposed on counsel and shall not adversely affect the party's cause of action or defense thereto.

But a Court may impose sanctions for failing to respond to an Order to Show Cause Re: Monetary Sanctions (hereinafter “OSC”) for failure to file a Civil Case Cover Sheet as required by CRC Rule 3.220(a).