Do the FRCP apply in state court?

• A. Yes
• B. No, they apply to state and federal
• C. No, the FRCP only apply to federal courts
• D. They apply to both but with exceptions

Answer: (C)

Federal Rules of Civil Procedure govern how lawsuits proceed in federal courts. They are not the rules used by state courts. In state court, the procedural framework comes from the state’s own statutes and court rules. So, while a federal court must follow the FRCP, a state court follows state procedural rules unless a state has explicitly adopted federal rules by statute or court rule. That’s why the correct answer is that the FRCP apply to federal courts only.