In a civil action, a request for admission is a discovery tool that allows one party to request that another party admit or deny the truth of a statement under oath. These requests aim to simplify and narrow the issues in dispute by establishing certain facts as true, thereby reducing the amount of evidence needed during trial. If admitted, the statement is considered to be true for all purposes of the current trial. Parties may also use this discovery tool to request that other parties verify the authenticity of documents.
Requests for admission are generally used toward the end of the discovery process to settle uncontested issues and simplify the trial.
Rules regarding requests for admission vary by jurisdiction. See State Civil Procedure Rules. In the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 36 governs requests for admission. See Civil Procedure.
[Last updated in June of 2024 by the Wex Definitions Team]