Admissibility · California

California: Kelly / Frye — general acceptance

California applies the Kelly rule (its Frye form) to new scientific techniques: general acceptance in the relevant community, a qualified witness, and correct scientific procedures. Other expert testimony is governed by California Evidence Code sections 801-802.

What this means for an expert retained in California

Build the expert's file to the standard above from the day of retention: the method's literature and acceptance record, the licence and certification entries in the issuing registers, and a CV whose testimony list you have read. The working method is set out in Reading an expert's CV for admissibility risk and How attorneys find and vet expert witnesses.

Experts listed in California

The docket holds 21 firms in California: browse California listings. Listings are Unclaimed public listings unless a firm has claimed its profile; see the Vetting Standard for what Listing-Checked and Document-Checked mean.

Summary source: published state admissibility compendia (Expert Institute state-by-state comparison; White & Williams Daubert chart; NCJI evidence-standards compendium), consulted 2026-11-02. Law changes; confirm the current standard in the forum. Not legal advice.