Information, not advice. This guide describes common practice for litigation staff. It is not legal advice. Rules differ by jurisdiction, court and judge, and orders in your case can change them. Check what governs your matter and ask your supervising attorney.
What a page-line cite contains
A page-line cite has three parts: whose deposition it is, a short label for the document, and the pinpoint. The pinpoint is the page number, a colon, then the line number. A range runs from the first line to the last, both included, and it may end on a later page.
Many litigators follow Bluebook-style conventions: the deponent's surname, “Dep.”, then the pinpoint, with a date only when two depositions of the same witness could be confused. Local rules, a judge's standing order or a firm style guide can override them, and editions change. Check the one that binds you.
How to write one
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Find the first and last line
Start at the first line of the question and end at the last line of the answer. Read a few lines either side so the cite does not cut a sentence in half.
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Read the numbers printed on the page
Use the page number printed on the transcript page and the line number in its margin, not the PDF viewer's page count. On a condensed transcript, use the number on the small page, not the sheet.
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Write the pinpoint
Page, colon, line: 45:12. For several lines on one page, give the first and last: 45:12–14. If the passage crosses a page, give both ends: 45:12–46:3.
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Add the deponent and the label
Put the surname and Dep. in front: Smith Dep. 45:12–46:3. Add the volume when there is more than one, as in Smith Dep. Vol. II 212:4–9, and a date to tell two depositions of one person apart.
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Set the short forms
After the first full reference, many styles allow Id. or a shortened cite for consecutive references to the same transcript. Check whether your court wants “at” before the pinpoint.
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Check it against the certified transcript
Open the certified transcript to the cited lines and read them. A cite copied from a rough draft, a summary or an older brief is right only if the pages did not move.
Forms you will see
| Situation | Common form | Note |
|---|---|---|
| One line | Smith Dep. 45:12 | Page, colon, line. |
| Several lines on one page | Smith Dep. 45:12–14 | Some styles repeat the page: 45:12–45:14. |
| Across a page break | Smith Dep. 45:12–46:3 | Both ends in full. |
| Two passages | Smith Dep. 45:12–14, 46:3–5 | Commas or semicolons, by style. |
| Later volume | Smith Dep. Vol. II 212:4–9 | Needed when pages restart in each volume. |
| With “at” | Smith Dep. at 45:12–46:3 | Some courts and style guides want “at”. Others omit it. |
What goes wrong
- Citing the PDF page. The viewer says page 47 and the transcript says page 45. Cite the transcript's number.
- Cites that move. Line and page breaks can shift between a rough draft and the certified transcript.
- Mixed styles in one brief. 45:12–14 in one place and 45:12–45:14 in another makes cite-checking harder.
- Cutting a passage mid-answer. A range that starts mid-answer or stops early can be read as selective.
- Dropping the volume. Where pages restart in each volume, 212:4–9 could be in either one. See multi-day deposition volumes.
- Ignoring a change by errata. A cite to the original lines may need a note if the witness changed the answer.
How DepoScript helps
DepoScript keeps the page and line number on every line of a transcript PDF. In the Cite tab you click two line numbers or type them, and it writes the cite: Smith Dep. 2:9–10, or Smith Dep. 2:9–2:10 if you turn on repeating the page. You can change the prefix to your court's form. It does not decide which rules apply to you, and every quotation still needs checking against the certified transcript. Next: pulling cites into a brief. Try the converter. Free: 1 file per day, up to 10 pages, no account. See pricing.
Questions
What does 45:12–46:3 mean?
Page 45, line 12 through page 46, line 3, both ends included. The first number in each pair is the page and the second is the line.
Hyphen or en dash between the numbers?
Both appear in filings. Follow your court's or firm's style and use one throughout.
Do I have to cite the line, or is the page enough?
Cites to the line are common in motion practice because they let the reader find the exact words. Some judges ask for them. Check local rules and the judge's practices.
Is it Dep. or Tr.?
Dep. is the usual label for a deposition and Tr. for a hearing or trial transcript. Some courts and style guides use a single label. Use the form your court expects.
Does the Bluebook require the date?
Style guides generally treat the date as optional unless it is needed to tell two depositions of the same witness apart. Check the edition and the rules you are bound by.
How do I cite a deposition exhibit?
A common form is Smith Dep. Ex. 12, with the exhibit's own page or Bates number after it if you point inside it. Check local rules on attaching exhibits.
Can I cite from a converted copy of the transcript?
Cite the certified transcript. Converted text is a working copy, and every DepoScript file says so at the top. Use it to find the passage and build the cite, then read the lines in the certified transcript.
Keep reading
- Digest for a motionMove testimony from a digest into a brief with cites you have checked.
- Multi-day deposition volumesVolume numbering, continuous or restarting pagination, and citing across volumes.
- Designations for trialPage-line designations, objections and counter-designations, and how the ranges are built.
- All twelve guides