In January 1996, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts began development of the Case Management/Electronic Case Filing (CM/ECF) system. CM/ECF is a comprehensive case management system that allows courts to maintain electronic case files and offer electronic filing over the Internet. Courts can make all case information immediately available electronically through the Internet. Eventually, CM/ECF will replace the current case management systems used by the federal courts across the country.

Judges, court staff, and the public now have the capability to access electronic docket information, case management data and legal research materials. As most documents are now initially created first in electronic form, the federal courts can further reduce the reliance on paper records by establishing electronic case file systems. These systems enhance the accuracy, management and security of records, reduce delays in the flow of information and achieve cost savings for the judiciary, the bar and litigants.

There are a number of significant benefits and features:

• Courts can allow registered attorneys to file documents 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Reduction of paper, photocopy, postage and courier costs.
• Full case information is available immediately to attorneys, parties, and the general public through the Internet. This includes the ability to view the full text of most filed documents.
• Attorneys on the system will receive email notices electronically in CM/ECF cases. This greatly speeds delivery and eliminates the costs to both the court and attorneys of handling and mailing paper notices.
• Multiple parties can view the same case files simultaneously.
• Since CM/ECF uses Internet standard software, the out-of-pocket cost of participation for attorneys is typically very low.

CM/ECF is available in most district, bankruptcy and some appellate courts. For a complete list of the CM/ECF courts, visit: http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov/announcements/general/ecfnews.html

There is no additional fee associated with the filing aspect of the CM/ECF system. The Judicial Conference of the United States approved an Internet access fee of $.08 per page. This access fee applies to information retrieved through the system for all users. Attorneys of record and parties in a case (including pro se litigants) receive one free electronic copy of all documents filed electronically, if receipt is required by law or directed by the filer. No fee is owed until an account holder accrues charges of more than $10 in a calendar year. Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) is an electronic public access service that allows users to obtain case and docket information from Federal Appellate, District and Bankruptcy courts, and from the U.S. Party/Case Index via the Internet. Access to all courts is provided from this web site. Electronic access is available by registering with the PACER Service Center, the judiciary's centralized registration, billing, and technical support center. Each court maintains its own databases with case information. Because PACER database systems are maintained within each court, each jurisdiction will have a different URL. Accessing and querying information from each service is comparable; however, the format and content of information provided may differ slightly. PACER is a service of the United States Judiciary. The PACER Service Center is operated by the Administrative Office of the United States Courts. For more information, click here.

Yes. When a document link is accessed, the next screen will display information regarding the number of billable pages and the related cost. To accept the charges, click on the ‘View Document’ button. The PACER cost is $0.08 per page with a cap of $2.40 per document, except transcripts.

If you believe there is an error on your statement or if you have a question concerning a transaction, please write to:

PACER Service Center
P.O. Box 780549
San Antonio, TX 78278

or
Fax (210) 301-6441

All credit requests must be submitted in writing with signature. In your correspondence provide your name, PACER login ID, and the dollar amount of the suspected error(s) together with a copy of the transaction in question. Please provide a reason for each credit being requested. When the PSC receives your request, you will be contacted by a service representative. Credits cannot be issued until after the quarterly statement has been generated.

All software for the project has been developed by the Administrative Office of the United States Courts.

For help using CM/ECF, visit the PACER Service Center web site at http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov, send email to the PACER Service Center at pacer@psc.uscourts.gov or call (800) 676-6856 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Central Time.

In most filings, the CM/ECF system generates a Notice of Electronic Filing (in district and bankruptcy cases) or a Notice of Docket Activity (in appellate cases) -- an email message containing a hyperlink to the document filed -- whenever a document is filed with the court. It is up to individual courts whether this Notice can be used to serve parties. Most courts are permitting this.

Public users of the CM/ECF system are charged 8 cents per page for the results of your search on case specific information. Examples of case specific information are the docket sheet, the PDF copies of filed documents, and the cases report. Public users are not charged for filing documents using CM/ECF or for viewing calendar information. There is a cap of $2.40 (30 pages) for a single document or case specific report including docket sheets. Each attachment in CM/ECF is considered a separate document. Therefore the cap will apply to each attachment over 30 pages separately.

Billable pages are calculated in two ways in CM/ECF. A formula is used to determine the number of pages for an HTML formatted report. Any information extracted from the CM/ECF database, such as the data used to create a docket sheet, is billed using a formula based on the number of bytes extracted. For a PDF document, the actual number of pages are counted to determine the number of billable pages.

For report data retrieved from the CM/ECF system that is printed, the print job will not always match the number of pages billed. The number of pages printed is dependent on individual printer and browser settings. All users are charged equally for the same information regardless of the browser settings or printer configurations. A transaction receipt and the Review Billing History option are provided in each court site for reviewing charges. Also, Review Transaction History is available on this site in Account Information for reviewing transactions from all courts. The transactions are updated on the PACER Web Site by the middle of each month.

Each attorney of record in a case (including pro se litigants) will receive an email message containing a hyperlink to a document that has been filed. One free copy is available to each attorney of record and any secondary address listed under the email information screen. Attorneys are able to list multiple email addresses for their filer login (under "Utilities") so that interested parties can be notified of filings as well. The hyperlink to access the document will expire after the earlier of these two events: the first use or 15 days. Any time that same hyperlink is accessed after it has expired, the user will be asked for a PACER login and will be charged to view the document. All users are advised to print or save the document during the initial viewing period in order to avoid future charges.

For district and bankruptcy courts:

Log into the CM/ECF system with your court-issued filing login. Your PACER login will not have sufficient privileges to access this information. Click on ‘Utilities.' Click on ‘Maintain Your Account.' On the screen titled 'Maintain User Account', click on ‘Email Information' at the bottom of the page. Enter your email address in the box for ‘Primary email address'. You can send additional notices to other email addresses by checking the box ‘to these additional addresses' and listing other email addresses in the box to the right. You can receive notices in other cases by checking the box ‘Send notices in these additional cases' and listing the case numbers in the box to the right. You can choose to receive an individual notice for each filing or a daily summary notice of all filings for that day. Both the individual and summary notice contain hyperlinks back to the documents. You can choose to receive the email notices in HTML or text format. You should choose the format based on the type of email program you use on your end. After completing the information requested on the screen, click on "Return to Account Screen." Click on ‘Submit.' Then, click on ‘Submit' again. You should receive a confirmation message on the screen that your email preferences were successfully updated. Make sure you keep your email address current, so you don't miss notices.

For appellate courts:

Initially, a court may send attorneys notification via mail and/or post notification on its website that it is beginning CM/ECF implementation. The court will request that attorneys provide an email address directly to the court or register as a filer on this site. Check the court's website for specific instructions. Once the email address has been entered into CM/ECF, a Notice of Docket Activity (NDA) will be produced when an event is docketed.

The fee is applied for accessing a docket sheet and any documents accessed from the link on the docket sheet.

Yes. Access privileges will be suspended for any account that causes an unacceptable level of congestion or a disruption to the operations of the PACER Service Center, a U.S. federal court, or another PACER customer. In addition, any attempt to collect data from PACER in a manner which avoids billing is strictly prohibited and may result in criminal prosecution or civil action. PACER privileges will be terminated if, in the judgment of judiciary personnel, they are being misused. Misuse includes, but is not limited to, using an automated process to repeatedly access those portions of the PACER application that do not assess a fee (i.e. calendar events report or case header information) for purposes of collecting case information.

Each federal court maintains an appropriate use statement for filing logins. In addition to the local appropriate use guidelines, the following applies in all federal districts: Passwords are issued to permit electronic filing and entry of data. Extracting data from CM/ECF through any program, script or mechanism other than those provided by the court is strictly prohibited and may result in criminal prosecution or civil action. Electronic filing privileges may be suspended if, in the judgment of the court, they are being misused.

In appellate courts:

If you are not a party to a case and wish to receive notices for cases of interest, you must register for a PACER ID and password, a CM/ECF filer ID and password (select “other not a public filer” during registration) and be an approved registrant in a Federal court. Once you have received approval of your registration request, you must login to the court’s database using your ECF filer ID and password and identify the cases of interest.

Once logged on to a court’s CM/ECF system:

• Click on “Utility” in the menu and select “Notices for Cases of Interest” in the Utility drop-down list.
• Enter the email address to which notices are to be sent or indicate the email address on file (the email address specified at registration) is to be used. You can specify whether individual notices are to be sent or a summary of notices for the cases listed.
• Search for any public case by entering the case number and selecting the “Search & Add” button. If the case is found, the case number and case title populate the list box. Repeat this process until all cases of interest are selected. (Note: Cases may be added to or removed from this list at anytime. When the utility is accessed, the existing Cases of Interest case list is displayed.)
• Click the “Update” button to confirm the case(s) selected and the case(s) is saved in the list.
• To remove a case from the list, highlight the case and click the “Remove” button. A confirmation message will display and the case will no longer display on the list. Click the “Update” button to save the current list.

Once the list of interested cases is defined, you will receive email notification (NDAs) for any public docket entry made to the case. When you receive the email notification and click the “Document(s)” link, you must be logged in to PACER (if not already logged in) and will be charged for viewing the document(s), according to existing PACER rules.

Local court rules vary. Contact the court or check its website to determine if there are local rules governing this process.

The system is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week (except for routine or emergency maintenance). You should be able to file anytime. Scheduling of routine maintenance can vary by court and is likely posted on each court’s website.

Yes, the public can access case data in CM/ECF unless it has been sealed by the court. The public access component of CM/ECF will require a user to enter a PACER login and password. Because the PACER login and CM/ECF filing login will be different, a filing attorney will need both. Established PACER users will automatically have access to these sites; a new account does not need to be created. For those currently not registered with PACER, a PACER account may be obtained at: http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov/register.html

Access to the filing portion of CM/ECF is available to authorized users only. Authorization and training of users is provided by the practicing CM/ECF court. Check with the individual court for details on filing privileges.

In order for an attorney to be authorized to file documents electronically and to receive email notices of documents that are filed, he/she must be admitted to practice in the court and be registered to file electronically with the specific court providing the CM/ECF system.

For district and bankruptcy courts:

Each district/bankruptcy court has its own requirements and procedures for registering. Visit http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov/announcements/general/ecfnews.html for a complete list of the courts that offer CM/ECF and to learn more about their systems, including filing requirements and procedures, manuals, and other pertinent information. Upon registration with the court, attorneys will be provided with an identification name and password that will allow access for the filing aspect of the system.

For appellate courts:

Attorneys as well as non-filing persons (e.g. journalists) may register to become an authorized CM/ECF user in appellate courts and bankruptcy appellate panels through this website. Click here, to view more information about the registration procedures.

Please note that attorneys from all court types must register for PACER in addition to requesting filing privileges in order to fully utilize the capabilities of the CM/ECF system.

An ECF filing login and password is required to electronically file documents in the Appellate CM/ECF system. Appellate ECF registration is a centralized process completed via the PACER Service Center (this) website; you will not have to visit each circuit's website to register separately. However, you will need to request filing privileges from each court in which you wish to file electronically. Click here to view more information about the registration procedures. If you are registering as an appellate filer for the first time, follow the complete registration procedures. As you move through the screens, enter the requested information. The initial registration will only allow you to register for one circuit, but you may request additional circuits by subsequently logging into this site. Login here to add a circuit to your current registration. You may check the status of your request on this site as well.

After the court has processed your registration request, you will receive an email from the PACER Service Center indicating your filer status (as determined by that circuit). You cannot begin to file documents electronically until your registration request has been approved by the court.

To register for filing status in other appellate courts, you will need to login here.

• Enter your filer login and password for appellate ECF.
• Once logged in, in the “Miscellaneous” tab on the right hand side of the page, click on "Register for Additional Court(s)". (Note: You can view the circuits in which you have a current registration by clicking on "Display Registered Courts".)
• On the "Court Information" screen, click the checkbox next to each court where you want to register. (It is recommended that you only register in those courts in which you are likely to file documents. If there is a need to register for a court at a later date, you can always return to this site.)
• Your primary contact information is displayed for each court selected. The information can be changed as needed for each court.
• Read and verify the "Terms of Use" at the bottom of the page and click the "Submit" button to process the registration request.

Yes. The system requires two separate login IDs and passwords. A PACER login ID is required for querying cases and is provided by the PACER Service Center. Its format consists of two alpha characters followed by 4 numeric characters. A CM/ECF login ID is required for attorneys to file cases, documents, and motions online.

If permitted, each court will have its own requirements for filing electronically.

Contact your local court to see what training sessions may be offered. Most courts offering CM/ECF access will provide an on-line tutorial, training database, FAQs, and a user manual. If a training database is provided, participants should use it to practice filing before filing a document in the "live" database.

The firm PACER account can be used for the query component of CM/ECF. However, if you would like to keep the billing separate from the firm's, you will need to establish a new PACER account. A PACER account may be obtained at: http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov/register.html

No. The attorneys can still share the PACER login IDs. However, they should not share their CM/ECF login IDs. Attorneys must get a PACER login ID prior to using CM/ECF, as it is a necessary component of the system.

You do not need to register for CM/ECF more than once. Even if you change firms, your login remains valid. However, you must update your contact information (address, email, etc.).

For district and bankruptcy courts:

Use the the "Utilities" option of the district and bankruptcy CM/ECF systems to update your contact information with the court. In addition, the PACER Service Center recommends that attorneys review a court's website for specific requirements related to firm changes.

For appellate courts:

Appellate court filers should make contact updates through the Appellate Filer Account Update section of this website. Select "Person Info/Address Updates" in the "Maintenance" tab. Add the new address or update the existing address. (Note: Your address cannot be updated until the address submitted with your initial registration has been approved by at least one court. Some courts only permit one address per attorney.) Once you submit your request, the information will be transmitted electronically to the appropriate court for processing. It is possible to maintain different addresses for each circuit, but your login and password will be the same for each.

If your current PACER account is shared among the firm you are leaving, then you must establish a new PACER account. A PACER account may be obtained by registering here: http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov/register.html

If your PACER account is not shared among staff at your current firm, it may move with you. You may update the contact information on this website. Login to the Account Information section with your PACER login and password and update the contact information.

For district and bankruptcy courts:

In CM/ECF, click on "Utilities", "Maintain Your CM/ECF account." You can change your address, phone, email preferences, login and password on these screens. Local rules at each court may require that you continue to send a paper notice of any address changes as well. Change the billing address for PACER in the Account Information section of this web site.

For appellate courts:

Appellate court filers should make contact updates through the Appellate Filer Account Update section of this website. Select Person Info/Address Updates in the Maintenance tab. Add the new address or update the existing address. (Note: Your address cannot be updated until the address submitted with your initial registration has been approved by at least one court. Some courts only permit one address per attorney.) Once you submit your request, the information will be transmitted electronically to the appropriate court for processing. It is possible to maintain different addresses for each circuit.

For district and bankruptcy courts:

1. Once logged in, go to "Utilities" on the dark blue tool bar.
2. Click on "Maintain Your Account" in the "Your Account" section.
3. Click on the "More User Information" button at the bottom of the screen.
4. Highlight the row of asterisks in the password box and type your new password in their place.
5. Click on "Return to Account screen" at the bottom of the page.
6. Click on "Submit" at the bottom of the page.

For appellate courts:

1. Login to the Appellate Filer Account Update section of this website using your appellate filer login and password.
2. Select "Change Password" in the Maintenance tab and complete the fields on the resulting screen.
3. The updated information will be sent by the PACER Service Center electronically to each of the appellate courts in which you are currently registered.

Yes. Click on “Utility” in the menu and select “Update My Account”. When selected, your current account information is displayed.

This utility will allow you to edit the following information on the "Update My Account" screen:

• Show PDF Header: Used to indicate whether or not the PDF header is displayed on documents (the header displays case number, document number, date filed, page number, and total number of pages). To edit this information, select the "Show PDF Header" checkbox to display the PDF header on documents and click the Apply button. De-select the "Show PDF Header" checkbox and click the Apply button if you do not want the PDF header to be displayed. NOTE: This option is not available in all courts.
• Remove the Default PACER Login: Used to indicate that a PACER login is associated with your ECF login, so that when you login to ECF and access PACER using the Reports menu, you do not need to login to PACER again. To remove the default login for your PACER account, click the "Remove the default PACER login" checkbox and click the Apply button.

The "Update My Account" utility will also allow you to access the PACER Service Center's website to edit the following:

• Change your ECF username and/or password. (This change will be applied to all courts in which you are registered.)
• Update personal/contact information, change an address, change or add email addresses, revise email format and noticing preferences, etc. (These changes may be applied to all courts in which you are registered or to only selected courts, as needed.)
  
  1. Click the Edit My Information button. You will be directed to the PACER website where you must login and update your information.
  2. Login to Appellate Filer Account Update with your ECF filer ID and password.
  3. Select the appropriate menu item depending on the update you need to make to your information (Change Username, Change Password, Personal Info/Address Updates).
  4. Make the update/s desired and submit the update request. NOTE: Update requests must be processed in the court/s in which you are registered. You will receive email notification of the court's action on the update request. Processing time varies depending on the type of update requested and may vary from circuit to circuit. Contact the Clerk's Office if immediate access to file documents is needed.

This login prompt is requesting your PACER login and password, which is required whenever you request a report or document from a case. In order to bypass this login prompt in the future, click the box that says ‘make this my default login' after entering the PACER login and password. Your CM/ECF login and password will still need to be entered each time the ECF site is visited.

Look for a few of these common problems:

• Both the login and password should be entered in lower case letters (does not apply in appellate courts). The login and password may consist of upper and lower case letters, numbers and special characters in an appellate court.
• Make sure the proper login and password are being used for the proper database. (PACER login for querying; CM/ECF login for filing).
• Verify that the recommended browser is being used which is a current version of either Firefox or Internet Explorer.
• Check the location of the website. The training database is located at: https://ecf-train.COURT.uscourts.gov while the live database is at: https://ecf.COURT.uscourts.gov (without the train) where COURT is the code for the particular court. Typically, appellate courts do not have training databases.
• The browser needs to be set to accept all cookies and must be JavaScript-enabled.

Turn off any pop-up blocker installed on your system and try again.

When an attorney leaves a firm, both the attorney and the firm need to consider the implications to the CM/ECF noticing system. If cases will move with the attorney, all the attorney needs to do is change his/her email notification set up and submit a change of address to the Clerk's Office for district and bankruptcy courts. For appellate courts, the attorney can update his/her address information in the Appellate Filer Account Update section of this website.

If cases will remain with the firm, the firm will need to ensure that the Court docket accurately reflects the proper attorney of record and that the new attorney of record is properly set up to receive email notification. Law firms may also wish to consider the best method of handling email addressed to the firm for the departed attorney. Summarily removing the attorney from the firm's email system with no further action may result in notifications being missed. Firms may wish to consider whether their own email systems should forward such emails to the attorney at his/her new address, or to another attorney within the firm.

It is possible to use the same filing login in all appellate courts. Click here to register for the ability to file documents electronically with appellate courts. If you have already registered to file and would like to add additional courts, click here.

Because each bankruptcy and district court assigns the filing login for filing privileges in the CM/ECF system, it is not possible to obtain a universal filing login in these court types. However, some courts allow you to request a particular login and password when you register, so you may be able to use the same filer login for many courts.

For district and bankruptcy courts:

Once you are logged in as a CM/ECF filer, click on ‘Utilities.' In Utilities, click on ‘Change Your PACER Login.' Enter a new PACER login and password. You can change the default PACER login by checking the box ‘Make this my default PACER login.' Once you associate a PACER login and a filer login, there is no way to un-associate the two without making another PACER login the default.

For appellate courts:

Once logged in as a CM/ECF filer, click on “Utility” in the menu and select “Update My Account”. Check the box next to "Remove the Default PACER Login". This option is used to indicate that a PACER login is associated with your ECF login, so that when you login to ECF and access PACER using the Reports menu, you do not need to login to PACER again. To remove the default login for your PACER account, click the "Remove the default PACER login" checkbox and click the Apply button.

CM/ECF allows a filing attorney to permanently associate a PACER login with an ECF filing login. The ECF filing login and PACER login became associated by checking the box "Make this my default PACER login" during a previous session. When they are associated, each time the attorney logs in to file a document the system also logs the attorney in as a PACER customer. This is a problem for those customers that must switch between PACER accounts based on the type of work being performed.

For district and bankruptcy courts:

If having an ECF filing account associated with a PACER account is a problem for you, contact the court to un-associate your PACER login from your filing login. With the two un-associated, the system will prompt you to enter the appropriate PACER account when querying. Future versions of CM/ECF will allow customers to do this on-line under Utilities. For an immediate solution, you can change your PACER login for the session by clicking on Utilities then select "Change PACER login". Or, click on "Logout" and re-enter the site with the correct PACER login.

For appellate courts:

Once logged in as a CM/ECF filer, click on “Utility” in the menu and select “Update My Account”. Check the box next to "Remove the Default PACER Login". This option is used to indicate that a PACER login is associated with your ECF login, so that when you login to ECF and access PACER using the Reports menu, you do not need to login to PACER again. To remove the default login for your PACER account, click the "Remove the default PACER login" checkbox and click the Apply button.

In district and bankruptcy courts:

Electronic access to Social Security Administration case documents is limited to parties in the case. In addition, documents from criminal cases filed prior to November 1, 2004 are only available electronically to the parties in the case. So when attempting to view either of these document types, the CM/ECF system will display the message "you do not have permission to view this document." If you are an attorney of record or another party in the case, you must enter your ECF filing ID before trying to access these documents. All others interested in these documents should contact the clerk's office for information about viewing copies. Criminal documents filed after November 1, 2004 are available electronically through PACER once a court has upgraded to the correct version of the CM/ECF software.

In appellate courts:

Viewing of certain document types in an Appellate CM/ECF court may be restricted. When attempting to view documents in Social Security or Immigration cases, the CM/ECF system will display the message "you do not have permission to view this document". If you are an attorney in the case, you must login to CM/ECF with your ECF filing ID and run the PACER Report in order to view the documents. You must have an approved ECF filer account in a court and be an attorney in the case in order to view these documents.

To register for filing status in other appellate courts, you will need to login here.

• Enter your filer login and password for appellate ECF.
• Once logged in, in the “Miscellaneous” tab on the right hand side of the page, click on "Register for Additional Court(s)". (Note: You can view the circuits in which you have a current registration by clicking on 'Display Registered Courts'.)
• On the "Court Information" screen, click the checkbox next to each court where you want to register. (It is recommended that you only register in those courts in which you are likely to file documents. If there is a need to register for a court at a later date, you can always return to this site.)
• Your primary contact information is displayed for each court selected. The information can be changed as needed for each court.
• Read and verify the 'Terms of Use' at the bottom of the page and click the 'Submit' button to process the registration request.

After the court has processed your registration request, you will receive an email from the PACER Service Center indicating your filer status (as determined by that circuit). You cannot begin to file documents electronically until your registration request has been approved by the court.

When you register through the PACER Service Center to become an efiler, the registration information is forwarded to each circuit in which you registered. The court will review each request so processing times will vary. You will receive an email confirmation from the PACER Service Center when your registration request is processed that will indicate the disposition of your request. If there is an emergency situation and you need to file immediately, contact the clerk's office for assistance and direction.

To review pending updates, login here.

• Enter your filer login and password for appellate ECF.
• Select “Show Pending Updates” in the History tab.
• A list of updates and the circuits in which the registration request/information update is pending is displayed. Click on the description to view the information that was submitted.

Training and filing requirements, prior to registration, are left to each circuit. Each court may have Electronic Learning Modules (ELMs) available for training. You are strongly encouraged to visit a circuit’s website to determine whether there are any educational requirements prior to submitting filings. ELMS are also available on the PACER website at http://www.pacer.psc.uscourts.gov/cmecf/training.html.

A Notice of Docket Activity (NDA) is an email notice generated from an appellate court when a docketing transaction requires that notice be sent to attorneys, case participants or court personnel. An NDA can be generated when a party or attorney files a document with the clerk's office or when the court enters an order or takes other public actions in a case. If you are a CM/ECF participant, typically your receipt of the NDA is service of that document or order, and registration for the CM/ECF system constitutes consent to receive service through the Notice of Docket Activity. In the district court and bankruptcy court systems the NDA is referred to as the Notice of Electronic Filing (NEF).

The clerk's office reviews attorney filings as part of its quality control procedures. In the event the deputy clerk finds an error or needs to modify the docket text for the event and the filing, the deputy may make the changes and send a new NDA to the case participants. If you receive a second NDA for a filing and cannot determine the reason for the second Notice, please call the office of the clerk from which the notice was received.

Requirements for Certificate of Service vary depending by circuit. Contact the circuit to determine if there are local rules governing this process.

No. Electronic access to documents in Social Security cases and Immigration matters is limited to the attorneys or parties in the case in order to protect the privacy of the individuals involved in those cases. You may be permitted to inspect these files in person in the clerk's office. If you are a party or attorney in the case, please note that you can access documents in these cases only through use of your CM/ECF filer ID and password and that you cannot access them with your PACER ID and password.

Once you select a document to review, you can perform a word search by clicking on EDIT, then clicking on either "Find and Replace," or "Find in Document" (or pressing Ctrl+F), and entering the word(s) you wish to locate in the document. For documents in PDF format (viewable using Adobe Acrobat Reader) search by clicking on "TOOLS," then "FIND" (or Ctrl+F), and proceed the same way. Note, if the PDF document is an image file, as opposed to a text file, searching the document is not possible. As the names imply, a text file is one created in the first instance using a word processing, spreadsheet, or similar program, while an image file is created by scanning a document using a document scanner or fax machine.

A "link" or "hyperlink" is a shortcut to another website or web page. These are represented by a word or phrase underlined in blue. For example, if you "CLICK" on one of the items on the "Featured Links" section of this website, you will be taken to the item described by the "link".

A plug-in is a small add-on piece of software that extends the capabilities of your web browser. A plug-in may, for example, enable you to view files written in a format other than HTML, the language used to create Internet web sites, or to listen to audio files or view videos.

While on the Desktop screen, right click the mouse and then click on "new", followed by "shortcut." The next screen will ask for a command line. For example, to setup a shortcut to the CM/ECF system for a court, type " http://ecf.COURT.uscourts.gov/" in the space and then click "next." Change the name of the shortcut to CM/ECF-Court or some other designation of your choosing and then click on "Finish." COURT is the code for the particular court. For example, New York Southern Bankruptcy would be nysb.

Copying is the act of making a duplicate. Cutting is the act of removing something and placing it in another location (Deleting is the act of removing something entirely). Cutting sometimes works like deleting. Pasting is the act of placing anything that has been cut or copied into a new location. There are many ways to copy or cut, and paste, but all of them involve highlighting what you want to copy or cut first.

For a file, simply clicking on the file once will highlight it.

For text, position your cursor at the beginning of the text you want to highlight, hold the left mouse button down and drag the cursor to the end of the text you want to highlight, then release the mouse button.

To copy the highlighted item (3 options):
1. From the menu-bar at the top of any application, select Edit-->Copy, -or-
2. Right-Click on the highlighted item and select Copy from the menu that shows, -or-
3. On the keyboard, hit Ctrl-C.

To cut the highlighted item (3 options):
1. From the menu-bar at the top of any application, select Edit-->Cut, -or-
2. Right-Click on the highlighted item and select Cut from the menu that shows, -or-
3. On the keyboard, hit Ctrl-X.

To paste the item you just copied or cut (3 options):
1. From the menu-bar at the top of any application, select Edit-->Paste, -or-
2. Right-Click where you want to place the highlighted item and select Paste from the menu that shows, -or-
3. Click where you want to place the item, then on the keyboard, hit Ctrl-V.

Make a mistake? Try any one of these to "undo" or revert to the last state. Some programs allow you to step-back many times, others allow only once, or none.

1. From the menu-bar at the top of any application, select Edit-->Undo,
-or- 2. On the keyboard, hit Ctrl-Z.

Some applications also have a Redo option, which "undoes the undo".

1. From the menu-bar at the top of any application, select Edit-->Redo, -or-
2. On the keyboard, hit Ctrl-Y.

Attorneys will need the following hardware and software to electronically file, view, and retrieve documents in the electronic filing system.

For all court types:

• A personal computer with Windows or an Apple Macintosh (Mac) with internet access and a compatible browser. (See below for more information about operating Appellate CM/ECF on a Mac.) Click here to view the current browser standards for CM/ECF.
• Software to convert documents from a word processor format to portable document format (PDF). Adobe Acrobat PDF Writer, as well as certain word processing programs can perform this function. Adobe Acrobat Version 5 and higher meet the CM/ECF filing requirements. For viewing documents, not authoring them, only Adobe Acrobat Reader is needed.
• A word processing package like Mac or windows-based versions of WordPerfect and Word whose output can be converted to PDF format.
• A scanner to make PDFs of documents that you have only in paper.

In addition, for appellate courts:

• For Firefox and Internet Explorer, you will need the Java 1.6 plug-in. If you do not have Java on your computer (or if you aren't sure if you do) go to www.java.com. Please note there is a question/link next to the "Free Java Download" button which asks "Do I have Java?" If you are not sure whether you have it, this link will run a diagnostic check on your computer to let you know whether it is already loaded. If you need to download or update Java, simply click the "Free Java Download" button and follow the directions on the subsequent pages.
  
  64-bit Mac Users
  
  Appellate CM/ECF version 2.1.1 (released to courts on February 3, 2009 – check local court for version status) will operate on a 64-bit Intel Mac with the Apple-supplied Java 1.6. You must; however, access the system via the Mac-identified link on a court’s web page.
  The login alerts, messages and user actions may differ slightly between Safari and Firefox. If your web browser is Firefox, each time you attempt to access CM/ECF you may have to respond to the question, "What should Firefox do with this file?” Select “Open” to proceed with logging in. When logging in with Safari for the first time, you must also respond to this question, however, with each subsequent login, the Java Web Start will begin downloading and launching the application automatically.

32-bit Mac Users

Apple has not released a 32-bit version of Java 1.6 for the Mac. Until such a version is available, 32-bit Macs will require additional software such as Fusion, Parallels, or Bootcamp that will allow Windows to run on a Mac. 32-bit Mac users with one of these Windows emulation software packages can access Appellate CM/ECF via the application link for all PC users on a court’s web page. (Note: Current versions of Fusion and Parallels require an Intel-based Mac.)

If you get to the login screen and the system hangs when you try to complete your login, something is blocking the Secure Socket Layer (SSL) port 443 (that's the point where we transition from web port 80 to SSL port 443). The systems person at your firm needs to look at the router and any firewalls the firm has set up to determine where the blocking is taking place. Attorneys at a firm may experience this problem while other attorneys at the same firm do not because they may be directed to different proxy servers.

If you find your session freezing after you have hit "SUBMIT", try using the Back button to return to the previous screen and click on SUBMIT again. It may be the case that the session has not really halted; this kind of misbehavior is common to browser-based applications.

Unlike most programs, a web browser will open multiple windows. In other words, two or more windows in which the browser appears may be active at the same time. Look at the tool bar at the bottom of the screen, this is the same bar where the start button is located. If the browser logo appears on two different buttons, you have more than one window open. Click on the button that is not active (not highlighted) to open the previous window. If there is only one window open, click on the "GO" menu item at the very top of the screen; a drop down menu will appear where you can click on the address of the page to which you wish to return.

Some users have reported when trying to print large dockets or other reports from the CM/ECF system that they received an error message stating: "Data Missing - This document resulted from a POST operation and has expired from the cache. If you wish you can repost the form data to recreate the document by pressing the reload button." To fix this problem, we recommend increasing the size of your cache dramatically.

If you are using Internet Explorer and Windows XP with Service Pack 2, you may be having a problem downloading the "data only" format of the cases report. Two options are recommended to work around the problem.

1. Use Firefox. The report downloads correctly using this browser.

or

2. Delete the Windows XP registered file type for .txt files. To delete the registered file type in Windows XP, use the following steps:

• Double click "My Computer".
• Go to Tools, Folder options.
• Click "File Types".
• Find the "TXT" file type from the list and click on it.
• Click Delete.
• When the confirmation box is displayed, click Yes.
• Click "OK" to close the File Options box.

The AOL internet connection will work for CM/ECF, but the AOL provided browser is not supported. Please see the browser FAQs.

The cache on your computer may be full. Cache is a location on your hard drive where data is stored. When you search the Internet, your computer keeps track of every page you have visited and saves this information on your hard drive. If this file becomes large (i.e., many pages have been searched), the result may be a loss of data.

Right click in the window and select Reload Frame(Firefox) or Refresh(IE). If that does not display all options, clear the cache or temporary internet files.

Current versions of the following browsers have been tested and approved for use with CM/ECF:
Firefox 3
Internet Explorer 6 and 7

The following have not been tested with CM/ECF but seem to work:
Opera

Netscape
Internet Explorer 5.0 and below
AOL browser
MSN browser

Firefox is supported. The Mozilla browser is not "officially supported" but many users use it with success with CM/ECF. You should have access to an ‘officially supported’ browser.

No. The MSN provided browser is different from Internet Explorer and is not supported and does not work with CM/ECF. You can use MSN for connecting to the internet, but you must use either Firefox or Internet Explorer for CM/ECF.

Some users have reported problems when attempting to download large audio files from the CM/ECF system using both Internet Explorer and Firefox. The problem reported is that the browser appears to download the PDF with the embedded audio file but freezes at some point during the download. The judiciary has duplicated the issue and recommends having Acrobat open outside of the browser to solve the problem. This setting can be changed in the Internet preference area of Acrobat that can be found under the 'Edit' menu. For example, to change the setting in Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional, do the following:

   1. Open Adobe Acrobat.
   2. Click Edit.
   3. Click Preferences.
   4. When the preference box opens, click Internet.
   5. Uncheck 'Display PDF in browser.'
   6. Click 'OK.'

If you have any questions or problems downloading audio files from CM/ECF, contact the PACER Service Center for assistance.

The recommended screen resolution for appellate CM/ECF is 1024 x 768 pixels or higher. If the screen resolution for your workstation is lower (e.g., 800 x 600, 640 x 480), all of the information will not fit on the screen horizontally. To change the resolution, perform the following on your PC:

1. Click Start on the Task bar.
2. Point to Settings.
3. Click Control Panel.
4. Double-click Display.
5. Click the Settings tab and drag the slider, under Screen area, to 1024 x 768 pixels.
6. Click Apply.

Each circuit determines the types of documents that can be filed electronically. Many circuits have filed an Administrative Order Regarding Electronic Filing that outlines the local policies. Check the circuit's website for a copy of the order and local rules.

Electronic learning modules (ELMs) are available on this website for appellate CM/ECF. Click here to view the ELMs. In addition, most circuits post court specific training materials on their websites.

Appellate CM/ECF has an on-line Help module available that provides a general overview of the product that includes topics such as docketing, utilities and reports. The Help module can be accessed by users with a filer login and password.

If you have additional questions, contact the PACER Service Center. The toll free number is 800 676-6856.

You will need Java Version 1.6 or greater. Click to run the Java Version Test.

Documents in Portable Document File (PDF) format do not require a copy of the word processing program used to create them in order to be viewed. They can be viewed by anyone with a free viewer such as Acrobat Reader, a product of Adobe Systems, Inc. In addition to its cross platform advantage, a PDF document matches very closely the format of the original document in which the PDF document was created. All of the pleadings in the CM/ECF system are stored in PDF format. To view PDF files, you must have a PDF viewing software such as Acrobat Reader, which you may download free from the Adobe website http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html. You will view PDF documents the way they were created, and you may save and print them in that format.

Adobe Acrobat is a commercial software product from Adobe that allows you to view and create documents in PDF (portable document format). Adobe, the inventors of the PDF format, can be found at http://www.adobe.com, where you can find both the free reader version of the software, which can be used to retrieve documents from CM/ECF, and the writer version, which can create documents for posting. There are other brands of commercially available software to create PDF files, and the CM/ECF's only requirement is that filings must be in PDF to be accepted by the CM/ECF system. All documents filed in CM/ECF must be in PDF format. The Federal Judiciary does not endorse any specific software.

There are several ways in which you can get a document from a word processing program into the PDF format. The newer versions of some common word processors include the ability to publish a document to PDF built right into the word-processing software. In WordPerfect 9 and 10, you can click on File and then "Publish to PDF" to convert your WordPerfect file (.wpd) to PDF. MS-Word (up to version XP) does NOT have this capability. Adobe, the inventors of the PDF format, can be found at http://www.adobe.com, where you can find both the free reader version of the software, which can be used to retrieve documents from CM/ECF, and the writer version, which can create documents for posting. When you've installed Acrobat, you can make PDF files right out of your word-processing software simply by "printing" the document, and selecting the "printer" called "Acrobat PDFWriter" from the drop down list of available printers. That process will actually save a file in PDF format, with a ".pdf" file extension, on your hard drive. There are many other vendors besides Adobe who provide software to create PDF documents. Please note that the Federal Judiciary does not endorse or recommend any specific PDF software. Since there are so many different applications, and we could not depict instructions for all, we have chosen to depict all our instructions with reference to Adobe.

You are probably trying to scan the document using optical character recognition (OCR)--don't do this. PDF can handle both text and scanned documents. It can also take scanned documents and perform OCR on them, turning the image back into editable text. However, this process has many problems and should not be done before e-filing them. It is permissible to perform OCR on PDF documents after they are in the e-filing system, since any OCR errors will not be placed in the official documents at the court.

Adobe Acrobat Reader is a plugin that the browser will automatically launch when you try to access a document stored in PDF format. If you do not have the Adobe Reader, your computer will show you a set of applications from which to choose a program that will read the file. None of them will work, which is why you must download the Adobe Reader from Adobe Systems' website. To download a free copy of Acrobat Reader, click on http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html.

The answer to both questions is "yes." In Adobe Acrobat 5.0 or the Adobe Reader 5.0, click on "File", then "Preferences", then "General". In the "Options" section at the bottom of the window labeled "General Preferences," check the box (by clicking on it if it is blank) beside "Web Browser Integration" to make a PDF document open within the browser. Uncheck that box (by clicking on it if it is checked) to cause Acrobat or the Adobe Reader to open in a separate window.

In Adobe Acrobat 7.0 or the Adobe Reader 7.0, click on “Edit” and then “Preferences”. Click on “Internet” in the "Categories" list on the left-hand side of the screen. In the Web Browser Option panel, check the box (by clicking on it if it is blank) beside "Display PDF in Browser" to make a PDF document open within the browser. Uncheck that box (by clicking on it if it is checked) to cause Acrobat or the Adobe Reader to open in a separate window.

This is more of a matter of personal preference. Some of the functionality of the Reader is lost when the PDF document is opened in a browser window. However, most of the functions accessible either using the menu or shortcuts when the Reader opens in its own window can be accessed using the various button icons that remain available when the Reader is opened within the browser.

After you click the print icon, click the ‘shrink to fit' box on the printer setup screen. Once the setting has been changed, it should remain this way for all PDF documents.

If a PDF document contains text, as opposed to an image, you can select text and do a normal copy and paste. Using the Acrobat Reader, one can select no more than a page at a time.

The Administrative Office(AO) of the United States Courts' CM/ECF Development Team extensively tested and evaluated the capabilities and compatibility of the Adobe Acrobat version 5.0 with the CM/ECF service. These test results indicate that court personnel and lawyers can use Version 5 PDF documents without adverse effects to CM/ECF. It should be noted that CM/ECF does not endorse any specific software, just the use of the PDF.

In Adobe 5.0 or 6.0, make the following changes:
Go to Edit, Preferences, Options. Uncheck ‘Display PDF in Browser'. Uncheck ‘Allow Fast Web View'.

When creating PDF documents for the purpose of filing in CM/ECF, it is recommended they be converted directly from the word processing program. Usually only very large WordPerfect or Word documents converted to PDF will have size limitation problems. You will more frequently run into size issues when scanning documents. When scanning, be sure to set your scanner to black and white and 200 dpi. If your scanned document is larger than the limit, you can separate it into multiple smaller files. To check the size of the file, right click on the file and select properties. You must save a scanned document to PDF; only PDF documents can be filed.

It's possible you will need to install a postscript print driver. These drivers are available from your printer manufacturer’s website.

If using Adobe Acrobat 5, make the following adjustment: select the Print command, check the box next to the option "Print as Image" which is located in the print status window next to the printer name. If using Adobe Acrobat 6, select the Print command then select the “Advanced” button located at the bottom left corner of the print status window, then select “Print as Image.” You may want to turn this setting off when printing in the future because it can slow down a large print job.

The system will not accept documents which have security measures turned on (for example, password protection in Adobe.) Remove the security features from the document and submit your document again.

If you are using Adobe Reader the settings may need to be changed in order to view the document. Go to Edit, Preferences, Internet, and uncheck "Allow Fast Web View."

If you are using an Adobe product, you must first select the text tool (look for the T on the toolbar) instead of the hand. Then select the text, and either right-click and choose copy, or use the copy icon. If you cannot select the text, then the PDF is a scanned image. Scanned documents in PDF act just like photographs. You will not be able to copy and paste from a scanned image.

This is called "flowing". Depending on the font, the printer selected, and other characteristics of the content, a document may undergo some changes when it's rendered into PDF. If you are using an Adobe product to convert documents to PDF, visit www.adobe.com. Adobe has a set of technical documents posted on their site that refer directly to ways in which you may attempt to address flowing problems.

Another work-around is to set your PDF printer as your "Default Printer" before opening the document, then open the document, edit it to correct any format errors, save it and try printing (converting) to PDF again.

No. In fact, the vast majority of documents can be easily converted to PDF format without scanning. Any document that you create on your computer can be converted to PDF by your computer as long as you have the appropriate software installed and configured properly.

Launch Acrobat Reader, select "Help" menu option, and select "About Acrobat Reader." If you are using version 5.0.5 or higher, you do not need to upgrade. If you are using version 4 or below, please visit Adobe's website at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html to download a free upgrade to the latest version of Acrobat Reader.

Each attorney of record in a case (including pro se litigants) will receive an email message containing a hyperlink to a document that has been filed. One free copy is available to each attorney of record and any secondary addresses listed under the email information screen for district and bankruptcy courts and "Change Noticing Preferences" of the Appellate Filer Account Update section of this site for appellate courts. Attorneys are able to list multiple email addresses for their filer login so that interested parties can be notified of filings as well. The hyperlink to access the document will expire after the earlier of these two events: the first use or 15 days. Any time that same hyperlink is accessed after it has expired, the user will be asked for a PACER login and will be charged to view the document. All users are advised to print or save the document during the initial viewing period in order to avoid future charges.

• When clicking on the document link for the first time, it will display the document. The system should not prompt you for a login except for certain case types (e.g., Social Security and Immigration cases) unless the document is restricted. This is your free copy. If you use the link a second time, you will be charged standard PACER fees to view the document.
• If the document is for certain case types (e.g., a Social Security or Immigration case), or is restricted, the system will prompt you for a login. Always enter your CM/ECF login/password. If you login using the PACER account you will lose your free copy. You will need to request a credit from the PACER Service Center to reverse these charges.
• If clicking on the case number link, it will display the Docket Report. If you have not already logged into PACER, you will receive a login prompt. There is no free copy of the Docket Report. There will be a PACER charge.
• If you login to CM/ECF or PACER without using the email link there will be a charge.

The email notification goes to the email address of the registered attorney(s) of record and all email accounts an attorney has listed as recipients of additional notices. Recipients who have identified a case as being of interest may also receive notification but will not receive a free copy if they are not an attorney or secondary listing to an attorney on the case.

The attorney will be charged for viewing documents in PACER every time they access that document after the first free copy.

Yes. 15 days.

Attorneys can change their email address at any time using the Utilities menu option (for district and bankruptcy courts) or the Appellate Filer Account Update option on this website (under Update Person Info for appellate courts) and change the main email receiver to someone else. The system cannot hold the emails while attorneys are out of the office.

Yes.

For district and bankruptcy courts:

Attorneys have the option of authorizing duplicate receipt of the NEF for up to 5 members of his/her support staff. The attorney can add the additional email recipients under the "Utilities" menu option. Click on "Utilities", "Maintain Your Account", "Email Information", then add additional addresses to the section "Secondary Addresses". Click on "Return to Account" screen. Click on "Submit".

For appellate courts:

Attorneys have the option of authorizing duplicate receipt of the NDA for several members of his/her support staff (the number of additional email addresses can vary depending on the length of email addresses – up to 255 characters). To add additional email addresses:

• Login to the Appellate Filer Account Update section of this website.
• Select “Personal Info/Address Updates” in the Maintenance tab.
• Select “Update Noticing Preferences”.
• Enter a comma separated list of email addresses in the Additional Emails field.

You get only one free look. After that, you will incur PACER charges. Customers are encouraged to save the PDF document onto their firm's network drive or to the local hard drive for future access.

Yes. Clicking on the docket sheet hyperlink found in the NEF and NDA will cause a PACER login screen to appear if you have not already logged into PACER. Once you have completed the login screen you will be presented with the current docket sheet for that case. Access to the docket sheet will result in PACER charges.

The document within an email notification is accessed by a hyperlink. This hyperlink takes you to a site which will allow the first viewing to be free. The first individual to view the linked document will not be charged. If you forward the email notification without viewing the document, the recipient of the email will be able to view the document for free. Anytime after the first viewing, a charge will be incurred to view the document. The document should be saved to a local hard drive during the first viewing.

CM/ECF participants receive an email notification of activity in each of their cases. The email notification contains a link to the “one free copy” as part of the CM/ECF program. It may be advantageous for the recipient to save the document to view or print at a later time.

The following instructions apply from the point where you view the email message containing the attached PDF document.

CAUTION: To save the PDF document as described below, make sure the Acrobat Reader is opening in your Web browser, not as a separate window.

1. Click on the link to the document found in the email verification notice.
2. The document loads into Adobe Reader.
3. A toolbar with a diskette icon appears at the top of the Adobe Reader screen.
4. Click on the diskette icon.
5. A dialogue box entitled 'Save As' appears over the document.
6. Complete the following data fields:

• Save in: Designate the drive and directory to save the file.
  
• File name: Name the file. Example: Public, JQstaymotion.pdf.
  
• Save as type: Leave at Acrobat (*.pdf) default.

7. Click the Save button to store the document in the drive and folder you designated.
8. You can now view or print the document at a later time.

The most common reason for non-delivery of court emails is that the email has been identified as spam either by the recipient or automatically by the ISP. If a recipient inadvertently identified a previous court email as spam, the ISP may be blocking email from the court. Contact your ISP to rectify this situation. Some ISPs may automatically route court email to a junk mail folder. Go into your junk mail folder and mark the email from the court as “not junk mail."

There are 3 reasons you will be prompted to login after clicking the link:

1. If it is a certain case type (e.g., Social Security or Immigration case) or a restricted document, you will need to enter your CM/ECF filer ID so the system can verify you are an attorney of record.
2. If 15 days have elapsed since the document was filed, the free copy has expired and you will be required to log in. You will be charged for viewing the document.
3. If the link has been used. You will be charged for viewing the document.

It is possible some of the settings on your PDF viewer are incorrect. If you are using an Adobe product, try the following: Edit, Preferences, Internet, uncheck 'Allow Fast Web View' and 'Display PDF in Browser'.

If you are using AOL mail and the AOL browser, you should change the email notification from HTML to text.

To sign up, visit the BNC's public web site, at www.ebnuscourts.com, read the information provided, download and complete the registration form, and submit it to the BNC.

For bankruptcy/district courts:

Two noticing options are available: a daily summary or individual event notice. The default delivery method is an individual NEF in html format. You can change your preference through the Email Maintenance screen (available through Maintain User Accounts, Maintain Your Account, and a other places on the Utilities menu in CM/ECF) after logging on to a court’s website. The following options are available:

• Change the delivery method preference from Individual NEFs to receiving one Daily Summary NEF for an email address.
• Specify Delivery Method Exceptions (available only in district courts). This means that if the delivery method is set for an address to receive Individual NEFs, you can define a specific list of cases for which notice of activity will be received only via a Daily Summary. You will continue to receive Individual NEFs for activity in all other cases. If receiving a Daily Summary is the preferred delivery method, then the email address associated with the cases defined in this list would receive Individual NEFs.

For appellate courts:

Appellate CM/ECF provides two noticing options: a daily summary or individual event notice. The default is individual event notice, but you can change that by updating your noticing preference information at this website.

• Login to the Appellate Filer Account Update section of this website.
• Select “Personal Info/Address Updates” in the Maintenance tab.
• Select “Update Noticing Preferences”.
• Select “Daily Summary” from the Frequency field drop-down selection list. The updated information will be sent electronically to each of the appellate courts in which you are registered. Once the update is processed in a court, you will begin to receive notices in a summary format rather than one notice for each docketing transaction.

What has probably happened is that you docketed an event for a case, and then clicked on the browser 'back' button a few times to get to a point where you could enter another case number and then docketed another event. By clicking the 'back' button, instead of clicking on ‘Bankruptcy Events' you are keeping the information pulled for the last case you docketed. As long as you click on the menu item instead of clicking on 'Back' you'll be fine - only use the 'back' button to correct a mistake on an event you are in the process of docketing, not to change cases.

To ensure the documents transmitted arrive in their entirety, it is important to examine the document after it is received by the court. This can be done by viewing the docket sheet for the case and selecting the transmitted document. The number of the transmitted document appears on your electronic filing receipt in district and bankruptcy CM/ECF. The document will appear with an icon or a number on an appellate court's docket sheet.

Yes. You cannot file through CM/ECF until you register and the court approves you as a filer. You must register for each circuit in which you wish to file. Click here for more information.

Check your Cache settings in your browser. The "verify documents" entry should have the ‘once per session' or ‘every time' entry checked, but not the ‘never' entry.

All documents must be submitted in Adobe PDF (portable document format) with an extension of ".pdf". Two common errors occur. First, a user thinks that he/she saved the document in PDF. The user then tries to file the WordPerfect version of the document; not the saved PDF version. Second, a user fails to indicate the full path name for the PDF file he/she wants to upload. Because the system could not find the file, it responded with the "format not recognized" message. The solution--provide the full path name when identifying the file (example: "c:\documents\motion.pdf") during the upload process.

Rule 5(e) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 5005(a) of the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure, Rule 25(a) of the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure, and Rule 49(d) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure authorize individual courts by local rule to permit papers to be filed by electronic means. Amendments to Rules 5(b), 6(e) and 77 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Rules 45 and 49 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, Rules 25 and 26 of the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure, and Rules 7005, 9006, 9014 and 9022 of the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure, authorize service of documents by electronic means if parties consent. The amendments do not apply to service of process.

Most courts that offer electronic filing have issued an authorizing local rule; most have supplemented the local rule with a general order and/or procedures that set forth the relevant electronic filing practices in that court. Individual court rules and procedures are generally available on their Web sites.

When a document is filed in CM/ECF, a Notice of Electronic Filing (NEF, for district and bankruptcy courts) or Notice of Docket Activity (NDA, for appellate courts) is automatically generated and emailed to the registered parties in the case. The NEF and NDA includes the text of the docket entry, the unique electronic document stamp, a list of the case participants receiving email notification of the filing, and hyperlink to the document(s) filed. Most recipients will receive one free look at the document.

At present, this is a matter for local court rule or order. All courts using electronic filing are currently treating use of an attorney’s unique system login and password as a signature. Most of the courts require that attorneys retain copies of certain paper documents, such as affidavits or bankruptcy petitions, containing original signatures of third parties, for a set period of time.

The Administrative Office of the United States is currently working on archiving standards that meet the guidelines of the National Archiving and Records Administration. Currently the open and closed cases will reside on the CM/ECF server.

Most cases are available for remote access by all PACER users. There are certain restricted case types and documents (e.g. Social Security, Immigration and criminal case documents filed prior to 11/1/2004) where only the attorney of record can access the case remotely.

The Cases report in CM/ECF is used to display summary data for a range of cases. It can be used to produce a list of open or closed cases between a date range. For example, it can be used to produce a list of cases filed or discharged. It addition, there are a number of options to help limit the results. The Cases report can be found under the Reports menu option in CM/ECF. The report is NOT subject to the 30-page limit on PACER charges so customers should use caution when running the report. It should be noted that in Bankruptcy CM/ECF, the Cases report does not include cases that have been archived.

For district and bankruptcy courts:

The Utilities menu option in district and bankruptcy CM/ECF has a miscellaneous option to view mailing information. Attorneys may use this function to determine who is receiving service electronically and who is receiving service conventionally.

For appellate courts:

The Notice of Docket Activity (NDA) lists the parties and their preferred method of receiving the notice.

Access to the PDF document may be restricted for some cases for the following reasons:

• The document is sealed or access is restricted;
• Only the attorney of record in certain types of cases (e.g., Social Security, Immigration) may view PDF documents remotely;
• In district courts, you should be able to view all criminal documents except those under seal through the Notice of Electronic Filing (NEF). However, most criminal case documents filed in district court prior to November 1, 2004 may be viewed remotely only by the attorney of record. All criminal documents are available in an Appellate case through the Notice of Docket Activity (NDA).

Possibly. In most circuits the clerk will scan all pro se filings, including any pro se briefs received in paper format, and will attach these documents to the relevant docket entry. A Notice of Docket Activity (NDA) will usually be sent when the clerk's office files the document. All scanned pro se documents will be accessible through PACER. Visit a circuit’s website to verify its rules on the availability of pro se filings.

When the opposing party or attorney is not a CM/ECF participant, you must serve them in a traditional fashion (see Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 25).

You cannot delete or edit filings after they have been submitted through CM/ECF. If you made an error (filed in the wrong case, submitted the wrong version of a document, etc.) contact the clerk's office.

An associated case is a case the court has identified as being related to another case because the cases involve the same parties or the same, similar, or related issues of law. An associated case will appear in the Applied Case Selection box on the File a Document screen. A document may be filed to all of the associated cases listed or the user may deselect (uncheck) cases in the list. If an associated case(s) is deselected (the case will appear in bold), the event is only filed to the lead case. If the case is selected, the document is filed to the associated case(s). The selected associated case(s) is displayed at the top of most of the document filing screens.