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Additional Security Enhancements Coming Soon

As part of an ongoing effort to secure the PACER service and CM/ECF systems, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AO) will begin enforcing updated PACER and CM/ECF password standards in August. Strong passwords are essential in safeguarding systems from unauthorized access. The new password must:

  • Be 14-45 characters in length.
  • Contain at least one lowercase letter, one uppercase letter, and one special character.
  • Not contain any part of your first name, last name, username, or email address.

Passwords must also be updated every 180 days. This will help reduce the risk of extended use of compromised passwords. 

The updated password standards will be enforced on all existing PACER-only (search/view only) accounts, including PACER Administrative Accounts (PAAs), on August 25, 2025. Users should consider updating their password as soon as possible. On August 25, PACER-only users will be prompted to update their password if they have not updated it as of May 11. Users will be prompted to update their password upon login and can skip the process three times before their account is disabled.

To align with the upcoming enforcement of the multifactor authentication (MFA) requirements, users with filing and other CM/ECF-level access who have not voluntarily enrolled in MFA by August 11 will be randomly selected to enroll in MFA and be required to update their password starting on that date. However, these users can update their password at any time. 

NOTE: If you update your password before enrolling in MFA, you will NOT be required to update it again when you are prompted to enroll in MFA. If using third-party software for filing, check that updating your password does not require additional action on your part to avoid issues with the software.  

If you have any questions, please contact the PACER Service Center at pacer@psc.uscourts.gov or (800) 676-6856. The PACER Service Center hours of operation are Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT.