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Modified Filing Procedures Address Security Concerns

The federal Judiciary is responding to the recent disclosure of wide-spread cybersecurity breaches of government computer systems with new security procedures to protect highly sensitive confidential documents. New procedures will not change current policies regarding public access to court records.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What should I do first to get ready for NextGen CM/ECF being implemented at my court?

If you are currently registered to file electronically in a federal court that has announced it will convert to NextGen CM/ECF, you will first need an upgraded PACER account. 

Follow the steps on the "Get Ready for NextGen CM/ECF" page to upgrade your account. 

Register for a new PACER account if you do not have an account. 

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If you have two PACER accounts, upgrade your private account. Contact the PACER Service Center by email to move your existing exempt privileges. PSC staff will provide access instructions by email. Once this happens, your “CJA” PACER account will be deactivated.

In the past, CJA users had separate PACER accounts for private and CJA work. This is no longer the procedure. You will use the same PACER account for private work and CJA work. CJA users can request that CJA privileges be activated on their PACER account by emailing pacer@psc.uscourts.gov. In your email include your PACER account number and the district in which you have been appointed to the CJA panel. Learn more about turning on your CJA exempt status when performing CJA work in Current and NextGen courts.

NOTE: If you are logged in as a CJA attorney, make sure you are only doing CJA work. Exempt usage is closely monitored by the court, and you will be subject to charges if you are not doing exempt work.
 

There are a few reasons this issue may be occurring. 

The PDF may be form-fillable and needs to be flattened so that it cannot be edited or altered by other users. To do this: 

  1. Open a fillable form and add the necessary data.  

  1. Click File and select Print. 

  1. Select a PDF printer and click OK or Print.  

  1. In the pop-up window, select where to save the "flattened" version of the form. 

  1. Click Save and file the form in CM/ECF. 

Another issue may be the size of the document. Check if your document is not larger than the maximum file size permitted for that court. In addition, make sure the PDF does not contain marks or logos with links to the site of the company that developed the product, as the court will not accept these files. 

You cannot delete or edit filings after they have been submitted through CM/ECF. If you made an error like filing in the wrong case or submitting the wrong version of a document contact the clerk's office. Use the Court CM/ECF Lookup to find the clerk's office contact information.