What is a nature of suit code?
A nature of suit code is a tool for categorizing the types of cases filed in the federal courts. This code is the basis of all federal caseload statistics produced by the federal Judiciary. Review a list of nature of suit codes (pdf).
How do I get more information for a case I find on the PACER Case Locator?
To see more detailed information about a case, access the court's CM/ECF site. You can access that site and other detailed case information from the PACER Case Locator by clicking on the case number.
How do I access PACER?
Anyone can access PACER to view federal court records, but first you need to register for a PACER account.
Case information is available through PACER 24 hours a day, including weekends and holidays.
NextGen CM/ECF Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
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NextGen CM/ECF FAQs
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.
Log in to Manage My Account and check your ‘Account Type.’ It should indicate you have an Upgraded PACER Account.
Log into Manage My Account and upgrade your account by clicking Upgrade link next to your “Account Type” or click on any of the options under the Settings tab. You will then be prompted to upgrade your account.
If the Case Search Status says "Inactive," you can still upgrade your account, but cannot search for case information. To activate your account contact the PACER Service Center for assistance at (800) 676-6856 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday, or by email at pacer@psc.uscourts.gov.
Only CM/ECF users are required to upgrade their accounts right now. However, you will be prompted to upgrade your account when you update any of your account information with the exception of making a payment.
There are several learning aids that can help you learn more about the NextGen CM/ECF system.
Once a court has migrated to NextGen CM/ECF you will need to link your accounts together. First log in to manage your account. You will need to use the "Link my filer account to my PACER account" link (appellate court) or the "Link a CM/ECF account to my PACER account" link (bankruptcy or district courts). This process varies depending on court type.
For detailed instructions, review the:
Once you linked your filing credentials, you will only need to use your upgraded PACER account credentials to file and/or view case information in any NextGen CM/ECF court.
If the linking process failed, please try again. If you do not remember your CM/ECF username or password, contact the court.
If the linking process still does not work, you must log in with your upgraded PACER account and submit a new electronic filing request for the court:
- Log in to Manage My Account.
- Click the Maintenance tab.
- Click either Attorney Admissions/E-File Registration or Non-Attorney Admissions E-File Registration.
Once request is submitted, you will need to wait for the court to process the request and grant you electronic filing privileges.
To learn more about submitting a new electronic filing request, review the electronic learning module for the Manage My Account Maintenance tab.
For CurrentGen courts, you must register through the court, and the court must approve you as a filer. For NextGen courts, you must register through Manage My Account, and the court must approve you as a filer. You need to register for each court in which you wish to file.
You should upgrade before your court converts to NextGen CM/ECF.
The CurrentGen CM/ECF system requires two separate usernames and passwords; however, once a court implements the NextGen CM/ECF system, you will be able to use your PACER username and password for both. Look up if your court has upgraded to NextGen CM/ECF.
Once your court implements the NextGen CM/ECF system, you will be required to use your PACER account for all courts.
Because each bankruptcy and district court assigns the login for filing credentials in the CurrentGen 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.
Group Billing/PACER Administrative Account Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
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Group Billing/PACER Administrative Account FAQs
Yes. The PACER Service Center offers the PACER Administrative Account (PAA), a consolidated billing and online account management process that allows groups to manage and pay for all charges associated with multiple PACER accounts.
Register for group billing with a PACER Administrative Account. A PACER Administrative Account will only allow you to manage group billing. It will not allow you to log in to access case information.
Read the PACER Administrative Account User Manual for more information.
No. We do not accept registrations by spreadsheet. Users should set up their own accounts. This is recommended (as opposed to someone setting them up for everyone) because the security information and date of birth they enter will be required to reset their password if they forget or misplace it. The PACER Service Center no longer verifies or mails passwords.
If you have PACER Administrative Account, you have the option to upgrade your account. Log in to Manage My Account and click Upgrade link next to your “Account Type." You will be prompted to:
- Create a username and password
- Adding a date of birth
- Select a county
- Select and answer two security questions
A message will also prompt you to upgrade when you try to use any PACER Administrative Account options besides viewing usage or making a payment.
If the attorney's account is under your PACER Administrative Account, you can unlink the account so that you are no longer responsible for their PACER charges after they leave the firm.
A new employee should provide you with his or her last name and 7-digit PACER account number. If the employee does not have a PACER account, they need to create one and then provide the account number so you can add them to your PACER Administrative Account (PAA). To add an account:
- Log in to Manage My Account with your PAA username and password.
- Click on the PAA Maintenance tab.
- Select Add Existing PACER Account to My PAA.
- Enter the Account Number, Last Name, and a brief remark.
- Check the acknowledgement box and click Submit.
The attorney will receive an email indicating they have a request to join your PAA. They must log into Manage My Account using their PACER account credentials and accept your request in order to be added to your PAA.
Read the PACER Administrative Account User Manual for more information.
- Log into Manage My Account with your PACER Administrative Account (PAA) username and password.
- Click on the PAA Maintenance tab.
- Select Remove PACER Account(s) from My PAA.
- Enter a brief Remark, then check the box(es) for the account(s) you wish to remove.
- Click Submit.
Read the PACER Administrative Account User Manual for more information.
Yes. Users have the option to remove their account from a PACER Administrative Account (PAA). To do so:
- Log into Manage My Account.
- Select Remove Your PACER Account from a PAA on the Settings tab.
- Enter a brief remark and click Submit.
PACER Case Search Privileges will be made temporarily deactivated during this process. To reactivate, after updating your account information, please contact the PACER Service Center at 800-676-6856 or pacer@psc.uscourts.gov or have your new firm administrator add you to their PAA.
Once it is added to the PACER Administrative Account (PAA), the account will be activated within a few minutes. To verify the account has been linked to your PAA, you can check the status of the request by logging into Manage My Account and clicking View All My Requests.
A user cannot add an account to your PACER Administrative Account. You must invite the user and they must accept the invite. As the PACER Administrative Account user, you can unlink the account at any time, and the individual user can also unlink at any time.
Accounts linked to a PACER Administrative Account will not generate a bill; all charges will be billed to the PAA.
If a user registers with a credit card and then is added to a PAA the credit card they used during registration will not be charged.
Yes. An email will be sent to both users when an account is unlinked from the PACER Administrative Account.
Yes, the existing Client Code requirement for a PACER Administrative Account will continue.
Client code requirements are automatically applied to new accounts added to a PACER Administrative Account and any prior client code requirements are overwritten.
Changing a password, updating contact information, setting security information, or changing account preferences are not be possible without upgrading the PACER account.
For a PACER Administrative Account, it is not possible to perform management functions such as adding or unlinking an account, viewing a list of accounts, or assigning cost center information in addition to the functions mentioned above for a PACER account, without upgrading the account.
Yes. Any balance (including credit) will be transferred to the linked PACER Administrative Account.
Pricing Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
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Pricing FAQs
Access to case information costs $0.10 per page. Depending on format, billable pages are calculated in two different ways. For HTML-formatted information, a billable page is calculated using a formula based on the number of bytes extracted (4,320 bytes = 1 billable page). For PDFs, the actual number of pages is counted (1 PDF page = 1 billable page).
The cost to access a single document is capped at $3.00, the equivalent of 30 pages for documents and case-specific reports like docket report, creditor listing, and claims register. The cap does not apply to name search results, reports that are not case-specific, and transcripts of federal court proceedings.
NOTE: If you accrue $30 or less of charges in a quarter, fees are waived for that period. 75 percent of PACER users do not pay a fee in a given quarter.
The $0.10 per-page charge is based on the number of pages that result from each search and accessing each requested report or document online. The charge is not based on printing that search or document. Read some examples of how charges are generated:
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Enter party name "johnson, t" and receive two pages of matches. The charge is $0.20.
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Enter case number 01-10054 and select Docket Report. The docket is 10 pages, so the charge is $1. You may enter a date range to limit the number of pages by displaying entries for the date range rather than all entries in the report.
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Select a link within the docket report to view a document. The PDF document is five pages, so the charge is $0.50.
This charge applies to the number of pages that results from any search, including a search that yields no matches (a charge of $0.10, one page, for no matches).
Read the fee schedule for electronic public access services. Find out when PACER is free, tips to limit fees, or options to access records if you cannot afford PACER fees.
In 1988, the Judiciary sought appropriations from the U.S. Congress to provide electronic public access to court records. However, Congress did not provide the funds and instead directed the Judiciary to fund the initiative through user fees. As a result, the program relies exclusively on fee revenue.
The Judicial Conference of the United States approved a measure in September 2019 stating that a user will not owe a fee unless their account accrues more than $30 of usage in a given quarter effective January 2020. If a user accrues $30 or less, those fees are waived for that quarter.
Learn about how PACER fees work.
“In forma pauperis” status does not automatically give you free access to PACER. You must petition the court separately to request free access.
Use the Court CM/ECF Lookup to find the contact information for an individual court.
Yes. Individuals working on defined research projects intended for scholarly work can request a PACER fee exemption from multiple courts. Each court reviews and approves requests at their discretion. Read more about this process and what form you need to complete to make a request.
Government agencies are not exempt from PACER fees. The fees are the same for all users.
Learn about how PACER fees work. Learn how to set up an interagency agreement for PACER use.
There are fees associated with filing a case in federal court, or for filing specific types of documents, but those are filing fees that apply whether the filing is done electronically through CM/ECF, or by filing with the court in paper.
Read about how PACER fees work on the Pricing page or in the Electronic Public Access Fee Schedule (Issued in accordance with 28 U.S.C. § 1913, 1914, 1926, 1930, 1932).
Yes. There is a fee for retrieving and distributing case information:
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$30 per search (even if no results are returned), plus $0.10 per page per document delivered electronically, up to five documents. The $3 maximum (30-page cap) charged for any document applies.
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If you want printed copies, the fee is $30 plus $0.50 per page (30-page cap does not apply) instead of $0.10 for electronic copies.
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Search fees must be collected before any documents are delivered.
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Get started with a request (pdf).
Learn about how PACER fees work.
Federal government agencies that wish to enter into an IAA for the use of PACER and payment of PACER fees incurred by its users should submit a 7600A Form and a 7600B Form to the PACER Service Center. Agencies should contact the PACER Service Center to obtain forms prefilled with the required information.
If your agency requires additional or different documentation to establish an IAA for the use of and payment for the PACER service, the processing of the IAA may be delayed.
NOTE: PACER usage is not buy/sell activity and therefore is not subject to G-Invoicing. In addition, PACER invoices are not entered into IPAC. When making a payment in IPAC, agencies should select the Transaction Sub-Category “Other.”
Registration Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
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Registration FAQs
Anyone can access PACER to view federal court records, but first you need to register for a PACER account.
Case information is available through PACER 24 hours a day, including weekends and holidays.
Each court maintains its own case information. If you know the district or circuit in which the case is filed, search that court directly. If you do not know where the case is filed, use the PACER Case Locator.
The PACER Service Center is open to assist you at (800) 676-6856 between the hours of 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. CT Monday through Friday or by email at pacer@psc.uscourts.gov.
While we do not recommend setting up accounts for others, we understand this is a common practice at many firms. Create a new account for an attorney.
When setting up an account for a user, it is important to use the correct date of birth (DOB) for the individual, as the DOB is permanent to the account.
An attorney must be admitted to practice in a specific court and registered to e-file with that same court in order to file court documents electronically and to receive email notices of documents that are filed.
For district and bankruptcy courts:
Each district/bankruptcy court has its own requirements and procedures for registering. Visit the court's website for more information.
For appellate courts:
Register to become an e-filer in appellate courts and bankruptcy appellate panels. Check the court rules to find out who is permitted. Learn more about the registration procedures.
All attorneys must register for PACER in addition to requesting e-filing privileges in order to fully use the NextGen CM/ECF system.
Find out if your court has transitioned to NextGen.
A tax ID may be used in the event that federal debt collection is necessary. It is not used for other purposes.
For CurrentGen courts, you must register through the court, and the court must approve you as a filer. For NextGen courts, you must register through Manage My Account, and the court must approve you as a filer. You need to register for each court in which you wish to file.
The federal Judiciary does not recommend sharing PACER accounts. Anyone sharing a username and/or password can potentially update information, like the password, and inadvertently lock out other users who also share the account. To reset your password, you will need to know associated email address and username, or account number, or date of birth, and security questions.
NextGen CM/ECF also allows you to use the same username and password for both PACER and electronic filing. As a filer, you will be required to link your CM/ECF filing account to your individual PACER account.
Using a PACER Administrative Account (PAA), your firm can manage the billing for all individual accounts. Learn more about a PAA.
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.
Yes. The PACER Service Center offers the PACER Administrative Account (PAA), a consolidated billing and online account management process that allows groups to manage and pay for all charges associated with multiple PACER accounts.
Register for group billing with a PACER Administrative Account. A PACER Administrative Account will only allow you to manage group billing. It will not allow you to log in to access case information.
Read the PACER Administrative Account User Manual for more information.
No. We do not accept registrations by spreadsheet. Users should set up their own accounts. This is recommended (as opposed to someone setting them up for everyone) because the security information and date of birth they enter will be required to reset their password if they forget or misplace it. The PACER Service Center no longer verifies or mails passwords.
My Account & Billing Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
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My Account & Billing FAQs
Users receive a statement quarterly by mail or email, depending on user preference. Fees are waived when usage is $30 or less for the quarter. Make a payment online or by phone (800) 676-6856 using VISA, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express. Checks may be mailed to the PACER Service Center, please include your account number to ensure that payment is posted to the correct account.
Mail payment to:
U.S. Courts: PACER
P.O. Box 5208
Portland, OR 97208-5208
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Log in to Manage My Account.
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Select the Usage tab.
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Click “View Quarterly Invoice/Statement of Account.”
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Log in to Manage My Account.
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Select the Usage tab.
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Click "View Detailed Transactions."
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Log in to Manage My Account.
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Select the Usage tab.
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Click View "Detailed Transactions."
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In the Sort Order field, select client code.
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Specify the date range in the date range fields and click submit.
The client code is an optional field that allows organizations and law firms that work with multiple clients to group transactions for their own internal billing process.
Look up your client code settings by logging in to Manage My Account using your PACER username and password and clicking on “Set PACER Billing Preferences.”
Yes. The client code field allows you to enter a code that is up to 32 characters to track charges.
You must enter or change the client code before you perform any operation that results in a charge; otherwise, it will not appear on the bill. The client code feature is optional, however, you can make the field mandatory for your individual PACER account by logging into Manage My Account and clicking “Set PACER Billing Preferences.”
For an account that is not under a PACER Administrative Account, a quarterly invoice is generated for the individual attorney. An email is sent to the attorney, indicating the invoice is ready to be viewed/downloaded.
If the account is linked to a PACER Administrative Account, an invoice is only sent to the PACER Administrative Account user, indicating the firm's bill is ready to be viewed/downloaded.
The PACER Service Center's tax identification number is 74-2747938.
Submit a Credit Request Form (pdf) for credit to be considered. The form must be completed according to the instructions outlined in the document.
Submit a letter requesting a refund and the Refund Form (pdf) to receive a refund for overpayments made to the PACER Service Center. The request cannot be processed without both a letter of request and form.
Allow 4-6 weeks for refund processing. Refunds will be issued via electronic funds transfer or back to the credit card used originally. The refund will appear as a credit to your checking or savings account or on your credit card statement.
Please verify that your username and password are correct.
PACER and the PACER Case Locator require that cookies and JavaScript are enabled in your browser. Confirm you do not have a corrupt cookie stored on your system. Delete all cookies stored on your system by clearing your cache and try again.
Log in to Manage My Account and check your ‘Account Type.’ It should indicate you have an Upgraded PACER Account.
Log into Manage My Account and upgrade your account by clicking Upgrade link next to your “Account Type” or click on any of the options under the Settings tab. You will then be prompted to upgrade your account.
If the Case Search Status says "Inactive," you can still upgrade your account, but cannot search for case information. To activate your account contact the PACER Service Center for assistance at (800) 676-6856 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday, or by email at pacer@psc.uscourts.gov.
Only CM/ECF users are required to upgrade their accounts right now. However, you will be prompted to upgrade your account when you update any of your account information with the exception of making a payment.
Once a court has migrated to NextGen CM/ECF you will need to link your accounts together. First log in to manage your account. You will need to use the "Link my filer account to my PACER account" link (appellate court) or the "Link a CM/ECF account to my PACER account" link (bankruptcy or district courts). This process varies depending on court type.
For detailed instructions, review the:
Once you linked your filing credentials, you will only need to use your upgraded PACER account credentials to file and/or view case information in any NextGen CM/ECF court.
If the linking process failed, please try again. If you do not remember your CM/ECF username or password, contact the court.
If the linking process still does not work, you must log in with your upgraded PACER account and submit a new electronic filing request for the court:
- Log in to Manage My Account.
- Click the Maintenance tab.
- Click either Attorney Admissions/E-File Registration or Non-Attorney Admissions E-File Registration.
Once request is submitted, you will need to wait for the court to process the request and grant you electronic filing privileges.
To learn more about submitting a new electronic filing request, review the electronic learning module for the Manage My Account Maintenance tab.
If you have PACER Administrative Account, you have the option to upgrade your account. Log in to Manage My Account and click Upgrade link next to your “Account Type." You will be prompted to:
- Create a username and password
- Adding a date of birth
- Select a county
- Select and answer two security questions
A message will also prompt you to upgrade when you try to use any PACER Administrative Account options besides viewing usage or making a payment.
A credit card stored in a PACER Administrative Account is only used for PACER fees.
To store a credit card to use for filing fees, each user will need to store one in their individual PACER account. Log in to Manage My Account and select “Manage My Stored Payment Information” under the “Payment” tab. Filing fees are processed through the court.
If the attorney's account is under your PACER Administrative Account, you can unlink the account so that you are no longer responsible for their PACER charges after they leave the firm.
A new employee should provide you with his or her last name and 7-digit PACER account number. If the employee does not have a PACER account, they need to create one and then provide the account number so you can add them to your PACER Administrative Account (PAA). To add an account:
- Log in to Manage My Account with your PAA username and password.
- Click on the PAA Maintenance tab.
- Select Add Existing PACER Account to My PAA.
- Enter the Account Number, Last Name, and a brief remark.
- Check the acknowledgement box and click Submit.
The attorney will receive an email indicating they have a request to join your PAA. They must log into Manage My Account using their PACER account credentials and accept your request in order to be added to your PAA.
Read the PACER Administrative Account User Manual for more information.
- Log into Manage My Account with your PACER Administrative Account (PAA) username and password.
- Click on the PAA Maintenance tab.
- Select Remove PACER Account(s) from My PAA.
- Enter a brief Remark, then check the box(es) for the account(s) you wish to remove.
- Click Submit.
Read the PACER Administrative Account User Manual for more information.
Yes. Users have the option to remove their account from a PACER Administrative Account (PAA). To do so:
- Log into Manage My Account.
- Select Remove Your PACER Account from a PAA on the Settings tab.
- Enter a brief remark and click Submit.
PACER Case Search Privileges will be made temporarily deactivated during this process. To reactivate, after updating your account information, please contact the PACER Service Center at 800-676-6856 or pacer@psc.uscourts.gov or have your new firm administrator add you to their PAA.
Once it is added to the PACER Administrative Account (PAA), the account will be activated within a few minutes. To verify the account has been linked to your PAA, you can check the status of the request by logging into Manage My Account and clicking View All My Requests.
PACER and CM/ECF accounts will remain separate until a court implements the NextGen CM/ECF system. Once, a court implements NextGen CM/ECF, there is no need for separate accounts.
All the appellate courts have implemented NextGen CM/ECF. Bankruptcy and district court are in process of implementing. Courts may post information on their websites as their implementation date approaches.
A user cannot add an account to your PACER Administrative Account. You must invite the user and they must accept the invite. As the PACER Administrative Account user, you can unlink the account at any time, and the individual user can also unlink at any time.
Accounts linked to a PACER Administrative Account will not generate a bill; all charges will be billed to the PAA.
If a user registers with a credit card and then is added to a PAA the credit card they used during registration will not be charged.
They can log in to Manage My Account. The account number is the 7-digit number above the username.
Changing a password, updating contact information, setting security information, or changing account preferences are not be possible without upgrading the PACER account.
For a PACER Administrative Account, it is not possible to perform management functions such as adding or unlinking an account, viewing a list of accounts, or assigning cost center information in addition to the functions mentioned above for a PACER account, without upgrading the account.
Yes. Any balance (including credit) will be transferred to the linked PACER Administrative Account.
To dispute a transaction for which you have been billed, or if you have a question concerning a transaction, complete and sign the Credit Request Form (pdf) so your request can be reviewed. Along with the form, include a detailed explanation to support the credit request and details of the transactions being disputed.
Credits cannot be issued until after the quarterly statement has been generated.
The CurrentGen CM/ECF system requires two separate usernames and passwords; however, once a court implements the NextGen CM/ECF system, you will be able to use your PACER username and password for both. Look up if your court has upgraded to NextGen CM/ECF.
For CM/ECF
You do not need to register for CM/ECF more than once. Even if you change firms, your username and password remain valid. However, you must update your contact information–address, email, etc. Different courts have local rules and procedures governing this process, check the courts website.
- For CurrentGen CM/ECF users: Click on Utilities and select Maintain Your CM/ECF account.
- For NextGen CM/ECF users: Make updates through the Log in to Manage My Account
- Log in to Manage My Account with your PACER username and password and update the contact information.
- Note for Bankruptcy and District courts: Secondary noticing email addresses need to be updated with in CM/ECF. Click on Utilities and select Maintain Your CM/ECF account.
For PACER
If you have an individual PACER account, it may move with you. Update your contact information. Log in to Manage My Account with your PACER username and password and update the contact information.
You can make updates to personal information such as address, password, email notification preferences, etc. The process for making changes depends on your court's CM/ECF system.
For district and bankruptcy courts using the CurrentGen CM/ECF system:
- In CM/ECF, click on Utilities and select Maintain Your CM/ECF account.
For appellate, district, and bankruptcy courts using Next Gen CM/ECF:
- Make updates through the Manage My Account section of this website.
Find out if your court uses the CurrentGen or NextGen CM/ECF systems.
When an attorney leaves a firm, both the attorney and the firm need to consider the implications to the CM/ECF noticing system. For district and bankruptcy courts that use the CurrentGen CM/ECF system, if cases will move with the attorney, he or she should change the email notification setup and submit a change of address to the clerk's office. Different courts have local rules and procedures governing this process, check the courts website.
For courts that use the NextGen CM/ECF system, this can be done through the Manage My Account section of this website. Different courts have local rules and procedures governing this process, check the courts website.
Yes.
For district and bankruptcy courts:
Attorneys may authorize duplicate receipt of the notice of electronic filing for up to five support staff members. To add email recipients, the attorney should use the Maintain Your Account/Email Information option under the Utilities menu within CM/ECF.
For appellate courts:
Attorneys may authorize duplicate receipt of the notice of docket activity for several support staff members, depending on the length of email addresses (up to 255 characters).
To add email recipients, the attorney should log in to Manage My Account, select Update E-Filer Email Noticing and Frequency option under the Maintenance tab.
You can deactivate your PACER account by contacting the PACER Service Center for assistance.
If you register for a new account but don’t provide a credit card, you will receive a letter in the mail within 7-10 business days. This letter will contain a token that you can use to activate your account through the Manage My Account Login.
An individual court may request you upload a certificate of good standing before being admitted to practice law in that court. Contact the court to find out their requirements and instructions for completing the attorney admissions process.
Federal government agencies that wish to enter into an IAA for the use of PACER and payment of PACER fees incurred by its users should submit a 7600A Form and a 7600B Form to the PACER Service Center. Agencies should contact the PACER Service Center to obtain forms prefilled with the required information.
If your agency requires additional or different documentation to establish an IAA for the use of and payment for the PACER service, the processing of the IAA may be delayed.
NOTE: PACER usage is not buy/sell activity and therefore is not subject to G-Invoicing. In addition, PACER invoices are not entered into IPAC. When making a payment in IPAC, agencies should select the Transaction Sub-Category “Other.”
File a Case Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
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File a Case FAQs
CM/ECF, which stands for Case Management/Electronic Case Files system, allows courts to maintain electronic case files and offer electronic filing online, making all case information immediately available.
CM/ECF allows:
- Registered filers to file documents 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- Attorneys, filers, and organizations to reduce their paper, photocopies, postage, and courier costs.
- Immediate access to full case information for attorneys, parties, and general public.
A court will post a notice of routine or emergency maintenance on the court's website if CM/ECF is ever unavailable.
Contact your local court to see what training sessions may be offered. Most courts offering CM/ECF access will provide an online 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.
Review available documentation on using CM/ECF.
For CurrentGen courts, you must register through the court, and the court must approve you as a filer. For NextGen courts, you must register through Manage My Account, and the court must approve you as a filer. You need to register for each court in which you wish to file.
The following rules authorize individual courts by local rule to permit papers to be filed by electronic means:
- 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.
The following rules authorize service of documents by electronic means if parties consent:
- 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
The amendments do not apply to service of process.
Most courts 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 websites. Use the Court CM/ECF Lookup to find individual court website links.
An attorney must be admitted to practice in a specific court and registered to e-file with that same court in order to file court documents electronically and to receive email notices of documents that are filed.
For district and bankruptcy courts:
Each district/bankruptcy court has its own requirements and procedures for registering. Visit the court's website for more information.
For appellate courts:
Register to become an e-filer in appellate courts and bankruptcy appellate panels. Check the court rules to find out who is permitted. Learn more about the registration procedures.
All attorneys must register for PACER in addition to requesting e-filing privileges in order to fully use the NextGen CM/ECF system.
Find out if your court has transitioned to NextGen.
Once your court implements the NextGen CM/ECF system, you will be required to use your PACER account for all courts.
Because each bankruptcy and district court assigns the login for filing credentials in the CurrentGen 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.
Please verify that your username and password are correct.
PACER and the PACER Case Locator require that cookies and JavaScript are enabled in your browser. Confirm you do not have a corrupt cookie stored on your system. Delete all cookies stored on your system by clearing your cache and try again.
A nature of suit code is a tool for categorizing the types of cases filed in the federal courts. This code is the basis of all federal caseload statistics produced by the federal Judiciary. Review a list of nature of suit codes (pdf).
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:
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Open a fillable form and add the necessary data.
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Click File and select Print.
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Select a PDF printer and click OK or Print.
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In the pop-up window, select where to save the "flattened" version of the form.
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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.
To prevent users from editing your form fields in a fillable PDF, you must "flatten" or lock the form before saving.
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Open a fillable form and add the necessary data.
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Click File and select Print.
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Select a PDF printer and click OK or Print.
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In the pop-up window, select where to save the "flattened" version of the form.
The document should now be "flattened" and cannot be altered.
To convert to PDF:
- Open the document in your word processing application.
- Click File and select Save As.
- Click the Save type as dropdown.
- Select PDF and click Save.
To create a PDF:
- Open the document in your word processing application.
- Click File and select Save As.
- Click the Save type as dropdown.
- Select PDF and click Save.
Your document may change depending on the font type, font size, printer, and other layout parameters in your original file.
You can go to adobe.com for some troubleshooting tips. If the issue is with your printer, try setting your PDF printer as the default printer before opening the document. Then open the document and edit it to correct any formatting issues. Save the document and convert it to a PDF again.
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.
Once a court has migrated to NextGen CM/ECF you will need to link your accounts together. First log in to manage your account. You will need to use the "Link my filer account to my PACER account" link (appellate court) or the "Link a CM/ECF account to my PACER account" link (bankruptcy or district courts). This process varies depending on court type.
For detailed instructions, review the:
Once you linked your filing credentials, you will only need to use your upgraded PACER account credentials to file and/or view case information in any NextGen CM/ECF court.
If the linking process failed, please try again. If you do not remember your CM/ECF username or password, contact the court.
If the linking process still does not work, you must log in with your upgraded PACER account and submit a new electronic filing request for the court:
- Log in to Manage My Account.
- Click the Maintenance tab.
- Click either Attorney Admissions/E-File Registration or Non-Attorney Admissions E-File Registration.
Once request is submitted, you will need to wait for the court to process the request and grant you electronic filing privileges.
To learn more about submitting a new electronic filing request, review the electronic learning module for the Manage My Account Maintenance tab.
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.
Attorneys in a case are emailed a notice of electronic filing (NEF) in district and bankruptcy cases, or a notice of docket activity (NDA) in appellate cases. The email contains a hyperlink to the document and is sent when a document has been filed or when there is activity in the case.
Each attorney of record in a case or pro se litigant will receive an email containing a hyperlink to a filed document. One free copy is available to each party of a case (e.g. attorney of record or pro se litigant) and any secondary address on the email information screen within CM/ECF. The free copy does not apply to transcripts.
Yes. A fee is applied for accessing a docket sheet and for any documents accessed from the link on the docket sheet.
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.
Local court rules vary. Contact the court or check its website to determine if there are local rules governing this process.
You may have either saved the document as something other than a PDF, or you did not provide the full file path name. All documents must be saved and submitted as a PDF, with an extension of “.pdf.” In addition, be sure to provide the full path name when identifying the file during the upload process (e.g., C:\somedirectory\motion.pdf).
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 include the text of the docket entry, the unique electronic document stamp, a list of the case participants receiving email notification of the filing, and a hyperlink to the document(s) filed. Parties to the case will receive one free look when they click the document number link within 15 days of receipt of the NEF or NDA.
All courts using electronic filing treat the use of an attorney’s unique system login and password as a signature. Most 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. These procedures are managed by each individual court through a local court rule or order.
The notice of electronic filing (NEF for district and bankruptcy courts) or notice of docket activity (NDA for appellate courts) that is emailed to the registered parties in the case, lists the parties and their preferred method of receiving the notice.
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 through the notice of electronic filing (NEF), except those under seal. In addition, most criminal case documents filed in district court prior to November 1, 2004, may be viewed only by the attorney of record.
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.
In general, an associated case is a case the court has identified as related to another case. Typically, these cases may involve the same, similar, or related issues of law. If applicable, associated case(s) will appear in the Applied Case Selection box on the File a Document screen. A filing may be submitted in all or some of the associated cases listed. If all associated case(s) are deselected, the filing is only submitted to the lead case. Tip: When submitting a filing, the case(s) to which the filing applies is displayed on the filing screens.
Users can register at the Bankruptcy Noticing Center (BNC) to receive bankruptcy notices electronically or consolidate all U.S. Postal Service notices to one address. These notices are sent on the same day they are produced at the court, and can be accessed 24/7. Court notices mailed to multiple locations can be routed to a centralized address and then easily forwarded to interested parties.
Access to the filing portion of CM/ECF is available to authorized users only. Learn more about who can file using CM/ECF. Authorization and training of users is provided by the individual federal court. Contact the court for details on filing privileges.
Each court has its own procedures and requirements. Check with the court website for more information.
You can make updates to personal information such as address, password, email notification preferences, etc. The process for making changes depends on your court's CM/ECF system.
For district and bankruptcy courts using the CurrentGen CM/ECF system:
- In CM/ECF, click on Utilities and select Maintain Your CM/ECF account.
For appellate, district, and bankruptcy courts using Next Gen CM/ECF:
- Make updates through the Manage My Account section of this website.
Find out if your court uses the CurrentGen or NextGen CM/ECF systems.
The second login prompt is requesting your PACER username and password, which is required whenever you request a report or document from a case while logged in as an electronic filer. To avoid getting the second login prompt, you can store your PACER username and password. To do so, when you enter your PACER credentials, check the checkbox “Make this my default PACER login” on the CM/ECF login page. After checking this box, you will only need to use your CM/ECF credentials for electronic filing and for viewing documents via PACER.
When an attorney leaves a firm, both the attorney and the firm need to consider the implications to the CM/ECF noticing system. For district and bankruptcy courts that use the CurrentGen CM/ECF system, if cases will move with the attorney, he or she should change the email notification setup and submit a change of address to the clerk's office. Different courts have local rules and procedures governing this process, check the courts website.
For courts that use the NextGen CM/ECF system, this can be done through the Manage My Account section of this website. Different courts have local rules and procedures governing this process, check the courts website.
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.
The clerk's office reviews attorney filings as part of its quality control procedures. If 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 sent.
Certificate of Service is a statement certifying that the party filing the document has sent a copy of the document to the opposing party or attorney. Requirements for Certificates of Service vary depending by circuit. Contact the circuit to determine if there are local rules governing this process.
Each attorney of record in a case will receive an email from the court containing a hyperlink to a document that has been filed and can be accessed the first time for free. Attorneys may list multiple email addresses for their filer login so that interested parties can be notified of filings as well.
The link expires after the first use or 15 days, whichever is first. You should print or save the document during the initial viewing period. If you click the link after it has expired or after the first use, you will need to enter your PACER credentials and will be charged to view the document. Contact the court if you have questions or need the notification email resent.
If the document is for certain case types (e.g., a restricted, Social Security, or immigration case), the system will prompt you to log in. Always enter your CM/ECF credentials for CurrentGen courts and PACER credentials for NextGen courts.
NOTE: As courts convert to the NextGen CM/ECF system, you will only use one login for both PACER and CM/ECF. Find out if your court is using NextGen CM/ECF.
If you click on the case number link, it will display the Docket Report. You will need to log in to PACER to view this report, and you will be charged for access.
To save the PDF:
- Click the document link.
- The document loads into Adobe Reader or other PDF reader.
- Click the diskette icon in the top toolbar.
- A dialog box entitled Save As appears over the document.
- 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.
- Click the Save button to store the document in the drive and folder you designated.
- You can now view or print the document at a later time.
The email may have gone to your junk email folder. If a recipient inadvertently identified a previous court email as spam, the internet service provider (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 to your junk mail folder and mark the email from the court as "not junk mail."
If you forward the email without clicking the link, the email recipient can access the document for free. Any time after the first viewing, a charge will be incurred to view the document. The document should be saved during the first viewing.
Yes.
For district and bankruptcy courts:
Attorneys may authorize duplicate receipt of the notice of electronic filing for up to five support staff members. To add email recipients, the attorney should use the Maintain Your Account/Email Information option under the Utilities menu within CM/ECF.
For appellate courts:
Attorneys may authorize duplicate receipt of the notice of docket activity for several support staff members, depending on the length of email addresses (up to 255 characters).
To add email recipients, the attorney should log in to Manage My Account, select Update E-Filer Email Noticing and Frequency option under the Maintenance tab.
Find a Case Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
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Find a Case FAQs
Anyone can access PACER to view federal court records, but first you need to register for a PACER account.
Case information is available through PACER 24 hours a day, including weekends and holidays.
Each court maintains its own case information. If you know the district or circuit in which the case is filed, search that court directly. If you do not know where the case is filed, use the PACER Case Locator.
The PACER Service Center is open to assist you at (800) 676-6856 between the hours of 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. CT Monday through Friday or by email at pacer@psc.uscourts.gov.
You are automatically logged out when you close your browser. You can also log out by clicking log out on the main menu.
Most bankruptcy courts offer limited information through the Multi-court Voice Case Information System. Access to the system is currently offered at no cost and can be accessed by calling (866) 222-8029.
Learn more about this system and participating bankruptcy courts.
Contact the federal court where the case is filed to obtain information beyond the case summary, docket entries, and copies of documents.
If you cannot locate a case when searching a federal court’s case records by case number or party name, try using the PACER Case Locator. This will generate a listing of nationwide court locations and case numbers where a party is involved in federal litigation. If you cannot find the case party through the PACER Case Locator, then contact the federal court where you think the case was filed for assistance.
The PACER Case Locator is a national case locator index for all federal court records in district, bankruptcy, and appellate courts. Every 24 hours, typically nightly, the PACER Case Locator is updated with new case information.
Log in to the PACER Case Locator. If you are a registered PACER user, you automatically have access to the PACER Case Locator with your username and password.
A search will return the party name, the court where the case is filed, the case number, date filed, and date closed. You can access more detailed case information stored within CM/ECF from the case number in the PACER Case Locator.
Case information is available once it has been filed or entered in the court’s Case Management/Electronic Case Files (CM/ECF) system. Login to the National PACER Login to view documents.
Newly filed cases typically appear in the PACER Case Locator within 24 hours.
To see more detailed information about a case, access the court's CM/ECF site. You can access that site and other detailed case information from the PACER Case Locator by clicking on the case number.
Yes. Access privileges are suspended for any account that causes an unacceptable level of congestion or disruption to the operations of the PACER Service Center, a federal court, or another PACER user. Any attempt to collect data from PACER in a manner that avoids billing is strictly prohibited and may result in criminal prosecution or civil action.
It is the filer’s responsibility to redact and ensure private information is not included in the case files. Attorney’s must inform their clients that case files may be obtained electronically and to ensure private information is not included in the case files.
If there is a discrepancy found with case information, notify the court where the document or case is filed.
PACER provides access to millions of case file documents and docket information for all district, bankruptcy, and appellate courts. These are available immediately after they have been electronically filed.
Some case information is not available. Certain personal identifiers are removed or redacted before the record becomes public, including Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, the name of a minor, date of birth, and home addresses in a criminal case.
In addition, some documents may be unavailable to the general public, including:
- Documents from pre-2003 bankruptcy cases.
- Documents filed before Nov. 1, 2004 in criminal cases.
- Documents in social security and immigration cases.
If you are unable to locate the information you are seeking, contact the local court or the PACER Service Center at (800) 676-6856 between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. CT Monday through Friday or by email at pacer@psc.uscourts.gov.
No. PACER access is for federal courts only.
Documents are provided as “PDF” or “html.” Select File and then Save As in the browser toolbar. For docket sheets or reports make sure the file is saved with the extension ".html." Court documents are provided as PDF files.
U.S. Bankruptcy Courts
Search by case number, party name, Social Security number, or tax identification number.
U.S. District Courts
Search by case number, party name, or filing date range.
U.S. Courts of Appeals
Search by case number or party name.
PACER Case Locator
Search by case number, party name, social security, employer identification number, nature of suit, date filed, or date closed. A search returns basic case information, including the case number, court where the case is filed, date filed, date closed, and various other information depending on the search type. These results will also link to more detailed information stored within CM/ECF.
Only the last four digits of a Social Security Number (SSN) are displayed on court documents. However, a full SSN can be used to perform searches to identify debtors.
Some courts provide automatic case notification and alerts through Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds. PACER users can keep track of newly docketed events by subscribing to a court’s RSS feed, which is free and includes automatic notification of case activity, summarized text, and links to the document and docket report.
You can view the document or docket report linked from the RSS feed by logging into PACER.
Search for the court where the case is filed, using the Court CM/ECF Lookup, to find out if they have an RSS feed.
You are automatically logged out when you close your browser. You can also log out by clicking log out on the main menu.
When transcripts of court proceedings are produced, they are added to PACER 90 days later. Before a transcript is added to PACER, a copy is available in the clerk’s office for inspection only. Information on purchasing a transcript from the court reporter or transcriber within the 90-day can be provided by the clerk’s office. There is no maximum fee for transcripts in PACER.
To see more detailed information about a case, access the court's CM/ECF site. You can access that site and other detailed case information from the PACER Case Locator by clicking on the case number.
The Cases Report displays summary data for a range of cases. It can be used to produce a list of open or closed cases between a date range.
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 users should use caution when running the report. There are a number of filtering options you can set before running a report to help limit the results.
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. Contact the clerk's office for information about viewing copies. Criminal documents filed after November 1, 2004, are available electronically through PACER.
In appellate courts:
Viewing certain document types (social security and immigration) in an appellate CM/ECF court may be restricted.
No. Sealed documents, including sealed indictments, are not available to the public and cannot be found on PACER.