PDF requirements for e-filing in the San Mateo County Superior Court

What the court requires

The limit is 100 MB per document and 100 MB for everything in one filing (envelope). San Mateo has one of the highest e-filing limits in California.

“100 megabytes for the whole envelope and 100 megabytes for a single document.”

Common reasons filings are rejected

• A document is over 100 MB.
• Several exhibits were combined into one oversized PDF.
• The PDF is password-protected or has security restrictions.
• The PDF is password-protected or has security restrictions, so the court's system can't open it.

Questions about the San Mateo Superior Court's PDF rules

What is the maximum PDF file size for the San Mateo Superior Court?

100 MB per PDF. All files in one filing together may not exceed 100 MB.

What should I do if my PDF is too large for the San Mateo Superior Court?

Split it into consecutive parts that are each under 100 MB, never cutting a page in half, and file the first part as the main document and the rest as attachments named in order (for example "Exhibit A, Part 2 of 3"). For scanned documents, re-scanning in black and white at 300 dpi often shrinks the file enough to avoid splitting. Docket Prime can split the file for you in your browser.

Does the San Mateo Superior Court require text-searchable PDFs?

Yes. California Rule of Court 2.256(b)(3) requires e-filed documents to be text-searchable when technologically feasible.

What page size does the San Mateo Superior Court accept?

Letter size (8.5 × 11 inches) is expected. Legal-size or A4 pages may print badly or be refused, so resize them to letter.

Does the San Mateo Superior Court require bookmarks in PDFs?

They are recommended. Under Rule of Court 3.1110(f)(4), electronic exhibits need a bookmark to the first page of each exhibit.