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PDF requirements for e-filing in the California Superior Courts (other counties)

State courts · California · E-filing through service providers · Last verified

  • 25 MBmaximum per PDF
  • 35 MBmaximum per filing
  • 8.5 × 11letter pages expected
  • Requiredsearchable text

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Checking against California Superior Courts (other counties): 25 MB per file, 35 MB maximum per filing. Pre-selected for this page.

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What the court requires

Limits vary by county and by e-filing service provider. 25 MB per document and 35 MB per envelope is common (for example Santa Clara, Sonoma, San Luis Obispo and Yolo), but check your county: Fresno County allows 100 MB, San Mateo about 105 MB and Kern County civil about 52 MB. Under Rule of Court 2.256(b)(3), electronically filed documents must be text-searchable when technologically feasible; standard OCR is enough. Under Rule 3.1110(f)(4), electronic exhibits must have bookmarks to the first page of each exhibit, titled with the exhibit number or letter and a short description.

PDF requirements for the California Superior Courts (other counties)
E-filing systemVaries (e-filing service providers)
Maximum size per PDF25 MB
Maximum per filing (all files together)35 MB
Page sizeLetter (8.5 × 11 in) expected
Text-searchable PDFRequired
BookmarksRecommended
Passwords / security settingsNot allowed (the system must be able to open the file)

Source: courts.ca.gov · California Rules of Court, rule 3.1110 (exhibit bookmarks) · One Legal: file size limits by court · Tyler Technologies eFile: limits by state (incl. county exceptions). Rules change; confirm with the clerk's office before filing.

Common reasons filings are rejected

  • A scanned document has no searchable text.
  • Electronic exhibits have no bookmarks, or bookmarks don't name the exhibit.
  • The envelope (all documents together) is over the provider's limit.
  • A single document is over the county's per-document limit.
  • The PDF is password-protected or has security restrictions, so the court's system can't open it.

Questions about the California Superior Courts's PDF rules

What is the maximum PDF file size for the California Superior Courts?
25 MB per PDF. All files in one filing together may not exceed 35 MB.
What should I do if my PDF is too large for the California Superior Courts?
Split it into consecutive parts that are each under 25 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 California Superior Courts require text-searchable PDFs?
Yes. California Rule of Court 2.256(b)(3) requires text-searchable documents when technologically feasible; standard OCR satisfies it.
What page size does the California Superior Courts 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 California Superior Courts require bookmarks in PDFs?
They are recommended. Under Rule of Court 3.1110(f)(4), electronic exhibits must include a bookmark to the first page of each exhibit, titled with the exhibit number or letter and a short description.

Related courts

All state courts · All courts in California