PDF requirements for e-filing in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
- 30 MBmaximum per PDF
- 150 MBmaximum per filing
- 8.5 × 11letter pages expected
- Requiredsearchable text
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What the court requires
Pleadings and briefs must be native PDFs (made by saving or printing from your word processor), which are text-searchable and small. Attachments that only exist on paper may be scanned. You can upload more than one file per entry, but the whole transaction may not exceed 150 MB. Appendices must be text-searchable and bookmarked, and the first volume must include a certificate of compliance.
The 10th Circuit hears appeals from federal courts in Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, Wyoming.
| E-filing system | CM/ECF |
|---|---|
| Maximum size per PDF | 30 MB |
| Maximum per filing (all files together) | 150 MB |
| Page size | Letter (8.5 × 11 in) expected |
| Text-searchable PDF | Required |
| Bookmarks | Recommended |
| Passwords / security settings | Not allowed (the system must be able to open the file) |
Common reasons filings are rejected
- A brief or motion was scanned instead of saved directly to PDF from the word processor.
- A single PDF is over 30 MB, often a scanned appendix volume.
- All files in one entry add up to more than 150 MB.
- An appendix volume has no bookmarks.
- The PDF is password-protected or has security restrictions, so the court's system can't open it.
Questions about the 10th Circuit's PDF rules
- What is the maximum PDF file size for the 10th Circuit?
- 30 MB per PDF. All files in one filing together may not exceed 150 MB.
- What should I do if my PDF is too large for the 10th Circuit?
- Split it into consecutive parts that are each under 30 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 10th Circuit require text-searchable PDFs?
- Yes. Pleadings and briefs must be native PDFs, which are searchable. Attachments that only exist on paper may be scanned.
- What page size does the 10th Circuit 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 10th Circuit require bookmarks in PDFs?
- They are recommended. Appendices must be text-searchable and bookmarked.
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