PDF requirements for e-filing in the Hawaiʻi state courts (JEFS)

What the court requires

The limit is 10 MB per document. Under the Hawaiʻi Electronic Filing and Service Rules, each exhibit is also limited to 10 MB, so large exhibits must be split.

“The size of each document shall not exceed 10 megabytes.”

Common reasons filings are rejected

• A document or exhibit is over 10 MB.
• Color scans make an exhibit too large.
• 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 Hawaiʻi JEFS's PDF rules

What is the maximum PDF file size for the Hawaiʻi JEFS?

10 MB per PDF.

What should I do if my PDF is too large for the Hawaiʻi JEFS?

Split it into consecutive parts that are each under 10 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 Hawaiʻi JEFS require text-searchable PDFs?

It is recommended. Documents saved directly from a word processor are searchable and much smaller than scans; for paper documents, OCR adds searchable text.

What page size does the Hawaiʻi JEFS 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.