PDF requirements for e-filing in the Iowa district courts (EDMS)

What the court requires

The limit is 20 MB per document and 20 MB for everything in one filing (envelope). The 20 MB limit covers the whole submission, not each document, so a main document and its exhibits together must fit. File large exhibits in a separate submission.

“The size limit for District Court filings is 20 MB per single submission.”

Common reasons filings are rejected

• The submission (all documents together) is over 20 MB.
• Scans are below 300 dpi or unreadable.
• 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 Iowa district courts's PDF rules

What is the maximum PDF file size for the Iowa district courts?

20 MB per PDF. All files in one filing together may not exceed 20 MB.

What should I do if my PDF is too large for the Iowa district courts?

Split it into consecutive parts that are each under 20 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 Iowa district courts 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 Iowa district 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.