PDF requirements for e-filing in the Illinois Supreme Court and Appellate Court (eFileIL)

What the court requires

The limit is 25 MB per document and 150 MB for everything in one filing (envelope). Records on appeal and appendices are the usual reason filings exceed the envelope limit; split them into separately filed volumes.

“The maximum file size for an envelope e-filed through eFileIL to the Supreme Court and Appellate Court Districts is 150mb.”

Common reasons filings are rejected

• A record or appendix envelope is over 150 MB.
• Volumes are not numbered in order.
• 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 Illinois reviewing courts's PDF rules

What is the maximum PDF file size for the Illinois reviewing courts?

25 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 Illinois reviewing 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 Illinois reviewing 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 Illinois reviewing 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 Illinois reviewing courts require bookmarks in PDFs?

They are recommended. Bookmarks help the judge navigate longer documents.