PDF requirements for e-filing in the Massachusetts Superior Court (eFileMA)

What the court requires

The limit is 25 MB per document and 50 MB for everything in one filing (envelope). Under the Massachusetts Rules of Electronic Filing (Rule 10), a document or envelope over the limit may be filed in separate segments that each meet the limit. Tyler's eFile service lists a higher 50 MB per-document limit for trial courts; the Superior Court's standing order sets 25 MB, so we use 25 MB.

“The size limit for a single e-filed document is 25 megabytes (MB), and for a single e-filed envelope is 50MB.”

Common reasons filings are rejected

• A document is over 25 MB.
• The envelope is over 50 MB.
• 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 Massachusetts Superior Court's PDF rules

What is the maximum PDF file size for the Massachusetts Superior Court?

25 MB per PDF. All files in one filing together may not exceed 50 MB.

What should I do if my PDF is too large for the Massachusetts Superior Court?

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 Massachusetts Superior Court 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 Massachusetts Superior Court 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.