PDF requirements for e-filing in the Montana state courts (eFiling)

What the court requires

The limit is 20 MB per document. File the first part as the main document and the rest as additional documents in the same filing.

“Documents larger than 20 megabytes must be split up into segments less than 20 megabytes, with the second (and subsequent) documents filed as additional documents.”

Common reasons filings are rejected

• A document is over 20 MB.
• Split parts were filed as separate filings instead of additional documents.
• 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 Montana courts's PDF rules

What is the maximum PDF file size for the Montana courts?

20 MB per PDF.

What should I do if my PDF is too large for the Montana 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 Montana 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 Montana 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.