PDF requirements for e-filing in the New York trial courts (NYSCEF)

What the court requires

The limit is 100 MB per document. NYSCEF is used in the Supreme Court, Surrogate's Court, Court of Claims and other trial courts across the state. Exhibits and appendices that exceed the limit must be filed as separate volumes.

“100 megabytes per PDF document.”

Common reasons filings are rejected

• A PDF is over 100 MB.
• A scanned document has no searchable text.
• 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 New York NYSCEF's PDF rules

What is the maximum PDF file size for the New York NYSCEF?

100 MB per PDF.

What should I do if my PDF is too large for the New York NYSCEF?

Split it into consecutive parts that are each under 100 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 New York NYSCEF require text-searchable PDFs?

Yes. New York's e-filing rules require text-searchable PDFs; scanned pages should be 200 dpi.

What page size does the New York NYSCEF 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 New York NYSCEF require bookmarks in PDFs?

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