PDF requirements for e-filing in the South Carolina state courts (E-Filing)

What the court requires

The limit is 8 MB per document and 40 MB for everything in one filing (envelope). Use "E-Filing/Additional Parts" to file the rest of a document that is over 8 MB. If exhibits would push a submission over 40 MB, file them separately. A filing that starts a new case and is over 40 MB may be filed on paper with a Certificate of Technical Difficulty.

“Single documents are restricted to 8 megabytes. A total filing cannot exceed 40 megabytes.”

Common reasons filings are rejected

• A single document is over 8 MB.
• The submission is over 40 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 South Carolina courts's PDF rules

What is the maximum PDF file size for the South Carolina courts?

8 MB per PDF. All files in one filing together may not exceed 40 MB.

What should I do if my PDF is too large for the South Carolina courts?

Split it into consecutive parts that are each under 8 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 South Carolina 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 South Carolina 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.