PDF requirements for e-filing in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas

What the court requires

There is a 35 MB file size limit in CM/ECF; larger PDFs must be split into multiple files. The court's FAQ says all PDF pages must be exactly 8½ inches wide (letter size) because other sizes may be incompatible with CM/ECF. Unusually, the FAQ also advises NOT running OCR on scanned documents, because it makes files much larger.

Common reasons filings are rejected

• A page is legal size (8½×14) or A4 instead of letter.
• A scanned exhibit is over 35 MB.
• OCR on a large scan pushed the file over the size limit.
• The PDF is password-protected or has security restrictions, so the court's system can't open it.

Questions about the S.D. Texas's PDF rules

What is the maximum PDF file size for the S.D. Texas?

35 MB per PDF.

What should I do if my PDF is too large for the S.D. Texas?

Split it into consecutive parts that are each under 35 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 S.D. Texas require text-searchable PDFs?

The published rules we found don't require it. The court's FAQ actually advises against running OCR on scanned documents, because it makes files much larger.

What page size does the S.D. Texas accept?

Every page must be letter size, 8.5 × 11 inches. Legal-size or A4 pages should be resized to letter before filing.