Guides to e-filing PDFs

The most common reasons are: the file is over the court's size limit, it is password-protected or has security restrictions, some pages are not letter size (8.5 × 11 inches), it is a scan without searchable text where the court requires it, or it has fillable form fields or scripts. Add your PDF to the checker and it tells you which of these apply.

It depends on the court. Among the 293 courts we track, limits range from 3 MB per file (Philadelphia Common Pleas) to 750 MB (S.D. Alabama). Many courts also limit the total size of everything filed together. Pick your court in the checker or on the courts page to see its exact limits.

Usually to each PDF: the main document and each exhibit can each be up to the limit. Some courts also cap the total of one filing (often called an envelope or transaction), and a few, such as Iowa district courts and Kentucky, apply a single limit to the whole submission. Each court page says which applies.

Split it into consecutive parts that are each under the limit, without cutting a page, and file them in order as the main document and attachments. For scans, re-scanning in black and white at 300 dpi often makes the file small enough. The checker can split the file for you and keeps your bookmarks.

No. Docket Prime checks and fixes PDFs entirely inside your web browser, on your own device. There is no server that receives files, and nothing is stored after you close the page.

Some courts require it, including the Tenth Circuit, California superior courts, Texas state courts and the New York Appellate Division. Others only recommend it, and a few (such as S.D. Texas) advise against running OCR on large scans. The checker finds scanned pages and can add searchable text where your court requires or recommends it.

Some courts require them, for example for appendices, exhibits or briefs with a table of contents (California, the New York Appellate Division and the Tenth Circuit for appendices). When you merge exhibits, the checker adds a bookmark for each one, and it keeps existing bookmarks when it splits or fixes a file.

Court rules require filings to show only the last four digits of Social Security, taxpayer ID and account numbers, and only the year of a birth date. Drawing black boxes over text is not enough: the text underneath can still be copied. Use a real redaction tool (in Adobe Acrobat: Redact, then Apply, then Sanitize). The checker warns you about both problems.

Check your state's page on the courts list: many states use one statewide e-filing system, and its limits apply to most courts in the state. If your court has different rules, its clerk's office or e-filing help desk can confirm them.

Yes. It works in mobile browsers. Very large files (over about 75 MB) can be slow or run out of memory on some phones; if that happens, use a computer.

No. Docket Prime checks files against published technical rules, which courts can change at any time. Always confirm requirements with the court, and check the "last verified" date on each court page.