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CM/ECF FAQs

Categories: Adding Parties | Attorney Civil Case Opening | CM/ECF E-Filing | CM/ECF Technical | E-Filing Contacts | E-Filing Account

  • How do I file a sealed case?

    Sealed cases must be filed in person, this includes case opening and all subsequent filings. Sealed cases cannot be filed by mail or email and once filed, sealed cases cannot be accessed electronically.

  • What do I do if I open a case in error?

    Contact the Attorney Case Opening Help Desk for assistance.

  • Can I open a case 24 hours a day?

    Attorneys: Yes, CM/ECF is available 24 hours a day. An electronic document is considered filed when it is received by the CM/ECF system. The filing deadline is 11:59 PM Pacific Time for the current date of filing.

    Pro Se Filers: Yes, pro se filers can submit case opening documents by email or mail. Documents are considered filed once court staff receive all required components to open a civil case. The filing deadline is 11:59 PM Pacific Time for the current date of filing.

    Mail submissions should be sent to the proper jurisdictional Clerk's Office:

    U.S. District Courthouse
    700 Stewart Street, Suite 2310
    Seattle, Washington 98101
    (206) 370-8400

    Union Station Courthouse
    1717 Pacific Ave, Room 3100
    Tacoma, Washington 98402-3200
    (253) 882-3800

    Email Submissions:
    New case documents should be saved in .pdf format and emailed to the proper jurisdictional Clerk’s Office:

    Seattle: newcases.seattle@wawd.uscourts.gov

    Tacoma: newcases.tacoma@wawd.uscourts.gov

  • Do I have to open my civil case electronically?

    It is mandatory for attorneys to open civil cases electronically (Exceptions: sealed and miscellaneous cases).

    Pro se filers must file civil cases in person or via mail or email.

  • What types of information do I need to redact?

    In compliance with Fed. R. Civ. P. 5.2, Fed. R. Crim. P. 49.1, and WAWD Local Rule CR 5.2, all filers must redact:

    • Dates of birth: redact to the year of birth, unless deceased.
    • Names of minor children: redact to the initials, unless deceased or currently over the age of 18.
    • Social security numbers or taxpayer identification numbers: redact in their entirety.
    • Financial accounting information: redact to the last four digits.
    • Passport numbers and driver license numbers: redact in their entirety.
    • Home addresses in criminal cases: redact to the city and state.
  • I made a mistake in my filing, how do I correct it?

    The data you enter during the filing process is not submitted to the court until you commit your filing and see the Notice of Electronic Filing screen or until you select Create Case during Initial Case Opening.

    You can reset your filing transaction by selecting Civil or Criminal in the CM/ECF navigation bar if you enter incorrect information or attach an incorrect document prior to:

    • Committing your filing,
    • Selecting Create Case during Initial Case Opening, or
    • Paying a fee.

    This will remove all events, documents and parties entered previously.

    Contact CM/ECF Support for assistance if you need to make a correction after you have already committed your filing or you made a mistake during case opening after submitting payment.

    Once a document is docketed in the case, you will need to follow the instructions as laid out in Local Civil Rules 7(m) and file a Praecipe to attach a document and the corrected page(s) filed as an attachment to the praecipe. Do not refile the entire document if only one or two pages need to be corrected.  

  • I can’t find the filing event for my document. What event should I use?

    You can search for available events by clicking Search in the CM/ECF menu bar and entering key words in the search box. CM/ECF provides a list of matching events/menus that include all of your search criteria (in any order).

    For example, searching for Complaint Amended will return the Amended Complaint and Amended Answer to Complaint events; however, searching for Answer to Complaint Amended will only return the Amended Answer to Complaint event.

    If you cannot find an event that matches your document exactly, select one that most closely describes the intent of your pleading. If you are unable to find a close match, you may use a generic event like Motion for Miscellaneous Relief or Notice – Other, which allow you to describe your pleading in the docket text.

  • How do I file a motion/document/declaration or other event in CM/ECF?

    Go to the E-filing Instructions and tools page for more detailed filing instructions.

  • Can I file audio files in CM/ECF?

    No, you may only file PDF documents in CM/ECF. For instructions on how to file Non-PDF items, review Filing a Non-PDF item (Such as a DVD or Audio CD).

  • How do I convert a paper document to PDF?

    Scan the document in black and white at 300 dots per inch (DPI), unless color is an integral aspect of the document.

  • Can I upload word documents in CM/ECF?

    No, you may only upload PDF documents in CM/ECF.  Users must also have the ability to create and read PDF documents. A free PDF reader is available for download, but the court does not recommend specific PDF software. 

  • How can I check how large my PDF is before filing in CM/ECF?

    To check your document's file size, open the document in Acrobat. Then select File > Document Properties and look under Description. File sizes are listed in kilobytes (KB); about 1000kb equals 1 megabyte (MB).

  • What is the maximum allowable file size for documents filed in CM/ECF?

    Each document/attachment included in your filing must not exceed 75 megabytes (MB).  If your document/attachment is greater than 75 MB, it must be divided into smaller documents/attachments, with each not exceeding the 75 MB limit and labeled appropriately (e.g., Exhibit 1 – Part 1, Exhibit 1 – Part 2)

    Note: Scanned documents must also meet our scanning requirements of 300 dpi and black and white unless color is integral to the document. Scanning at a higher resolution can cause lagging/timeout issues while uploading. 

  • I get an error message when I upload my document. How do I address this?

    CM/ECF may reject your document for various reasons and will usually indicate the problem in the error message. These are common issues that may result in your document being rejected:

    • Your document exceeds the 75 MB limit. Your document must be divided into smaller documents, with each document not exceeding the 75 MB limit and labeled appropriately (e.g., Exhibit 1 – Part 1, Exhibit 2 – Part 2).
    • Your document is not a PDF or does not include the .pdf extension in the document name. CM/ECF only accepts PDF documents with the proper file extension.
    • Your document is malformed or contains code that cannot be uploaded to CM/ECF. Some metadata, hyperlinks, executable code, etc. can cause CM/ECF to reject your document. Print your document to PDF and submit the document again.
    • Your document has security measures (e.g., password protection) in effect. Deactivate Adobe Acrobat security features, save the file, and submit the document again.
    • Your document was scanned at too high a resolution/size and CM/ECF timed out while trying to upload. Go to Save As > Optimize PDF to reduce the resoution of the scan to meet our requirements of 300 dpi and black and white unless color is integral to the document, then submit the document again.
  • Why don’t I see PDF headers when I view documents?

    PDF headers are controlled by your CM/ECF account settings. Go to Utilities > Maintain Your Account and check the Add Headers to PDF Documents box.

  • The document number in the Notice of Electronic Filing isn’t a hyperlink. How can I access the document?

    If the document number isn’t a hyperlink, it means there is no underlying document attached and the text of the docket entry itself is the official court record.

  • Why am I prompted for my PACER credentials when I click on hyperlinks in the Notice of Electronic Filing?

    Some documents are restricted to case participants (e.g., the documents in Social Security and Immigration cases) and require you to sign in to establish that you are a case participant and authorized to view the document.

    Another possibility is that the “free look” associated with the document is no longer valid, so you must enter your PACER credentials for billing purposes. The “free look” could be invalid for several reasons:

    • You have already used the “free look.” The first time you access a document using the hyperlink in a Notice of Electronic Filing, you use up your one “free look.” Every subsequent attempt to access the document using the link is subject to PACER fees.
    • You double-clicked on the document hyperlink. Always single-click on document hyperlinks; otherwise, the first click uses up your “free look.”
    • The “free look” has expired because you are attempting to access the document outside of the 14-day “free look” period.
  • Why do I see a blank page when I try to open a document via the hyperlink in the Notice of Electronic Filing?

    This can happen due to the software you are using to view PDFs or the PDF settings you have set in the browser. Possible solutions:

    • Reinstall the software used to view PDFs or update it to the most recent version.
    • If you are viewing PDFs in the browser, view the document using your PDF reader instead (and vice versa).
    • Try accessing the document using a different browser.
    • Disable unused browser add-ons/extensions related to viewing PDFs.

    If none of these solutions work for you, contact CM/ECF Support.

  • CM/ECF froze or timed out before I could complete my filing. What should I do?

    If you did not receive a Notice of Electronic Filing, it means your filing wasn’t received by the CM/ECF system and you will have to start over. To prevent the submission of incomplete or duplicate data, do not use the browser back button to start over; instead, do one of the following:

    • If CM/ECF is completely unresponsive:
      1. Clear your browser cache.
      2. Restart your browser (i.e., close all browser windows and reopen a new one).
      3. Log into CM/ECF and start over.
    • If the CM/ECF menu bar is accessible, select Civil or Criminal (depending on what you are filing), and start over.
  • How do I clear the browser cache?

    The process for clearing the cache depends on the browser you are using. Visit your browser’s support site for instructions.

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