Electronic Filing - ECF

Effective January 2, 2009, use of Appellate ECF is mandatory for all attorneys and all court reporters filing in this Court, unless they are granted an exemption from using Appellate ECF. Use of Appellate ECF is voluntary for all pro se parties proceeding without counsel.

 

The Administrative Order Regarding Electronic Filing in All Ninth Circuit Cases (corrected as of 11/10/08) provides details about which documents can and cannot be filed electronically. The Administrative Order Regarding Electronic Filing in All Ninth Circuit Cases (corrected as of 11/10/08) was adopted by the Court as of December 15, 2008.

1 August 2009 - NOTICE FOR APPLE MACINTOSH USERS: The Court has updated Appellate ECF to version 2.1.3. To use Appellate ECF, Macintosh users must update their system to Java 1.6 Update 13, released in June 2009 by Apple as Java for Mac OS X 10.5 Update 4 (this is Java 1.6 Update 13). You will not be able to log in if you have not installed this update.

Information Available on This Page

Registration and Updating Your Account

To register for the 9th Circuit ECF system, navigate to Appellate ECF Filer Registration and follow the instructions on the page. Registration processing can take up to 10 business days, so registering prior to the time that you want to enter your first filing electronically will assist you with filing delays. We strongly encourage you to register as soon as possible.

Note: If you are an attorney, you do not need to be admitted to the bar of this Court before you register for electronic filing, but you should concurrently apply for admission. Information on attorney admission is available at Attorney Admissions Instructions.

To update your ECF account (for example, to change your address or add additional email addresses), navigate to Appellate Filer Account Update, log in, and follow the instructions on the page.

General Information

What equipment and software do I need to file?
Frequently Asked Questions
Administrative Order Regarding Electronic Filing in All Ninth Circuit Cases (PDF)

Logging In

Windows-based PC Filers: ECF Document Filing (opens in new window)
Intel-based Mac Filers: ECF Document Filing for Mac Users (opens in new window)

PACER (for Docket reports, opens in new window)

PACER Survey. To assist with a PACER program assessment, users of PACER may participate in a short survey regarding their satisfaction with current services and any suggestions for potential enhancements. Please click on the following link to take this survey, and we thank you in advance for helping to improve public access to federal court documents and information: Click here to begin the survey.

You must have Java Version 6 to file documents using Appellate ECF.
If you do not have Java Version 6, go to http://www.java.com, click the Free Java Download button and follow the instructions to download and install a free copy.
The Google toolbar is known to interfere with Appellate ECF, so we strongly suggest that you do not download that toolbar.

Training

In-Person Training

In-Person Training for Appellate Electronic Case Filing is being offered the first Tuesday of each month at 12 noon Pacific Time at San Francisco's James R. Browning Courthouse. This free training session lasts for one hour, and has been approved by the State Bar of California for one hour of Minimum Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) credit.

Missed the in-person sessions? The Electronic Case Filing in the Ninth Circuit video covers the topics that are covered during the in-person training sessions held in different locations in the Circuit.

 
Electronic Learning Modules
Requirements for Viewing Electronic Learning Modules
  • Add this Web Page to your Trusted Web Sites
  • Set your screen resolution to at least 1024x768 pixels
  • Make sure you have Flash Player 8.0 or higher
  • Use Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher or Firefox version 3.0 or higher
  • Connect headphones or speakers
Note: The electronic learning modules were created using version 2.0 of Appellate ECF. They have not been updated to reflect the changes that were implemented in version 2.1. Review the ECF User Guide to find out what's new in version 2.1 and to see updated illustrations of the application screens.

Documentation

ECF User Guide (Updated on 1 August 2009, PDF)
Macintosh Users and ECF (excerpt from ECF User Guide, PDF, updated on 1 August 2009)
Creating Cross-Document Hyperlinks (excerpt from ECF User Guide, PDF)

Forms

Appellate ECF Exemption Form (PDF)
Certificate of Service (Sample, PDF)
Certificate for Brief in Paper Format (Sample, PDF)
Notice of Appearance of Counsel or Re-Assignment of Counsel Within the Same Office (PDF)
Court Reporter/Recorder Motion for Extension of Time to File Transcript (PDF)

Additional Information

If you have a question about Appellate ECF and you cannot find the answer on the Court's or PACER's websites, send your question to CMECF_ca9help@ca9.uscourts.gov. If you send an email, please include information such as case numbers, filer's name, and any other information that can assist us in answering your question. You can expect a reply from the Court during the Court's business hours, from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM Pacific Time.

Last Update: 22 October 2009

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