Fill out and prepare all documents before logging into the eFile system.

Page Formatting

Page Orientation – Use the upright (“portrait) layout so the document is upright and vertical when viewed.  

Margins – Leave a 1’’ margin at the top of every page.  

Fonts – Use standard fonts such as Times New Roman or Arial.

Color – Create documents in black and white. Only use color if it is essential to the case.

Images – Do not include images unless they are essential to the case. Most courts will reject a submission if images are larger than 1 MB per page.

Submission Size – You can include one or more documents in a submission, as long as you do not exceed the size limit.  Submissions are limited to the following:

• District Court = 20 MB (megabytes) 
• Appellate Court = 150 MB

Document size – If a document exceeds the submission size limit, divide it into sections and file it in separate submissions. Add a note in the Additional Text field indicating “Part X of Y,” where Y is the total number of sections.

Images and color – Do not include images or color unless they are essential to the case; they increase file size dramatically.  Black-and-white scans with the resolution set to 200 dpi create pages that are 25-40 KB in size.

Document Content

Signature

A filing requiring a signature must be signed with either:

• An actual signature (ink on paper and then scanned),
• An electronic signature (the symbol “/s/” and a typed name), or
• A digitized signature per rule 16.305.

Electronic signature – The symbol “/s/” and a typed name cannot be used on documents requiring an oath, affirmation, verification, acknowledgment, or notarization per rule 16.305(3). 

Required information – Include the following information about the person signing the filing under the person’s signature:

/s/ Name

Law Firm or Filing Agent’s Entity (if applicable)

Mailing Address

Phone Number

Email Address

Protected Information

Only include protected information when it is required by law to be included or is material to the case. Redact the protected information in your document: see Protecting Personal Information for instructions.

You must redact protected information including:

• Social security numbers
• Financial account numbers
• Dates of birth
• Names of minor children
• Individual taxpayer identification numbers
• Personal identification numbers
• Other unique identifying numbers
• Confidential information as defined in rule 16.201

Submit all documents as PDF

Convert all documents to PDF format before filing.

Option 1: Use File → Save As

To save electronic documents as PDFs:

1. From your open Word or Excel document, click File.
2. Click Save As.
3. Browse to where you want to save the file.
4. Select PDF from the Save as type dropdown menu.
5. Click Save.

Note: The steps may be in a lightly different order in older versions of Microsoft Office.         

Option 2: Use File → Print

To save electronic documents as PDFs:

1. From your open Word or Excel document, click File.
2. Click Print.
3. Select your PDF printer.
4. Click Print.
5. Browse to where you want to save the file.  
6. Click Save.          

Option 3: Using a scanner

You must scan paper documents (such as a contract, bounced check, or other item) before filing them.

You can use scanners at the public access terminals in the county courthouse or the public library.

Resolution –Set the scanner resolution to 200 dpi.

Color – Scan in black and white unless color is essential to the case.  Color increases the file size dramatically. Most courts will reject a submission if images are larger than 1 MB per page.

Black-and-white scans with the resolution set to 200 dpi create pages that are 25-40 KB in size.

This information is for instructional purposes only and is not intended to and does not constitute legal advice under any circumstance.

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