Electronic Case Filing Information
Hardware and Software Requirements
- A personal computer running Windows
- A word processing program to create documents
- An Internet Service Provider (ISP) to access ECF and email
- A compatible internet browser (current versions of Internet Explorer and Firefox have been tested with CM/ECF)
- Portable document format (PDF) reader software (such as Adobe Acrobat Reader)
- Portable document format (PDF) writer (converter) software (for more information go to http://www.pacer.gov/announcements/general/pdfa.html)
- A scanner (OPTIONAL) for imaging documents that are not available in electronic format
What you need to do to prepare for future filings in this Court
- Keep your email addresses up to date
- Keep your log in and password secure
- Send the Clerk’s Office your ECF registration form by U.S. Mail, or hand delivery
- Register for PACER online at http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov
- Attorneys should read the Policies and Procedures Manual & the User Manual
- Attorneys should print the Civil ECF Attorney Menu and the Criminal ECF Attorney Menu
- Practice filing documents electronically. For details, see the ECF Training Page.
Electronic Case Filing (ECF)
ECF is the electronic case filing system for the federal courts. With ECF, case documents are filed and maintained in electronic form and most pleadings are filed over the Internet. The District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma has been working on implementation of ECF since 2002. Beginning October 14, 2003, most documents filed with this Court have been scanned by the Clerk’s Office and are available electronically through PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records). (For more information about ECF, go to http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov/documents/press.pdf.
U.S. Court Clerk’s Office at your Desktop
If you practice law in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, you must file most documents electronically.
(See Local Rules – LCvR 5.1 )