CM/ECF Frequently Asked Questions
I. Logging In & Profiling Information pg. 2
II. E-Filing pg. 3
III. Accessing Restricted Documents pg. 6
IV. Technical issues pg. 7
V. Miscellaneous pg. 9
revised July 2021
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I. LOGGING IN & PROFILE INFORMATION
How does an attorney apply for Bar membership and register for a CM/ECF account?
Attorneys apply for initial bar membership (as well as readmission due to administrative removal) and
register for a CM/ECF account through the PACER Service Center (PSC). A detailed explanation of
this procedure is provided on the Court’s Attorney Admissions page:
Attorney Admission Information | US District Court of Colorado (uscourts.gov)
I’ve been admitted to the Bar. What is my CM/ECF login and password?
As part of the attorney admissions process through the PACER Service Center (PSC), you will create
your own CM/ECF login and password. PSC will send you an automated email with the status of your
account request.
I have a CM/ECF account, but I can’t remember my login. How can I obtain it?
Follow the instructions found at Forgot Username or Password? | PACER: Federal Court Records
(uscourts.gov), or contact the PACER Service Center at (800) 676-6856 or via email at
[email protected].
How can I change my CM/ECF login or password?
How can I add/update/delete an email address on my CM/ECF profile?
Follow the instructions found at Manage My Account Login | PACER: Federal Court Records
(uscourts.gov), or contact the PACER Service Center at (800) 676-6856 or via email at
[email protected].
How do I update my mailing address?
How do I add/update/delete an email address?
Follow the instructions found at Manage My Account Login | PACER: Federal Court Records
(uscourts.gov), or contact the PACER Service Center at (800) 676-6856 or via email at
[email protected].
If you need to update a secondary email address, enter CM/ECF and select the Utilities menu. Click
Maintain Your Account, then Email Information at the bottom of the screen. Under Secondary e-
mail addresses, click Add new e-mail address and change the configuration options. After all changes
have been made, click Return to Person Information Screen, then Submit to save changes. A
confirmation screen will appear.
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I have changed law firms. Do I need to request new CM/ECF credentials?
No. The CM/ECF account belongs to the individual attorney, not the law firm. Per the Court’s local
rules, you must change your firm information in your PACER account. Follow the instructions
found at Manage My Account Login | PACER: Federal Court Records (uscourts.gov), or contact the
PACER Service Center at (800) 676-6856 or via email at
[email protected].
I am having problems logging in. What should I do?
I tried logging in to CM/ECF several times and am locked out. What should I do?
Contact the PACER Service Center at (800) 676-6856 or via email at
[email protected].
II. E-FILING
Where can I file electronic documents?
Log into your PACER account and access CM/ECF.
How do I file a new case?
After logging into PACER, go to CM/ECF and access the Attorney Case Opening event. The next
screen will display a list of cases that must be opened by the Court rather than a filer (e.g. a sealed case).
If you need to file one of these cases, email your initiating document, supporting documents, and credit
card authorization to
[email protected].
When opening a new civil matter, do not hit the back button. When adding party names, make sure you
conduct a broad search for those names. If you create a new party, do not enter information in ALL
CAPS. If you encounter an error during the initiation process, notify the Clerk’s Office by calling (303)
844-3433 and select option “0”.
Consider downloading our User Guide – Attorney Case Opening.
I forgot to attach an exhibit to the pleading I just filed. What should I do?
I attached the wrong document to the pleading I just filed. What should I do?
Contact the Case Administration Specialist for the presiding judge on your case.
How do I file a Notice of Removal?
After logging into PACER, go to CM/ECF and access the Attorney Case Opening event. Select the
Notice of Removal event and attach all necessary documents. Pay the filing fee through pay.gov.
Consider downloading our Notice of Removal procedural filing guide.
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I cannot locate the name of the pleading (Event) that I want to file. What should I do?
Use the CM/ECF “Search” feature in the blue menu bar. Type the name of the pleading you wish to file
and every Event bearing that name will appear.
Click on the Event to begin the filing sequence. Ensure that you choose a Civil event for a civil filing or
a Criminal event for a criminal filing.
You can also generate a list of available events by going to Reports > Other Reports > Civil Events
List (atty) or Criminal Events List (atty). The available events will be organized into categories. You
may print the list or perform a search of the list 1. If you do not find an exact match for your search
criteria, select the event that most closely relates to your pleading.
I am including a large number of attachments to my pleading and CM/ECF aborted the transaction
before I finished. Can I file the attachments in paper?
No, because the District of Colorado is a mandatory electronic filing court. You cannot file documents in
paper without first obtaining leave of the court.
Consider downloading our ECF procedural filing guide. You should check the sizes of your attachments
to ensure they are smaller than our file size limit of 25 MB.
Can I attach an audio or video file to my filing?
No. Consider downloading our ECF procedural filing guide regarding conventionally filed materials.
While attaching a .pdf document, I received an error message stating the document “may be
malformed” or “is damaged”. What should I do?
Try to recreate the .pdf within your word processing software by selecting File > Print > select your
.pdf software as the printer. Your work processing software may also feature a “convert to PDF” icon
in the toolbar. If the difficulty persists, contact your local technical support computer administrator.
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Hold CTRL + F keys at the same time, then enter the name of the event in the search box.
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While retrieving a .pdf document from CM/ECF, I receive an error message stating the document
“may be malformed” or “is damaged”. What should I do?
Try to clear your cache or TIFs (Temporary Internet Files). If the difficulty persists, contact your local
technical support computer administrator.
How do I access documents in a social security or immigration case?
You must be a party to the case or use the Court’s public terminal (located in the Clerk’s Office) to access
social security and immigration cases. To access a document on either of these case types, you must
click on the link contained in the Notice of Electronic Filing (NEF) and enter your PACER credentials.
Doing so allows the system to verify that you are party to the case.
If you are accessing the document outside of the NEF’s “free look”, you will need to pay for access.
My motion to Withdraw was granted, but I am still receiving Notices of Electronic Filing
(NEFs). How can I stop receiving the NEFs?
Contact the Case Administration Specialist for the presiding judge on your case and inquire about your noticing
status.
What event should I select to file [any pleading]?
Use the CM/ECF “Search” feature in the blue menu bar. Type the name of the pleading you wish to file
and every Event bearing that name will appear.
Click on the Event to begin the filing sequence. Ensure that you choose a Civil event for a civil filing or
a Criminal event for a criminal filing.
You can also generate a list of available events by going to Reports > Other Reports > Civil Events
List (atty) or Criminal Events List (atty). The available events will be organized into categories. You
may print the list or perform a search of the list 2. If you do not find an exact match for your search
criteria, select the event that most closely relates to your pleading or contact the Case Administration
Specialist for the presiding judge on your case.
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Hold CTRL + F keys at the same time, then enter the name of the event in the search box.
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How do I convert my document to a PDF document?
Adobe Acrobat and other third-party products allow you to create a PDF document. Generally, you can
create a PDF by opening the document in your word processing application and clicking File > Print
> selecting the PDF software as the printer. If the difficulty persists, contact your local technical support
computer administrator.
Can I use another attorney’s login to e-file a pleading if it is signed by a different attorney?
No. Doing so could result in striking of the document or another court-initiated action.
After I filed a pleading, I realized I attached the wrong document. Can my pleading be deleted or
can I replace the wrong document with the correct one?
No. Once a filing is submitted in CM/ECF, the entry cannot be deleted modified unless a judicial order is
entered. Contact the Case Administration Specialist for the presiding judge on your case and notify him/her of
the erroneous filing.
To better ensure accuracy of your filing, remember the following:
• Confirm that you are logged in as the attorney who signed the pleading
• View the document before attaching them to your pleading
• Double check that you are filing into the right case
III. ACCESSING RESTRICTED DOCUMENTS
I have a protective order in my case. Can I file restricted documents?
Not necessarily. Unless the protective order specifically addresses the filing of restricted documents, there
is no guarantee that you can file restricted documents without meeting the requirements of
D.C.COLO.LCivR 7.2 and D.C.COLO.LCrR 47.1.
Can I access documents in a restricted case?
Attorneys and parties of record will receive a Notice of Electronic Filing (NEF) when a document has
been filed in a restricted case. Attorneys properly designated in a restricted case and logged in correctly
into PACER may access documents in the restricted case. Depending on the attorney’s access permissions,
the restriction level of the document, and the identity of the filing party, some parties to the case may not be able to
access the restricted document.
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Can I access restricted documents in a non-restricted case?
Attorneys and parties of record will receive a Notice of Electronic Filing (NEF) when a restricted
document has been filed into acase. Depending on the attorney’s access permissions, the restriction level of
the document, and the identity of the filing party, some parties to the case may not be able to access the restricted
document.
If you are not party to the case, you won’t be able to access a restricted document. You will likely
receive a message stating, “You do not have permission to view this document.” Th means you are not in the
access group with special permissions to view the document. If you believe that you should have access, contact
the Case Administration Specialist for the presiding judge on your case.
How do I access transcripts?
During the initial 90 days after a transcript is electronically filed, a party seeking a copy of the transcript must
purchase it in either paper or electronic form through the court reporter, transcriber, or courtroom deputy. F o r
at torneys , t rans cript acces s will be provi ded t hrough t he
C o u r t ’ s CM/ECF system.
After 90 days, if there are no redactions pursuant to our policy concerning electronic availability and
redaction of transcripts 3, an unredacted transcript will then be available to view, download, or print for $0.10
cents per page via PACER or from the Clerk’s Office public terminal.
IV. TECHNICAL ISSUES
I get an error message when trying to attach documents. What should I do?
The error message should give you some indication of the problem. If the size of the attachment is too large,
you must split it into several smaller parts and try to file again. If the error message indicates your document is
not PDF formatted, you must convert it to a PDF (see next question below).
How do I convert my document to a PDF document?
Adobe Acrobat as well as other third party products will allow you to create a PDF document. Generally, you
may create the PDF by going to File > Print within your word processing application and then selecting the
PDF software as the printer.
How can I adjust my scanner settings to optimize the size of my .pdf?
Try the following:
• Instead of color, scan document as a black and white image.
• Set the dots per inch (DPI) resolution to 200 or 300.
• Instead of “auto” size, set page size to 8 ½ x 11.
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For more information regarding the redaction of transcripts, please see the Guide to Transcript Redaction.
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What’s the PDF size limit for documents to be filed in CM/ECF?
Maximum settings are based on file size, not page count. Currently, the maximum size per .pdf document is
25MB.
How do I remove the court’s header from a PDF document?
E-filing accounts are setup by default to automatically display .pdf headers when accessing documents from a
Notice of Electronic Filing (NEF). To turn off .pdf headers in CM/ECF, type in your case number and click
Run Query > Docket Report. Under “Document Options”, uncheck the box that reads “Include headers
when displaying .pdf documents”. If you prefer to remove headers for all documents that you view, check
the option to “Make these options my default” and click Run Report.
What browsers work with CM/ECF?
CM/ECF has been successfully tested with various versions of Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, Google
Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox. CM/ECF does not work well with Safari on MAC/APPLE products.
However, other browsers such as OPERA have not been extensively tested nor used extensively by the court.
What is a cache and why do I need to clear it?
A “cache” is also known as a Temporary Internet File (TIF). These Temporary Internet Files build up
and may affect the speed of your browser. Also, your browser may save old information if you navigate
back to a page. Thus, it is a good idea to clear your browser’s cache intermittently. Depending on which
browser you use, you may locate the option to clear your cache under Internet Options or Delete
Browsing History.
I received a Notice of Electronic Filing (NEF). When I click on the hyperlink in the NEF, it appears I
am being charged. What happened to my free look?
The Notice of Electronic Filing (NEF) contains a free-look document hyperlink. The free look is only
available the first time the hyperlink is clicked. Also, the hyperlink expires after the first use or after 14 days.
T h e r e a f t e r , the user will be charged PACER fees to view the document. We suggest that you save or
print the document during the initial viewing period to avoid additional charges.
What’s the difference between PACER and CM/ECF?
PACER allows you to view case documents, while CM/ECF allows you to file documents. With the
implementation of NextGen, access to CM/ECF is done through PACER.
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Can I get help after normal working hours for CM/ECF?
You may email questions to
[email protected], which is staffed from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm MST, Monday
through Friday, except for federal holidays. Please note that our ability to assist with technical issues
is limited, and you may need to contact your local technical support computer administrator for problems
beyond our ability to address.
Is there training available for CM/ECF? How much does it cost?
Training information and documentation is available free of charge on the Court’s webpage under Quick Link
“Electronic Case Filing (CM/ECF)”
IV. MISCELLANEOUS
Does CM/ECF have a “Serve Only” function like the state court system?
NO, CM/ECF does not have a this feature to serve items like discovery, etc.
How can I save my credit card for future use in CM/ECF?
You may store your credit card information in your PACER account. It can be used to pay recurring bar fees,
PACER fees, and case filing fees. To store your credit card information, go to Manage My Account Login |
PACER: Federal Court Records (uscourts.gov), or contact the PACER Service Center at (800) 676-6856 or via email
at
[email protected].
How do I receive notice only in certain cases?
By default, attorneys of record in a case should always receive notice of filings along with secondary e-mail
addresses setup. If you wish to adjust notification for specific cases, review the “Utilities” chapter in the
ECF User manual.
How do I get my noticing turned off?
Generally, noticing will be turned off after the attorney has filed a motion to withdraw and a judge grants
that order. If a party to the case is no longer participating (is “terminated”), but the attorney has not
withdrawn, the attorney may file a notice requesting that service be turned off for the specific case.
If your question is not addressed above,
send an email to
[email protected].
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