UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF MARYLAND
ELECTRONIC CASE FILING
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL
(CM/ECF version 6.1)
September 2025
Updates are available online at
www.mdd.uscourts.gov/electronic-case-filing-information
Table of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................... 1
II. USE OF ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM ..................................................... 1
A. Registration ..................................................................................................... 1
General Requirements .................................................................................... 1
PACER ............................................................................................................ 2
B. Maintain Your Email Account .......................................................................... 3
C. Password Maintenance ................................................................................... 3
D. Updating Attorney Contact Information ........................................................... 3
Your CM/ECF and PACER Account ................................................................ 3
My Name Has Changed. What Should I Do? .................................................. 4
How Do I Update or Change My Email Information in CM/ECF? .................... 4
You will be directed to PACER to make the desired changes. How Do I Add a
Secondary Email Address? ............................................................................. 5
How Do I Delete a Secondary Email Address? ............................................... 5
How Do I Update My Contact Information? ..................................................... 6
E. Consent to Electronic Service ......................................................................... 6
III. ELECTRONIC FILING AND SERVICE OF DOCUMENTS .................................. 8
A. Electronic Filing Process ................................................................................. 8
Document Requirements and Formatting ....................................................... 8
Convert a Document to PDF ......................................................................... 13
Document Margins ........................................................................................ 15
Lengthy Documents ...................................................................................... 15
Scanned Documents ..................................................................................... 15
Physical Exhibits ........................................................................................... 16
B. Standard Electronic Filing Procedure ............................................................ 16
Log On to CM/ECF........................................................................................ 16
Select the Filing Event(s) .............................................................................. 17
Enter the Case Number................................................................................. 18
Party Information Screen............................................................................... 18
ECF Policies and Procedures (September 2025) i
Table of Contents
Should Documents Be Sealed? .................................................................... 19
Add Documents............................................................................................. 22
Link to Other Documents............................................................................... 24
Docket Text ................................................................................................... 24
Final Docket Text .......................................................................................... 25
Notice of Electronic Filing (NEF) ................................................................... 25
C. General Procedures ...................................................................................... 26
Authenticated Documents ............................................................................. 26
Courtesy Copies............................................................................................ 27
Documents Filed in Error............................................................................... 27
Pay.gov Instructions ...................................................................................... 28
Privacy Requirements ................................................................................... 31
Query Menu .................................................................................................. 31
Reports Menu................................................................................................ 33
Signature Format .......................................................................................... 35
Utilities Menu................................................................................................. 41
IV. ELECTRONIC CASE FILING CIVIL PROCEDURES...................................... 43
A. Electronic Filing in Civil Cases ...................................................................... 43
Civil Cases Subject to Electronic Filing ......................................................... 43
Documents Subject to Electronic Filing ......................................................... 45
Requesting an Exemption from Electronic Filing ........................................... 45
B. Case Opening Procedures ............................................................................ 45
Local Rule 501 .............................................................................................. 46
Opening a Civil Case Electronically .............................................................. 48
Docketing the Lead Event ............................................................................. 55
C. Amended Documents.................................................................................... 60
Original of Proposed Amendment to Accompany Motion .............................. 60
Exhibits to Amended Documents .................................................................. 60
Identification of Amendments ........................................................................ 60
Requested Consent of Other Counsel .......................................................... 60
ECF Policies and Procedures (September 2025) ii
Table of Contents
D. Answers ........................................................................................................ 61
Log in, Select Event, Select Case ................................................................. 61
Select the Filer .............................................................................................. 61
Seal the Documents? .................................................................................... 62
Select the Complaint and Attach your Answer .............................................. 62
Counterclaim, Cross-Claim, or Third-Party Complaint? ................................ 62
Jury Demand ................................................................................................. 63
Disclosure Statement Filed? ......................................................................... 64
Docket Text ................................................................................................... 64
Final Docket Text .......................................................................................... 64
Notice of Electronic Filing (NEF) ................................................................... 64
New Party Summons Needed ....................................................................... 65
E. Appeals ......................................................................................................... 65
Filing ............................................................................................................. 65
Fees .............................................................................................................. 65
Briefs ............................................................................................................. 66
F. Bankruptcy Cases ......................................................................................... 66
Appeals, Motions for Leave to Appeal, and Motions for Withdrawal of
Reference...................................................................................................... 66
Designation of Record ................................................................................... 66
Filings After the Case is Transmitted to District Court ................................... 66
G. Bills of Costs ................................................................................................. 67
Bill of Costs ................................................................................................... 67
Response in Opposition to Bill of Costs ........................................................ 67
Reply to Response in Opposition to Bill of Costs .......................................... 67
Motion to Review the Clerk’s Order Taxing Costs ......................................... 67
H. Certificate of Service ..................................................................................... 68
As a Part of the Document ............................................................................ 68
As a Separate Document .............................................................................. 69
I. Correspondence............................................................................................ 69
ECF Policies and Procedures (September 2025) iii
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J. Cross-Claims, Counterclaims, and Third-Party Complaints .......................... 69
K. Disclosure of Corporate Interest.................................................................... 69
L. Discovery ...................................................................................................... 71
Motion for Leave to Take Deposition............................................................. 71
Motion to Compel Discovery ......................................................................... 71
Motion to Compel Discovery ......................................................................... 72
M. Entering an Appearance ............................................................................... 73
N. Ex Parte Matters ........................................................................................... 74
Option 1......................................................................................................... 74
Option 2......................................................................................................... 74
O. Memoranda ................................................................................................... 75
P. Motions.......................................................................................................... 75
Q. Patent Cases................................................................................................. 76
R. Pro Hac Vice Motion ..................................................................................... 76
S. Proposed Orders ........................................................................................... 77
T. Redacted Documents .................................................................................... 77
U. Removals ...................................................................................................... 78
V. Responses and Replies ................................................................................ 78
Response to a Motion ................................................................................... 78
Reply to a Response to a Motion .................................................................. 79
Surreply ......................................................................................................... 79
W. Return of Service .......................................................................................... 79
X. Sealed Civil Documents ................................................................................ 81
Prepare Sealed Document(s) ........................................................................ 81
All Documents Should be Sealed .................................................................. 82
Main Document Should be Unsealed; One or More Attachments Should be
Sealed ........................................................................................................... 82
Procedures Applicable to All Sealed Documents .......................................... 84
Y. Surreply ......................................................................................................... 84
Z. Transcripts .................................................................................................... 84
ECF Policies and Procedures (September 2025) iv
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V. ELECTRONIC CASE FILING CRIMINAL PROCEDURES ............................... 85
A. Electronic Filing of Criminal Cases................................................................ 85
Criminal Cases Subject to Electronic Filing ................................................... 85
Documents Subject to Electronic Filing ......................................................... 85
Requesting an Exemption from Electronic Filing ........................................... 85
Sealed Cases ................................................................................................ 86
B. Appeals ......................................................................................................... 86
Filing the Notice of Appeal ............................................................................ 86
Filing Appellate Briefs ................................................................................... 89
C. CJA Appointment Filings ............................................................................... 89
CJA 20/21 Forms .......................................................................................... 89
CJA 30/31 Forms .......................................................................................... 89
Budget Materials ........................................................................................... 90
Order Authorizing Interim Payment to Counsel, Experts, and Service
Providers ....................................................................................................... 90
CJA 23 .......................................................................................................... 90
CJA 24 .......................................................................................................... 90
D. Charging Documents .................................................................................... 91
E. Discovery ...................................................................................................... 92
F. Entering an Appearance ............................................................................... 93
Select Event .................................................................................................. 93
Add PDF Documents .................................................................................... 93
Designation Status ........................................................................................ 93
G. Ex Parte Matters ........................................................................................... 94
Ex Parte Filing Options ................................................................................. 94
Filing Procedures .......................................................................................... 94
H. Responses and Replies ................................................................................ 96
Response to a Motion ................................................................................... 96
Reply to a Response to a Motion .................................................................. 96
I. Rule 17 Subpoenas....................................................................................... 97
ECF Policies and Procedures (September 2025) v
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J. Sealed Criminal Document Procedures ........................................................ 97
Release of Sealed Information ...................................................................... 97
Unsealed Indictments .................................................................................... 98
In-Court Proceedings .................................................................................... 98
K. Sealed Criminal Documents .......................................................................... 98
File the Motion to Seal .................................................................................. 99
File the Proposed Sealed Document(s) ...................................................... 100
L. Sentencing Memorandum ........................................................................... 100
M. Traffic and Petty Offense Cases (CVB)....................................................... 101
Locate the Case Number ............................................................................ 101
Entering an Appearance ............................................................................. 102
N. Criminal Electronic Filing Frequently Asked Questions ............................... 103
What documents are to be electronically filed? ........................................... 103
Are plea agreements to be electronically filed? ........................................... 103
Are there certain types of electronically filed documents that will be sealed?
103
Can docket entries pertaining to court proceedings be sealed if there is good
cause to prevent them from appearing on the public record? ..................... 104
Will access to certain electronically filed documents be restricted even if the
documents are not sealed? ......................................................................... 104
Do I still have to serve paper copies? ......................................................... 105
VI. TROUBLESHOOTING AND TECHNICAL ISSUES ....................................... 106
VII. APPENDIX A: CIVIL EVENTS LIST ........................................................ 108
VIII. APPENDIX B: CRIMINAL EVENTS LIST ................................................. 117
ECF Policies and Procedures (September 2025) vi
I. INTRODUCTION
The United States District Court for the District of Maryland uses the
CM/ECF case management system for accepting most court documents
for filing, for entering orders from the court, and for otherwise managing
the court’s case docket. Civil cases, except for those filed by self-
represented parties, first started on CM/ECF on March 3, 2003; criminal
cases started on CM/ECF on August 8, 2008.
These electronic case filing policies and procedures are issued pursuant
to Local Rules 102 and 202 and apply to all cases subject to electronic
filing.
II. USE OF ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM
A. Registration
General Requirements
Only an active member in good standing of the bar of this Court or an
attorney entitled by statute or Local Rule to practice without being a
member of our bar may file electronically. Electronic filing via CM/ECF by
self-represented parties is not permitted. Instead, self-represented
litigants may submit documents for filing electronically through Electronic
Document Submission System (EDSS). More information is available at
https://www.mdd.uscourts.gov/filing-without-attorney.
On February 14, 2022, the Court implemented “NextGen” CM/ECF, an
update to the Court’s electronic filing system. In NextGen, attorneys will
no longer receive individual credentials to electronically file in CM/ECF.
Instead, all attorneys must have a valid PACER (Public Access to Court
Electronic Records) account in order to access CM/ECF. Attorneys with
existing CM/ECF credentials must link their PACER account to their
CM/ECF account. Attorneys entitled to file electronically without existing
CM/ECF accounts must request access to e-file in the District of Maryland
through PACER. Additional information for linking PACER and CM/ECF
accounts is available on our website at
https://www.mdd.uscourts.gov/nextgen-cmecf.
ECF Policies and Procedures (September 2025) i
II. Use of Electronic Filing System II. Use of Electronic Filing System
D. Updating Attorney Contact Information E. Consent to Electronic Service
Attorneys admitted to our bar will receive a bar number along with
instructions to request e-filing access through PACER at the time of
admission. There is no fee to request e-filing access.
Attorneys for the federal government may enter special appearances and
receive temporary e-filing access through PACER. Additional information
is available on our website at http://www.mdd.uscourts.gov/special-
appearances. Attorneys admitted pro hac vice, including those admitted
in multi-district litigation cases, may also receive temporary e-filing access
through PACER. Additional information is available on our website
at http://www.mdd.uscourts.gov/pro-hac-vice-admission. Under no
circumstances will e-filing access be granted to paralegals, secretaries, or
other paraprofessionals.
Additional information for requesting e-file access to this Court is available
at https://pacer.uscourts.gov/.
PACER
PACER is a fee for use service offered by the Administrative Office of the
United States Courts. It offers electronic access to records of most federal
district, appellate, and bankruptcy courts. The types of records available
electronically will vary from court to court. In almost all jurisdictions docket
sheets may be accessed. Most documents electronically filed in civil cases
may be viewed over the Internet by using PACER.
When you access docket sheets or other documents over the Internet
using PACER, there is a fee of $.10 per page. This fee applies regardless
of whether you simply view the document or download and save it. There
is a maximum charge of $3.00 per document.
When a PACER user accesses a document for the first time via the Notice
of Electronic Filing (NEF), the user will not incur fees for accessing the
newly filed document, but access to any hyperlinked document from within
the original document will incur a fee. When a PACER user accesses a
document after the first look, or accesses it from a docket sheet, the user
will be charged for the original document and any documents displayed
when using a hyperlink. If documents filed in the same transaction contain
hyperlinks to each other, the free look will be available from the document
ECF Policies and Procedures (September 2025) 2
II. Use of Electronic Filing System II. Use of Electronic Filing System
D. Updating Attorney Contact Information E. Consent to Electronic Service
number hyperlink displayed on the NEF document submenu, not from the
hyperlinks in the documents themselves.
B. Maintain Your Email Account
Under Local Rule 701.2, all members for the bar are required to maintain
a current mailing address and email address with the Clerk’s
Office. Additionally, attorneys appearing in any case are also required to
maintain a current mailing address and email address with the Clerk’s
Office. See Local Rule 102.1.b.ii. Attorneys can update and maintain their
own contact information in PACER. See Updating Attorney Contact
Information.
C. Password Maintenance
After linking CM/ECF and PACER accounts, attorneys eligible to
electronically file will no longer have passwords maintained by this Court.
All password maintenance will be handled through PACER. All questions
regarding password management, including how to recover a forgotten
password, should be directed to PACER and https://pacer.uscourts.gov/.
D. Updating Attorney Contact Information
Your contact information (mailing address, phone number, fax number,
and email address) must be kept up to date at all times. See Local Rule
102.1.b. All contact information updates are made through PACER.
Please visit PACER at https://pacer.uscourts.gov/ for instructions on how
to make these changes.
Your CM/ECF and PACER Account
You can make the following changes to your CM/ECF and/or PACER
account:
• change your email address (you will be redirected to PACER)
• add, delete, or change secondary email addresses (your assistant or
paralegal, for example)
ECF Policies and Procedures (September 2025) 3
II. Use of Electronic Filing System II. Use of Electronic Filing System
D. Updating Attorney Contact Information E. Consent to Electronic Service
• change your mailing address, phone number, or fax number (you will
be redirected to PACER)
• indicate whether your email address receives Notices of Electronic
Filing (NEFs)
• choose whether to receive a notification of everything filed in your
cases as soon as it is filed -OR- receive a single daily notice of all
activity in your cases
• indicate whether NEFs are in HTML format or text format
• indicate whether your email address should receive general
announcement notices from the Clerk’s Office
• indicate whether to display all your cases
My Name Has Changed. What Should I Do?
If your name has changed, you must send a request for name change to
the Clerk’s Office in addition to submitting a request through
PACER. Additional information is available on our website
at http://www.mdd.uscourts.gov/name-change.
How Do I Update or Change My Email Information in
CM/ECF?
a) Click Utilities on the main menu bar.
b) Under Your Account, click the link Maintain Your Account.
c) A new screen will be displayed showing your name, address, phone
number, and other information.
d) At the bottom of the screen, click the Email information button.
e) When you click an email address, the configuration options will be
displayed on the right.
ECF Policies and Procedures (September 2025) 4
II. Use of Electronic Filing System II. Use of Electronic Filing System
D. Updating Attorney Contact Information E. Consent to Electronic Service
You will be directed to PACER to make the desired
changes. How Do I Add a Secondary Email Address?
To add a secondary email address:
a) Click Utilities on the main menu bar.
b) Under Your Account, click the link Maintain Your Account.
c) A new screen will be displayed showing your name, address, phone
number, and other information.
d) At the bottom of the screen, click the Email information button.
e) When you click an email address, the configuration options will be
displayed on the right. From the Email Information screen, click the
link add new email address.
f) Type the new address in the white text box directly
under Configuration options.
g) As you type the address, the configuration options will be displayed.
Update the options as needed.
h) Click the button, Return to Person Information Screen.
i) Click Submit, then Submit again. A confirmation screen will be
displayed.
How Do I Delete a Secondary Email Address?
To delete a secondary email address:
a) Click Utilities on the main menu bar.
b) Under Your Account, click the link Maintain Your Account.
c) A new screen will be displayed showing your name, address, phone
number, and other information.
d) At the bottom of the screen, click the Email information button.
ECF Policies and Procedures (September 2025) 5
II. Use of Electronic Filing System II. Use of Electronic Filing System
D. Updating Attorney Contact Information E. Consent to Electronic Service
e) When you click an email address, the configuration options will be
displayed on the right. From the Email Information screen, click the
email address you want to remove. The email address and the
configuration options will be displayed to the right.
f) Using the Delete or Backspace key on your keyboard, remove the
email address.
g) Click the button, Return to Person Information Screen.
h) If you have more than one secondary email address, a pop-up box will
ask if you wish to delete this email address. Click OK. Click Return to
Person Information Screen.
i) Click Submit, then Submit again. A confirmation screen will be
displayed.
How Do I Update My Contact Information?
To update your mailing address, phone number, or fax number, follow the
instructions below:
a) Click Utilities on the main menu bar.
b) Under Your Account, click the link Maintain Your Account.
c) A new screen will be displayed showing your name, address, phone
number, and other information. Click the link Edit Name and Address
Information. You will be redirected to PACER to make the desired
changes.
E. Consent to Electronic Service
Registration as an electronic filing user in this Court constitutes consent to
receive and make electronic service under Fed. R. Civ. P. 5 and Fed. R.
Crim. P. 49 of all documents governed by these Electronic Case Filing
Procedures. This agreement is applicable to all cases, present and future,
where the registered user is counsel of record.
Moreover, counsel is responsible for both regularly checking the email
address connected with the registered account and for keeping a working
ECF Policies and Procedures (September 2025) 6
II. Use of Electronic Filing System II. Use of Electronic Filing System
D. Updating Attorney Contact Information E. Consent to Electronic Service
email address connected with the account. The Clerk’s Office is not
responsible for filings not received due to an incorrect or inoperative email
account, and the Clerk’s Office does not monitor whether a properly sent
email from CM/ECF is rejected by the receiver’s server ("bounce
backs"). See Notice Regarding Email Bounce Back Monitoring at
http://www.mdd.uscourts.gov/news/notice-regarding-email-bounce-back-
monitoring-2012-01-27t000000.
ECF Policies and Procedures (September 2025) 7
III. Electronic Filing and Service of Documents III. Electronic Filing and Service of Documents
A. Electronic Filing Process B. Standard Electronic Filing Procedure
III. ELECTRONIC FILING AND SERVICE OF DOCUMENTS
A. Electronic Filing Process
Document Requirements and Formatting
a. Filing Exhibits
Each document filed as an exhibit must be filed as a separately numbered
attachment to the main document and must be clearly titled with an
objective description of the document. The filing of exhibits in text
searchable format is encouraged but not required. Best results are
obtained by converting documents directly from word processor format to
PDF-A format.
All filings subsequent to the initial filing referencing an exhibit must include
a citation to the assigned ECF docket number; the attachment number,
including the specific page number(s), if applicable; and a brief description
of the exhibit.
• Document Number – Use the sequence number of the docket (i.e.,
“ECF No. 12” for docket entry no. 12) and add a hyphen and an
attachment number to reference an attachment (i.e., ECF 12-2 is the
2nd attachment to docket entry no. 12);
• Page Number (if applicable) – Specify a page number by following the
docket number with the appropriate ECF page number (e.g., “ECF 12-
2, p. 3” refers to page 3 of the 2nd attachment to docket entry no. 12).
The ECF page number is the page number in the header of a filed
document (e.g., Case 1:25-cv-XXXXX Document 12-2 Filed
01/01/2025 Page 3 of 10).
For example,
“ECF No. 6-4, p. 5, Jones Dep.” refers to docket entry 6, attachment
number 4, page 5, Jones Deposition.
“ECF No. 10-8, p. 6, Def’s Mot. for Summ. J.” refers to docket entry 10,
attachment number 8, page number 6, Defendant’s Motion for Summary
Judgment.
ECF Policies and Procedures (September 2025) 8
III. Electronic Filing and Service of Documents III. Electronic Filing and Service of Documents
A. Electronic Filing Process B. Standard Electronic Filing Procedure
“ECF No. 27-16, Smith Aff.” Refers to docket entry 27, attachment number
16, Smith Affidavit.
b. Creating Document Hyperlinks
CM/ECF users can file a document that includes a hyperlink to a
previously filed document
• in the same case.
• in another case residing on the CM/ECF system where the filing is
being entered.
• on any other court’s CM/ECF system.
The hyperlink, as set by the filer, may link to the start of the document or
to a specific page in the document. A filer can file a document that
includes a hyperlink to a document that is being filed simultaneously (in
the same docketing transaction) with the primary document. For example,
a Memo in Support of Summary Judgment may have hyperlinks to the
attached documents that are part of the same docketing transaction.
Any document that includes a hyperlink must also include a description of
the standard citation to the hyperlinked material. The hyperlink is a
convenience, not a citation replacement.
Users should not copy hyperlinks from the Notice of Electronic Filing
(NEF). The document hyperlinks in NEFs contain special information that
allows them to provide one “free look” to qualified recipients of the NEF.
Instead of copying hyperlinks in NEFs, users should run a report in
CM/ECF, such as the Docket Report, and copy the document number
hyperlink from the report. Instructions for running a Docket Report may be
found under Docket Sheet § III.C.7.c.
The following instructions explain how to create document hyperlinks:
c. Create Hyperlinks to Existing CM/ECF Documents
These instructions explain how to create hyperlinks to existing CM/ECF
documents.
ECF Policies and Procedures (September 2025) 9
III. Electronic Filing and Service of Documents III. Electronic Filing and Service of Documents
A. Electronic Filing Process B. Standard Electronic Filing Procedure
Open CM/ECF Document
a) Access CM/ECF and run the docket report for the case
that contains the document you want to link.
b) Locate the document among the docket entries. The
document link displays after the filed date and is
represented by a number with an underscore, e.g., 2.
Open the document.
Copy the URL of the Document to Clipboard
a) Place your mouse pointer on the URL (address).
b) Click the right mouse button.
c) Select Copy or Copy Shortcut (Internet Explorer) or Copy
Link Location (Firefox) from the selection list.
Add the Hyperlink to a Word Document
a) Open the Word document you want to add the hyperlink to
and highlight the citation text for which you wish to create the
hyperlink.
b) Click Insert on the menu bar and then select Hyperlink.
c) When the Insert Hyperlink window opens, paste the URL
into the Address field (by clicking the right mouse button and
selecting Paste, or by using the Ctrl + V command).
d) Optional – add a specific page number within the document.
To do this, enter ?page=<page number> at the end of the
URL. For example, https://ap10-dev-
dcn.td.ocads.ao.dcn/doc1/00103032?incHeader=y?page=23
e) Click the OK button and the dialog box will close. The
hyperlink text now is underlined indicating a hyperlink has
been created.
f) Save the document and convert to PDF and file in CM/ECF
as usual.
ECF Policies and Procedures (September 2025) 10
III. Electronic Filing and Service of Documents III. Electronic Filing and Service of Documents
A. Electronic Filing Process B. Standard Electronic Filing Procedure
Add the Hyperlink to a WordPerfect Document
a) Open the WordPerfect document you want to add the
hyperlink to and highlight the citation text for which you wish
to create the hyperlink.
b) Click Tools on the menu bar and select Hyperlink from the
drop-down selection list.
c) When the Hyperlink Properties window opens, paste the
URL into the Document/Macro field (by clicking the right
mouse button and selecting Paste or by using the Ctrl + V
command).
d) Optional - add a specific page number within the document.
To do this, enter ?page=<page number> at the end of the
URL. For example
https://usdc.uscourts.gov/doc1/00103032?incHeader=y?pag
e=23.
e) Click the OK button and the dialog box will close. The
hyperlink text now is underlined indicating a hyperlink has
been created.
f) Save the document and convert to PDF and file in CM/ECF
as usual.
d. Creating Hyperlinks Between Documents Filed in the Same Event
Even when those documents were not filed previously in CM/ECF, it is
possible to link two or more documents to be filed in the same event by
creating a hyperlink from the main document to an attachment.
Using WordPerfect to Create Hyperlinks Between
Documents Filed in the Same Event
a) Create the secondary WordPerfect document(s) (the
attachment) to which the main document will be linked
and convert it to PDF.
ECF Policies and Procedures (September 2025) 11
III. Electronic Filing and Service of Documents III. Electronic Filing and Service of Documents
A. Electronic Filing Process B. Standard Electronic Filing Procedure
b) Create/open the main document (the document that will
have the hyperlink to the secondary document).
c) Select the text in the main document that will be
displayed as the hyperlink. Click Tools on the menu bar
and select Hyperlink from the drop- down selection list.
The Hyperlink Properties window will open.
d) Click the Folder icon next to the Document/Macro field.
e) Navigate to the folder in which the secondary document
you wish to link to is located. Highlight the file and click
the Select button. (The file selected as the link must be in
PDF format.) Optional: Add a specific page number
within the document. To do this, enter ?page=<page
number>, e.g., Exhibit 2.pdf?page=23.
f) Click OK in the Hyperlink Properties window. The
hyperlink text will be underlined.
g) Save the document and convert to PDF (skip to part 3
below).
Using Microsoft Word to Create Hyperlinks Between
Documents Filed in the Same Event
a) Create the secondary Word document(s) (the
attachment) to which the main document will be linked
and convert it to PDF.
b) Create/open the main document (the document that will
have the hyperlink to the secondary document).
c) Select the text in the main document that will be
displayed as the hyperlink. Click Insert on the menu bar
and select Hyperlink.
d) Navigate to the folder in which the secondary document
you wish to link to is located. Highlight the file and click
the OK button. (The file selected as the link must already
be in PDF format.)
ECF Policies and Procedures (September 2025) 12
III. Electronic Filing and Service of Documents III. Electronic Filing and Service of Documents
A. Electronic Filing Process B. Standard Electronic Filing Procedure
e) The name of the selected file displays in
the Address field.
f) Click the OK button and the dialog box will close. The
hyperlink text will be underlined.
g) Save the document and convert to PDF (skip to part 2
below).
Add PDF Document to Docket Entry
Docket an event in CM/ECF and upload the main document
and attachments as usual.
Convert a Document to PDF
Before filing in CM/ECF, convert the document(s) to PDF format. The
system will neither accept documents in WordPerfect nor Word format,
and the system will not automatically convert such documents to PDF.
a. Converting a Word Document
If you are using Word 2007 or later, you can easily convert your Word
document to PDF while in Word. If you are using an earlier version of
Word, you must use the Adobe Acrobat application to convert your Word
document.
Word 2016/Word 365
To convert to PDF format within Word:
a) Click on File in the toolbar and select Save As.
b) Navigate to where you would like to save the document.
c) From the upper right portion of the screen, enter the name of
the file.
d) Using the drop-down list under the file name, select PDF
(*.pdf).
e) Click the Save button to the right.
ECF Policies and Procedures (September 2025) 13
III. Electronic Filing and Service of Documents III. Electronic Filing and Service of Documents
A. Electronic Filing Process B. Standard Electronic Filing Procedure
Word 2007 through Word 2013
To convert to PDF format within Word:
a) Click the Office button (the round button in upper, left
corner of screen).
b) Select Save As.
c) Select Adobe PDF.
d) The Save Adobe PDF File As window opens. Type the
name of the file and click Save.
Versions Prior to 2007
To convert the Word document to PDF format, the Adobe
Acrobat application must be used.
a) Save and close the Word file.
b) Open Adobe Acrobat application.
c) Click on File in the toolbar and select Create PDF and
then From File...
d) A navigation window opens. Navigate, if necessary, to the
directory/folder where the Word document is stored.
e) Select the document and click the Open button.
f) A series of windows open as the document is converted.
When the conversion is completed, the document is
displayed in an Adobe Acrobat window. (Internal hyperlinks
are typically automatically converted to hyperlinks.)
g) Close the Adobe file. Respond Yes to the save changes
message and save the PDF document in the appropriate
directory/file.
b. Converting a WordPerfect Document
1) Click File on the toolbar.
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2) Select Publish to and then PDF or select Publish to PDF (the
selection depends on the version of WordPerfect you are using).
3) Save the PDF document on your computer.
Document Margins
To ensure all information is legible, please allow a one-inch top margin of
white space on all documents, including letterhead. See Local Rule
102.2.b.
Lengthy Documents
Excessively large documents, especially those that are scanned, may
exceed the system’s per document capacity (30 megabytes). If you have a
very large document (usually well over 100 pages in length*) that exceeds
the system’s capacity, you must subdivide the document, appropriately
identify each attachment (e.g., Exhibit A, Part 1; Exhibit A, Part 2, etc.),
and file them separately.
*The 100 page limit is flexible. Depending on the contents of the
document, type of scanner and software used, you may be able to
electronically file longer documents. Many documents longer than 100
pages will be accepted by the system. If your document exceeds 30
megabytes, the system will display an error message.
Scanned Documents
Each document should be a separate PDF. Exhibits should be filed as
attachments to the document to which they relate. See Standard
Electronic Filing Procedure § III.B. A document which exists only in paper
format should be scanned unless it is excessively large. See Lengthy
Documents § III.A.4.
If you are filing a transcript as an exhibit and have an ASCII version, you
can convert it to PDF through your word processing
program. See Convert a Document to PDF § III.A.2.
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Physical Exhibits
Except in civil prisoner cases, a party must seek leave of court to permit
the non-electronic filing of exhibits that are not convertible to PDF format
(e.g., videos, audio files, etc.) and must be filed on a CD or other physical
medium. If leave is granted, the Court will only accept video or audio files
in the following file formats: .avi, .mp3, .mp4, .mpeg, .wma, .wav, and
.wmv.
If you have a physical exhibit, create and file a Notice of Filing of Physical
Exhibit. This notice serves as a placeholder for the exhibit that cannot be
electronically filed. Within 24 hours (not counting intervening weekends
and legal holidays) you must file and serve the exhibit in physical format
along with:
• a traditional Certificate of Service
• a paper copy of the Notice of Filing of Physical Exhibit
• a paper copy of the Notice of Electronic Filing (NEF)
In addition, the Clerk’s Office must receive the original of any exhibit that
cannot be electronically filed in the system. This version will be used as
the official court record. The copy for the Clerk’s Office is in addition to any
courtesy copy which you are required to provide to chambers.
B. Standard Electronic Filing Procedure
The following procedures outline the standard process for filing a
document in CM/ECF. Additional instructions and procedures concerning
specific document types are available in the Electronic Case Filing Civil
Procedures and the Electronic Case Filing Criminal Procedures.
Log On to CM/ECF
a) Go to http://ecf.mdd.uscourts.gov (or click E-Filing (CM/ECF) from the
main page of the Court’s website http://www.mdd.uscourts.gov).
b) Click District of Maryland - Document Filing System.
c) Enter your PACER credentials.
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d) The client code field may be displayed and is optional and may be
used for billing purposes. It will appear on your PACER billing reports
so you may track usage on behalf of particular clients.
e) Click the redaction checkbox to indicate you have read and will comply
with the redaction rules.
Select the Filing Event(s)
a) If you are filing in a civil case, click Civil on the top menu bar. If you
are filing in a criminal case, click Criminal on the top menu bar.
b) From the list of events, click the type of document you are filing.
The system will display a menu of documents in that category.
Although every effort has been made to make sure the menus reflect
the terminology commonly used in this district, it is possible the menu
will not display exactly the same wording as is in the title of your
document.
Note: The Court does not expect you to change the title of your
document to exactly match the terminology employed by the system. If
you are not sure what to select, please call the Clerk’s Office for
assistance.
All menus are in alphabetical order. You may scroll through them by
using the arrows to the right of the menu or you may type in the first
letter of the name of the document you are filing. This will take you to
the first document on the list beginning with that letter. (The documents
in the list are also known as “events.”)
c) Click on the name of the document you are filing and then click Next.
You can choose multiple events within the same category. For
example, if you are filing a motion for a preliminary and permanent
injunction, simply click on them and all of the events you have selected
will appear in the text box entitled Selected Events.
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If you click on an event by mistake, you can remove it from the
Selected Events list by clicking on it.
Enter the Case Number
a) Enter your case number using one of the following formats:
• 99-12345
• 1:99-cv-12345
• 1-99-cv-12345
• 99cv12345
• 1:99cv12345
b) Click Find This Case. If there is more than one case matching the
case number information you entered, the system will display a screen
with the full numbers of any cases with that number.
c) Select the appropriate case and click Next.
Note: The system will automatically display the case number of the
last case you accessed during the session. If it is the case number in
which you are filing the document, click Next. Otherwise, enter a new
case number as explained in step 1. If it is not the correct case, simply
click on your browser’s Back button and re-enter the case number.
Party Information Screen
The party information screen will be displayed. The left side of the screen
shows parties and case participants. To display all case participants,
click Expand All. Click Collapse All, and only the parties will show.
You will now be prompted to select the filer. Using the right side of the
screen, click on the filing party and then click Next.
For certain documents you may be prompted to select the party on whose
behalf you are filing and then the party against whom you are filing.
If this is the first time you are filing on behalf of a party, a screen
labelled Motions will appear.
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If you are representing the party, make sure the box in front of the
party’s name and the check box for Notice are checked. By doing so,
there is no need to file a separate Notice of Appearance. (If you are the
lead attorney, you may also check the Lead attorney check box).
If you are filing a document jointly with another party such as a joint
motion for extension of time, be sure all of the boxes are unchecked so
you do not unintentionally enter your appearance on behalf of an opposing
party.
Should Documents Be Sealed?
Sealed documents may be filed in unsealed cases. While docketing, you
may be prompted to select either Sealed or Unsealed.
Because your filing may include more than one document, one of the
following situations will apply:
• No document needs to be sealed
• All documents should be sealed
• Some documents should be sealed; some documents should be
unsealed
If no document needs to be sealed, click the Unsealed radio button, and
then click Next.
If one or more documents should be sealed, follow the instructions below.
a. Prepare Document(s)
Prepare your sealed document. In the caption, on the right side, either
directly above or below the case number, one of the following should
appear in all capital letters and in bold: “SEALED” or “FILED UNDER
SEAL.” If the document is an exhibit which does not bear the case
caption, one of these phrases should appear prominently on the upper
right side of the document.
While it is acceptable to put red seals on documents, keep in
mind seals can mean things other than the fact that a document is
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being filed under seal. Therefore, a seal in and of itself is not
sufficient to flag a document as sealed.
If you would like to seal all the documents for this filing, follow the
instructions under All Documents should be Sealed. Otherwise, if you
would like some documents to be sealed and some to be unsealed,
follow the instructions under Main Document Should be Unsealed;
One or More Attachments Should be Sealed.
b. All Documents Should Be Sealed
Select the same event you would use if the document(s) did not need
to be sealed. However, when prompted to indicate whether the
document should be sealed or unsealed, click the Sealed radio button,
then click Next. Unless the Court has already ordered this specific
document sealed, by a Protective Order Sealing Portions of the
Record or by an Order to Seal, you will be required to file a Motion
to Seal this specific document. The Motion to Seal must be
filed immediately after filing the sealed document.
The document(s) will be temporarily placed under seal until a ruling is
made on the request to seal.
Example – you are filing a response in opposition to a motion. Select
the event Response in Opposition to Motion. If you want to seal the
response and attachments (if any), select “Sealed” when prompted.
Whenever Sealed is selected, a screen will appear asking if there is a
Protective Order Sealing Portions of the Record or an Order to Seal
that allows for filing this specific document under seal. If there is not
one filed, then it will inform you that you must file a Motion to Seal the
document after completing that entry.
c. Main Document Should Be Unsealed; One or More Attachments
Should Be Sealed
In this example, assume you are filing a reply to a response to a
motion. You have decided the reply does not need to be sealed, but
Exhibit A should be sealed. Your filing will occur in two parts.
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First:
1) File the unsealed document (the main document) by selecting
the same event you would use if none of the documents needed
to be sealed.
2) In place of the sealed document (i.e., Exhibit A), complete
the Notice of Filing Exhibit or Attachment Under Seal sample of
this document) as a placeholder for the sealed document(s).
Attach it as an attachment to the main document.
3) When prompted to indicate whether the document should be
sealed or unsealed, click the Unsealed radio button, then
click Next.
Example – select the event Reply to Response to Motion.
Attach the reply. Instead of attaching the sealed exhibit,
complete and attach the Notice of Filing Exhibit or
Attachment Under Seal. When prompted, click the “Unsealed”
radio button.
Second:
1) After filing the unsealed document(s) and the placeholder(s) as
explained above, file the sealed document(s) by using the
event Notice of Filing Exhibit or Attachment Under Seal.
(Click Civil on the top menu bar, then click Notices, then
select Notice of Filing Exhibit or Attachment Under Seal).
2) Attach the sealed document(s). The document will be
automatically sealed. Electronic access to sealed documents is
limited to specific court users that have sealed access.
3) Unless the Court has already ordered this specific
document sealed, by a Protective Order Sealing Portions of
the Record or by an Order to Seal, you will be required to
file a Motion to Seal this specific document. The Motion to
Seal must be filed immediately after filing the sealed document.
Example – select the event Notice of Filing Exhibit or
Attachment Under Seal. Attach Exhibit A (your sealed
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document). The document will be automatically sealed, so you
will not be prompted to select “Sealed” or “Unsealed”.
d. Procedures Applicable to All Sealed Documents
At the same time, or immediately after filing the sealed document, you
must serve a copy of the sealed document on any party required to be
served by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Service may be made
in paper format or in any other format/means agreed to by the parties.
Your filing with the Court must include a Certificate of Service reflecting
service by other means.
Any document you are filing under seal must be accompanied by a
courtesy copy for chambers. Documents filed under seal cannot be
served through CM/ECF because parties do not have access to sealed
documents.
e. Redacted Documents
Similar to a sealed document, if you are filing a redacted document
and an unredacted version of a document, prepare both documents. In
the caption of the redacted version, on the right side, either directly
above or below the case number, one of the following should appear in
all capital letters and in bold: “REDACTED” or “REDACTED
VERSION.”
If a document is to be redacted, (for example, a memorandum
containing personal identifiers in only one section):
1) File the redacted version of the document using the
event Redacted Document.
2) File the unredacted version using the event, Unredacted
Document. This document WILL NOT be sealed, but only case
participants will have access to it.
Add Documents
You cannot proceed any further until you have attached a main document.
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Reminder: When filing more than one document each document must be
a separate PDF.
If you are filing more than one document, the other documents must be
added as attachments and each document must be a separate PDF file.
For example, you must have a separate PDF file for each of the following:
• Motion to Stay
• Memorandum in Support
• Proposed Order
• Exhibit A
• Exhibit B
To attach a PDF document you can either enter the path and filename of
the document using the PDF extension in the Filename field, or you can
click on the Browse... button and follow the instructions below.
a. Add Main Document
1) Click the Browse... button under Main Document and the system will
display the Choose file window.
2) Change the Files of type field at the bottom of the window to All Files
(*.*) or Acrobat (*.pdf) so you can view PDF documents.
3) Navigate through your directories and folders by clicking on either the
down arrow at the right of the Look in field or the up one level icon to
the right of the field.
4) Once you have located the PDF document you wish to file, you should
view the document to verify it is the correct one by right clicking on the
file name. A menu will open. Click either Open or Open with Acrobat.
5) This will cause the system to launch Adobe Acrobat Reader and
display the contents of the document. Close Acrobat Reader by
clicking the X in the upper right corner. This will return you to the
Choose file window.
6) Once you have located the correct document, click the Open button in
the lower right corner of the Choose file window. The system will then
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insert the path and file name in the filename field next to
the Browse… button.
b. Add Attachments
1) To attach additional documents, click the Browse… button under
Attachments and follow steps 2 through 6 above.
2) After adding an attachment, you must choose a category from the
drop-down list and/or enter a description of the attachment. It can be
useful to use descriptive labels when there are multiple attachments.
Whether you select a category listed or enter a description on your
own, both will display in the final docket text. Therefore, do not repeat
th
