UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
S O U T H E R N D I S T R I C T OF N E W Y O R K
NOTICE TO THE BAR
LAURA TAYLOR SWAIN TAMMI HELLWIG
Chief Judge Clerk of Court
Dated: Contact:
February 2, 2026
[email protected]
Amended ECF Rules
The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York announces amendments to the
Court’s Electronic Case Filing (ECF) Rules, effective February 2, 2026. The most significant
amendments concern sealed filings (section 6) and applications for emergency relief (Rule 13.19). The
amended Rules include, but are not limited to:
6.4 Must all Motions/Letter Motions to Seal or Redact be electronically filed in
ECF?
Revised to clarify sealed filing through ECF is only permitted in civil and
miscellaneous cases.
6.7 How is service of sealed documents accomplished?
New rule 6.7 has been added to note the need to serve sealed filings outside the
ECF system. (See also Rule 19.2.)
6.9 What are Viewing Levels, and how can I limit access to a proposed sealed
document filed on ECF?
Deleted, as the ability to select a viewing level and a corresponding level of
remote access is no longer available in ECF. Sealed filings on ECF are now
viewable only by court users.
6.14 How do I electronically file a new civil case under seal?
Edited to separate information regarding filing of a redacted complaint in an
otherwise publicly accessible case into a new Rule 6.15.
THE HON. CHARLES L. BRIEANT JR. THE DANIEL PATRICK MOYNIHAN THE THURGOOD MARSHALL
FEDERAL BUILDING AND COURTHOUSE UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE
300 QUARROPAS STREET 500 PEARL STREET, ROOM 820 40 FOLEY SQUARE
WHITE PLAINS, NY 10601-4150 NEW YORK, NY 10007-1312 NEW YORK, NY 10007
13.1 May letters be filed electronically?
Revised to remove “Motion to Change Attorney Name on Roll.” This SDNY
filing event is no longer necessary as name change requests are now processed
through PACER.
13.3 How are exhibits filed?
Revised to clarify audio and video files may not be filed through ECF.
13.19 How do I file an application for emergency relief?
Revised to clarify procedures for filing an application for emergency relief and
note the importance of contacting the Part 1 Judge regarding an emergency
application filed after hours.
14.9 Am I required to deliver other documents to my adversary?
Deleted, as plaintiffs are no longer required to deliver a copy of the assigned
judge’s individual practices when serving a summons and complaint, due to the
availability of Individual Practices on-line.
20.3 How do I file a Notice of Appearance in an ECF case?
Revised to add a reference to the new Pro Bono Notice of Appearance filing
event.
20.11 Where can I learn more about resignation from the S.D.N.Y. bar?
New Rule 20.11 has been added to alert filers to the process for filing a letter of
resignation through the ECF system.
23.4 Is there a limit to the size of a document that can be filed on ECF?
Revised to reflect an increase in the permissible size of an individual PDF to 15
mb.
The amended ECF Rules are available at https://nysd.uscourts.gov/rules/ecf-related-instructions.
Questions may be directed to the Help Desk during business hours at
[email protected].
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THE HON. CHARLES L. BRIEANT JR. THE DANIEL PATRICK MOYNIHAN THE THURGOOD MARSHALL
FEDERAL BUILDING AND COURTHOUSE UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE
300 QUARROPAS STREET 500 PEARL STREET, ROOM 820 40 FOLEY SQUARE
WHITE PLAINS, NY 10601-4150 NEW YORK, NY 10007-1312 NEW YORK, NY 10007
