Electronic Filing for Unrepresented Parties

Registration Process

Unrepresented filers interested in filing electronically must create a PACER account and request electronic filing access with the Federal Circuit.  Detailed instructions are available here (pdf).

The Clerk’s Office processes electronic filing registration requests for individual unrepresented filers as received.  Please allow at least one business day for processing.  A completed Notice of Unrepresented Person Appearance: Form 8B (pdf) indicating an intent to file electronically must still be received and processed in order to file electronically in a case.

Unrepresented parties with cases docketed on or after October 1, 2020, must file a completed Form 8B containing their filing election within fourteen (14) days after docketing. See Fed. Cir. R. 25(a)(1)(B).

Filings a New Appeal or Petition

Unrepresented parties will not be able to file case-initiating documents with this court through the court’s electronic filing system, even if they are registered filers.  Instead, all case-initiating filings from unrepresented parties must be received in paper or transmitted to the court as a PDF attachment via email.

Filing Other Documents by Email or Facsimile

Only case-initiating documents will be accepted by email; all other documents or messages will neither be accepted nor processed. See Fed. R. Cir. 25(a)(1).

Filing Fee Payment

Unrepresented parties who register for electronic filing will be able to pay the docketing fee via the court’s electronic filing system and Pay.gov only (1) once registration is confirmed, (2) the applicable case has been docketed, and (3) the court has received a completed and compliant Notice of Unrepresented Person Appearance: Form 8B (pdf).

Unrepresented parties will be able to pay other miscellaneous fees, such as records requests, through the court’s electronic filing system after registration is approved.

Consent to Electronic Service

The Clerk’s Office permits unrepresented filers to consent to electronic service of documents by email, even if they do not intend to register as electronic filers.  These filers must still submit a completed Notice of Unrepresented Person Appearance: Form 8B (pdf) to the Clerk’s Office before they can receive service electronically.