5th Circuit AO A-2026-13-A: Artificial Intelligence Use — Cautionary Order, No Disclosure/Certification Mandate (current)
Summary
The Fifth Circuit's current AI order (effective June 15, 2026, 12:01 a.m., the same moment as AOSC26-12) expressly creates NO AI disclosure, certification, or verification requirement beyond statewide law. It strongly cautions independent verification of all AI-assisted content, bars unanonymized confidential data in public AI systems, requires a Disclosure Statement for AI-generated or AI-altered EVIDENCE, and quotes Rule 2.515(d)(2) sanctions.
Requirement
Verbatim key provisions (verified against hashed PDF): §2.B: "The Court strongly cautions all persons utilizing artificial intelligence in connection with court filings, legal research, or litigation support to independently verify all factual assertions, quotations, legal authorities, citations, and legal analysis before submission to the Court." §2.D: "Nothing in this Administrative Order shall be construed to create any disclosure, certification, or verification requirement concerning the use of artificial intelligence beyond those imposed by applicable law, court rule, or order of the Florida Supreme Court." §5: "Confidential or sealed information must not be entered into public AI systems without anonymization." §6 prohibits fabricated citations, improper disclosure of confidential information into public AI systems, and AI-altered evidence without disclosure. §7 (AI-generated or AI-altered evidence): "Any such exhibit must include a Disclosure Statement and appropriate foundation." §8 quotes the Rule 2.515(d)(2) sanction paragraph. §10: supersedes A-2026-13 effective June 15, 2026 at 12:01 a.m. Signed by Chief Judge Daniel B. Merritt, Jr. on June 11, 2026. Scope (§1): all filings via the e-portal or otherwise presented to any division in Citrus, Hernando, Lake, Marion and Sumter counties; applies to attorneys, self-represented litigants, court-appointed professionals and justice partners.
Source of truth
Nothing in this Administrative Order shall be construed to create any disclosure, certification, or verification requirement concerning the use of artificial intelligence beyond those imposed by applicable law, court rule, or order of the Florida Supreme Court.
- Source health
- Healthy · checked July 21, 2026
- Effective date
- June 14, 2026
- Last verified
- July 19, 2026fable5-livefetch-2026-07-20
Reviewer note: Independently fetched + hashed 2026-07-20 (sha256 33e1b4e4…); all four research-pass quotes verified verbatim from page images. Textbook AOSC26-12 compliance: the amendment stripped the disclosure/certification/tool-ID requirements the original imposed.
Related rules
AO 2026-03-Gen — Use of AI in Court Filings [VACATED eff. 6/15/2026 by AO 2026-19-Gen]
The 17th Circuit's circuit-wide AI disclosure/certification mandate (Jan 2026, twice amended) was VACATED in its entirety effective June 15, 2026 by Chief Judge Phillips's AO 2026-19-Gen, expressly citing the statewide framework (AOSC26-12; Rule 2.515(d)(2), SC2026-0673). Several division procedure pages still cite the vacated order.
AO 24-20 — Circuit Civil Active Case Management
Every circuit-civil case reviewed within 120 days of commencement and assigned a track (complex, streamlined, or general); case management orders required; firm continuance policy; sanctions for missed deadlines. Rescinds AO 21-09.
AM 23-C — Uniform Average Time Standards for hearings
Circuit-civil hearing-availability standards: motion calendars ~2 weeks from request; 15-30 min special sets within 45-60 days; longer special sets scale.
AO 22-02 — Docket index numbers on notices + proposed orders
Every attorney-generated notice of hearing and every proposed order must list the docket index number / motion identifier of the motion at issue.