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Electronic filing under rule 8.71 through TrueFiling, mandatory for attorneys unless exempted and voluntary for self-represented litigants: registration at tf3.truefiling.com/register with a current e-mail address (rule 8.32); searchable PDF documents of 25 MB or less, consecutively Arabic-numbered from the cover, briefs under rule 8.204 with bookmarked tables of contents and original proceedings bookmarked to each exhibit; a user ID and password is an electronic signature; appendices, agreed and settled statements (rules 8.124, 8.134, 8.137) and administrative records (rule 8.728(b)) in electronic form, with an electronic copy of any ordered reporter's transcript (rule 8.144(d)(1)); personal identifiers redacted to the last four digits (rule 1.201); sealed and confidential material under rules 8.46 and 8.47; transmissions complete before midnight; a technical failure (the system unable to accept filings for more than one hour after 12:00 noon) moves the due date to the next court day and a late filing comes with a motion to accept it as timely (rule 8.77(d)); registration is consent to service (rule 8.78(a)(2)(B)); vendor fees are recoverable costs (rule 8.278(d)(1)(D)), with fee-waiver parties and Government Code section 6103 entities exempt; exemption by motion (rule 8.71(d)) or a paper filing with a declaration where conversion is not feasible (rule 8.71(g)); noncompliance may be sanctioned.
California > Fifth Appellate District > Court of Appeal, Fifth Appellate District
Rule 8. Electronic Filing Local Rule 8. Electronic Filing Pursuant to California Rules of Court, rule 8.71, the Court will require all filings in this District be made through the Court’s electronic filing system (EFS) operated by ImageSoft TrueFiling (TrueFiling). Use of the EFS system is mandatory for all attorneys filing in this District, unless an exemption is granted, and is voluntary for all self-represented litigants. A filing in electronic format will be accepted in lieu of any paper copies otherwise required under California Rules of Court, rule 8.44 and constitutes the official record of the Court. (a) [Registration] (1) Obligation to Register. Each attorney of record in any proceeding in this District is obligated to become an EFS user and obtain a user ID and password for access to the TrueFiling system. Self-represented litigants must register if they wish to e-file. Attorneys and self-represented litigants may register at: https://tf3.truefiling.com/register (2) Obligation to Keep Account Information Current. An EFS user is responsible for all documents filed under the user’s registered ID and password. Registered users are required to keep their e-mail address current and may update their e-mail address online via the TrueFiling Web site. The user also must comply with the requirements of California Rules of Court, rule 8.32. (b) [Format] Documents filed electronically must be in PDF format, or readily capable of conversion to PDF format while maintaining original document formatting by TrueFiling to permit text searches and to facilitate transmission and retrieval. If the filer possesses only a paper copy of a document, it may be scanned to convert it to a searchable PDF format. It is the filer’s responsibility to ensure that any document filed is complete and readable. No single document shall exceed a total file size of 25 MB. Document pages must be consecutively numbered beginning from the cover page of the document and using only the Arabic numbering system, as in 1, 2, 3. Briefs must comply with the content and format requirements of California Rules of Court, rule 8.204, with the exception of those provisions dealing exclusively with requirements for paper. The table of contents for each brief shall include electronic bookmarks to each heading in the text. All original proceedings must include electronic bookmarks from the table of contents for each heading in the text, and to the first page of any exhibit(s), with a description of the exhibit included in the bookmark. (c) [Signatures] A TrueFiling user ID and password is the equivalent of an electronic signature for a registered attorney or party. Any document displaying the symbol “/s/” with the attorney’s or party’s printed name shall be deemed signed by that attorney/party. (d) [Trial Court Record] (1) Appendices, Agreed Statements, and Settled Statements. Parties must submit any appendix filed pursuant to California Rules of Court, rule 8.124, any agreed statement filed pursuant to California Rules of Court, rule 8.134, or any settled statement filed pursuant to California Rules of Court, rule 8.137 in electronic form. Each part of the record submitted in any appendix shall clearly state the volume and page numbers included within that part and include an index of contents, with a descriptive electronic bookmark to the first page of each indexed document. (2) Administrative Records. In addition to any administrative record provided by the trial court pursuant to California Rules of Court, rule 8.123, the party or parties seeking review of a board case under California Rules of Court, rule 8.728(b) must submit a copy of the administrative record in electronic form. (3) Reporter’s Transcripts. Any party who orders a reporter’s transcript of proceedings pursuant to California Rules of Court, rule 8.130 must also request a copy of the transcript in computer-readable format, as provided in California Rules of Court, rule 8.144(d)(1), and submit an electronic copy to the Court. (e) [Personal Identifiers and Privacy Issues] To protect personal privacy, parties and their attorneys must not include, or must redact where inclusion is necessary, personal identifiers such as social security numbers and financial account numbers from all pleadings and other papers filed in the Court’s public file, whether filed in paper or electronic form, unless otherwise provided by law or ordered by the Court. (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 1.201(a).) If an individual’s social security number is required in a pleading or other paper filed in the public file, only the last four digits of that number shall be used. If financial account numbers are required in a pleading or other paper filed in the public file, only the last four digits of these numbers shall be used. The responsibility for excluding or redacting identifiers from all documents filed with the Court rests solely with the parties and their attorneys. (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 1.201(b).) Neither TrueFiling nor the Clerk of the Court has any responsibility to review pleadings or other papers for compliance. (f) [Sealed or Confidential Material] All filers must comply with California Rules of Court, rules 8.46 and 8.47 pertaining to sealed and confidential material. (g) [Filing Deadlines] Filing documents electronically does not alter any filing deadlines. In order to be timely filed on the day they are due, all electronic transmissions of documents must be completed (i.e., received completely by the Clerk of the Court) prior to midnight. Where a specific time of day is set for filing by Court order or stipulation, the electronic filing shall be completed by that time. Although EFS permits parties to submit documents electronically 24 hours a day, users should be aware that telephone or online EFS assistance may not be available outside of normal Court business hours. (h) [Technical Failure/Motions for Late Filing] If a filer fails to meet a filing deadline imposed by Court order, rule, or statute because of a failure at any point in the electronic transmission and receipt of a document, the filer may file the document as soon thereafter as practicable and accompany the filing with a motion to accept the document as timely filed. (See Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.77(d).) The Clerk of the Court shall deem the EFS system to be subject to a technical failure whenever the system is unable to accept filings continuously or intermittently over the course of any period of time greater than one hour after 12:00 noon that day. Filings due on the day of a technical failure which were not filed solely due to such technical failure shall be due the next court day. The initial point of contact for any practitioner experiencing difficulty filing a document into the EFS system shall be the toll-free number posted on the TrueFiling Web site. The Court shall not be responsible for malfunction or errors occurring in electronic transmission or receipt of electronically filed documents. (i) [Service] An attorney’s registration with TrueFiling to participate in EFS constitutes consent to service or delivery of all documents by any other party in a case through the system. (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.78(a)(2)(B).) (j) [Filing Fees] TrueFiling is a private vendor under contract with the Court. TrueFiling will assess vendor fees for each filing in accordance with the schedule posted on its Web site, as approved by the Court. E-Filing fees will be considered recoverable costs under California Rules of Court, rule 8.278(d)(1)(D). TrueFiling is designated as the Court’s agent for collection of Court imposed fees where required for any filing, and any associated credit card or bank charges or convenience fees (Cal. Rules of Court, rules 8.73(b), 8.76; Gov. Code, § 6159). Should a self-represented party with a fee waiver opt to file documents electronically, that party is exempt from the fees and costs associated with electronic filing. The persons and entities identified in Government Code section 6103 also are exempt from the fees and costs associated with e-Filing. (k) [Exemptions] Self-represented parties may, but are not required to, register for electronic filing. If they elect to register, they must comply with this rule and the requirements of TrueFiling. If electronic filing and/or service causes undue hardship or significant prejudice to any party, the party may file a motion for an exemption from the requirements of this rule. (See Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.71(d).) When it is not otherwise feasible for a party to convert a document to electronic form by scanning, imaging or other means, the document may be filed in paper form (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.71(g)), together with a declaration setting forth the reasons that electronic filing was not feasible. (l) [Sanctions for Noncompliance] Failure of counsel to timely register or otherwise comply with EFS filing requirements, unless exempted, shall subject counsel to sanctions as may be imposed by the Court. (Effective September 27, 2021)
Rule 8. Electronic Filing Local Rule 8. Electronic Filing Pursuant to California Rules of Court, rule 8.71, the Court will require all filings in this District be made through the Court’s electronic filing system (EFS) operated by ImageSoft TrueFiling (TrueFiling). Use of the EFS system is mandatory for all attorneys filing in this District, unless an exemption is granted, and is voluntary for all
Reviewer note: Composed 2026-10-20 (California Fifth Appellate District build 2026-10-20) from BenchPath custody ca/appellate/ca-coa-5/pages/rules-forms-filing__local-rules-orders.html (the page as fetched 2026-10-20; 255206 bytes, sha256 a3ed970c7ee8ac0ec9b2b193fc209add63fdf9bc3866ef89f56b4f96ad71a0f7): the rule's text as the page prints it, heading, body and history line; the page's accordion controls (Expand all x1; Close all x1) and the site chrome are not part of the text. The page introduces the rules: “Counsel and self-represented litigants should be familiar with the California Rules of Court, especially the Appellate Rules. (See Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.1 et seq.) The local rules below are intended to highlight the practices unique to the Fifth Appellate District and to emphasize portions of the Rules of Court that the court considers to be most important.” Review note: effective_date = September 27, 2021, the date the history line gives. The page prints the rule's heading twice (“Rule 8. Electronic Filing” and “Local Rule 8. Electronic Filing”) - reproduced as printed; link addresses the page attaches to rule citations are not printed.
A 2013 standing order requiring attorneys to e-file family-law and civil documents (no paper filings accepted) as the court began compliance with the Supreme Court's e-filing mandate; criminal filing unchanged.
A 2013 standing order requiring attorneys to e-file family-law and civil documents (no paper filings accepted) as the court began compliance with the Supreme Court's e-filing mandate; criminal filing unchanged.