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E-filing mandatory for civil, probate and family law cases and optional for criminal cases, small claims exempt, self-represented parties and non-parties exempt (Local Rule 2.2); eFileCA available at all hours, filings accepted during normal business hours, 8:30am-4:30pm, and a document received electronically between 12:00am and 11:59:59pm on a court day deemed filed that court day (Rule 2.253(b)(6)); rejections notified by the provider and re-submitted by the filer; service the filer's duty, e-service optional; the e-filing service fee of $3.50 and an eCheck fee of $.25; existing parties not added again; each document needing its own file stamp filed as a separate lead document; size limits of 35 MB an envelope and 25 MB a document; PDF format; electronic bookmarks for exhibits (California Rule of Court 3.1110(f)) and text-searchable documents (California Rule of Court 2.256).
California > Third Appellate District > Sutter County > Superior Court of California, County of Sutter
Electronic Filing Frequently Asked Questions How does e-filing work? Electronic filing or e-filing enables filers and courts to efficiently process documents and fees online. eFileCA manages the flow of information among filers, clerks, court personnel and judges. The filer submits documents by establishing an account with an electronic filing service provider (EFSP). Is e-filing secure? Yes. The eFileCA system adheres to state and federal security regulations and meets Payment Card Industry Security Standards to protect filer and transaction information. Is e-filing mandatory in Sutter County? E-filing is mandatory for all Civil, Probate and Family Law cases and optional for Criminal cases. Small Claims cases are exempt. Self-represented parties and non-parties are exempt from the mandatory electronic filing and service requirements but are encouraged to participate. For additional information see Sutter County Superior Court Local Rule 2.2. Review the list of Courts accepting e-filings for information on specific courts. What type of cases can I e-file using eFileCA? Civil (complex, unlimited, and limited), Probate, Family Law and Criminal. When can I use eFileCA? eFileCA is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Sutter County Superior Court accepts filings during normal business hours, 8:30am-4:30pm Monday through Friday excluding court holidays. Note: The system may be temporarily offline from time to time for maintenance purposes. Can I use eFileCA if I’m a self-represented litigant (pro per or pro se)? Yes, self-represented parties are eligible to use the site for e-filing. However, it is not mandatory they do so. Do I have to register to use eFileCA? Yes, all users must register with an electronic filing service provider (EFSP) prior to using e-filing. Is support available for the eFileCA system? Yes, support is provided for both attorneys and self-represented litigants. Each electronic filing service provider (EFSP) offers a different type of e-filing support. When you pick your EFSP, look at the level of filing support that is offered and see if it meets your needs. Is training available for using eFileCA? Yes, training is provided for free. You can register by selecting Web Training Sessions, or contact your electronic filing service provider (EFSP). You can attend as many training sessions as you need. One hour of CLE credit can be earned for many of the sessions. What time do I have to submit my document to have it deemed filed the same day? In accordance with Rule 2.253(b)(6), any document received electronically by the court between 12:00am and 11:59:59pm on a court day shall be deemed filed on that court day. Any document that is received electronically on a non-court day shall be deemed filed on the next court day. The effective date of filing any document received electronically is prescribed by Code of Civil Procedure section 1010.6. This provision concerns only the effective date of filing. Any document that is received electronically must be processed and satisfy all other legal filing requirements to be filed as an official court record. What documents can and cannot be e-filed? All documents can be electronically filed except for those outlined in Sutter County Superior Court Local Rule 2.2. What if my filing is rejected? You will be notified by the EFSP of the rejection, and of the reasons for the rejection. It is then your responsibility to correct and re-submit the filing. What is e-service? E-service is a feature provided by eFileCA where documents are electronically served to other parties in a case via e-mail. Using this option, you can track when each party received and opened the filing. How do I serve other individuals with my e-filed documents? Filers are responsible for accomplishing service of all filings as required by applicable court rules. For this purpose, filers may use the mail service, serve by hand delivery, send an e-mail, or use eFileCA as it offers the option of electronic service of each filing to the designated service contact. Can I use e-service without filing a document with the court? Yes, eFileCA may be used to exchange documents between parties without filing the documents through the courts. Is there a fee to use eFileCA? Yes, there are fees associated with filing documents electronically with eFIleCA.com. The Sutter County Superior Court fee schedules can be found on our Fee Schedule page. Filings submitted without all the required filing fees will be rejected for correction. E-file fee: A service fee is assessed for use of the e-filing system. The basic service fee is currently set at $3.50. This is subject to change. Payment service fee: A payment service fee is assessed to cover the credit card processing fees. eCheck Fee: The fee is $.25. Is there an exception to mandatory electronic filing if it creates an undue hardship or significant prejudice to any party? In accordance with rule 2.253 of the California Rules of Court, a party may submit an application for exemption from eFiling. Do I need to add new parties when filing into an existing case? When electronically filing into an existing case, parties that already exist in the case should not be added as new parties. The only time new parties should be added to the case is when the filing adds new parties to an existing case. This could be an amended complaint adding new defendants, cross complaint adding cross-defendants, amendment to complaint naming a doe, etc. When new parties are added through electronic filing that already exist on the case, the clerk has to delete them before processing the filing or the parties will be duplicated in the case management system. Can I upload all documents together or must they be separated? Documents should be filed as you would have presented them at the clerk window. For instance, a document that would have been stapled together at filing should be filed as one lead document. Another way to think about it is anything that needs its own file stamp should be filed separately, as a lead document that gets its own separate event code. Multiple documents can be filed together in one envelope, but each document to be filed needs its own event code. Is there a size limit for the document that can be uploaded? 35 MB for the whole envelope and 25 MB for a single document. There have been reports of problems that have all been resolved by calling the EFSP. If the document is truly too big, and the EFSP cannot resolve, please call the court at 530-822-3300 to discuss a resolution. What format do I have to save my document in? PDF, however some EFSPs allow you to file as a Word document because they then turn it into a PDF for you. Do I have to bookmark my document? Yes, pursuant to California Rule of Court 3.1110(f), a document filed electronically with exhibits must include electronic bookmarks with links to the first page of each exhibit and a bookmark title that identifies the exhibit number or letter and briefly describes the exhibit. Do I have to add OCR (Optical Character Recognition) to my document? Yes, pursuant to California Rule of Court 2.256(b) (3), a document filed electronically must be text searchable. For assistance, you can contact the filer support number for the electronic service provider you are using.
Electronic Filing Frequently Asked Questions How does e-filing work? Electronic filing or e-filing enables filers and courts to efficiently process documents and fees online. eFileCA manages the flow of information among filers, clerks, court personnel and judges. The filer submits documents by establishing an account with an electronic filing service provider (EFSP). Is e-filing secure? Yes. The
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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.