E-Filing

General Information

• Mandatory Electronic Filing (E-File) will be required for represented parties in all cases filed in Limited and Unlimited Civil, case types, including Family Law cases, Probate cases, cases related to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), Civil Writ petitions cases, and Unlawful Detainers. Self-represented litigants are not required to E-File, but are encouraged to participate.
• Pursuant to CCP 1010.6, Any document that is received electronically between 12:00 a.m. and 11:59:59 p.m. on a court day shall be deemed received on that court day. Any document that is received electronically on a non-court day shall be deemed received on the next court day.
• E-filing Specs: Filers are asked to please submit their filings with the following specifications in order to eliminate rejected filings:
  • Scanned documents using a PDF Producer such as Adobe Acrobat or Microsoft Word. (iTextSharp, NitroPro, and ActivePDF are examples of non-standard PDF producers which will cause errors).
  • Paper size of scanned document set to 8.50" x 11.00".
  • A resolution higher than 300dpi - No embedded fonts.
  • There is a 50 megabyte size limit per envelope.
  • If rejected for filing specs, print document and rescan using a supported PDF Producer.
• Format: E-Filing submissions should comply with California Rules of Court 2.250-2.261 and any other required rule or statute applicable to the filing.
  • The Court may require production of the original document(s) E-filed.
  • Formatting Tips:
    • Please accurately enter information.
    • When entering Party names and addresses for the very first time, enter this information in all CAPITALS, otherwise select the party name.
    • Kern County no longer requires the Facsimile Transmission Page.
    • Exhibits should be bookmarked pursuant to CRC 3.1110. How do I add Bookmarks to a PDF document?
• Confidentiality:
  • Filers/Attorneys must designate documents that are required to be kept confidential by law by selecting "confidential" in the security field on the filing details prompt in the Court’s electronic filing system.
  • It is the sole responsibility of the filing parties and filing attorneys to exclude or redact identifiers from all documents filed with the court, as described in CRC 1.201.

Civil Filings

• Notices pertaining to CRC 3.110 et. seq., 3.740 et. seq., and Notice of Assignment / Case Management Conference can be found in the Documents section within the electronic case.
• Orders filed electronically cannot be returned via e-filing. To request a copy, send an email request to corresponding Court.
• Writs of Execution/Possession and Abstracts of Judgments are eligible for electronic submission to all applicable division. Issued submissions will be returned electronically to the filing party. Note: These specific filings must be printed in color and submitted to the proper agency for enforcement.
• Complex Case Filings: Contact the Civil Department 661-610-6000 prior to filing. Complex Cases Rules Apply-See California Rules of Court 3.400-3.403.
• Questions? Contact the Civil Department in the Court where your case is filed.
• Filings NOT accepted at this time:
  • Appeals

Family Law Filings

• Notice of Assignment can be found in the Documents section within the electronic case.
• Filings NOT accepted at this time:
  • Appeals
  • Abandonments
  • Adoptions
  • Termination of Parental Rights
  • Surrogacy Actions
• Questions? Contact the Family Law Department in the Court where your case is filed.

Probate Filings

• Self-represented litigants are not required to e-file
• Filings NOT accepted by e-File at this time:
  • Appeals
  • Wills/Codicils
  • Bonds
  • Affidavits re Real Property of Small Value
• Questions? Contact the Probate Department at 661-610-6000.