Hardware and Software Requirements for Electronic Filing

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The following hardware and software requirements are needed to file documents electronically in the Central District of California:

  • Personal computer: PC clone or Apple Macintosh.
  • Operating system: Windows 2000, XP, Windows 7 or Macintosh (OS 9 or higher).
  • Internet connection. (Broadband is recommended.)
  • Internet browser:
    • Internet Explorer (version 9.x or higher); or
    • Mozilla Firefox (version 15.x or higher). or
    • Safari (versions 5.1/6.x or higher).
  • PDF converter software, such as Adobe Acrobat (Version 5.0 or higher).  Do not use software that embeds advertisements in the creation of the PDF document.
  • Word processor, such as WordPerfect or Microsoft Word.
  • Scanner for imaging documents: any scanner capable of converting images to OCR PDF format. (Image resolution must be between 200-300 dpi for smaller file size.)
  • E-mail account: any provider. Set spam software to accept documents from cacd.uscourts.gov.
  • PACER log-in and password.

PACER accounts can be established through the PACER Service Center. To do so, visit their website at http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov or contact them at:

          PACER Service Center
          P.O. Box 780549
          San Antonio, TX 78278
          (800) 676-6856
          (210) 301-6440