This section includes common civil and criminal filing procedures for the Central District of California. These procedures may differ from court procedures in other districts; therefore, all litigants are encouraged to review the information provided by this section before proceeding in the Central District. In addition, you should also consult the Court’s Local Rules [1] and General Orders. [2]

Pursuant to Local Rule 5-4.1 and Local Criminal Rule 49-1.1, electronic filing is mandatory in all civil and criminal cases in the Central District of California. All documents must be filed electronically unless exempted by Local Rule 5-4.2 or Local Criminal Rule 49-1.2. For information about electronic filing procedures, please visit the e-filing [3] section.

Please note that, while documents may be filed electronically 24 hours a day, electronically filed documents will usually not receive immediate attention. Litigants filing documents in civil cases that require immediate attention should review the Court's Emergency Filing Procedures [4].