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E - Filing Portal

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1. Who can register to use the ePortal?

The following can register to use the ePortal:
- Court Reporters
- Florida Bar Attorneys
- Mediators
- Mental Health Professionals
- Pro Hac Vice Attorneys (see ePortal website for details)
- Process Servers
- Self-Represented Litigants (Plaintiff, Respondent, Defendant)

2. How do I register for an account?

To register for an ePortal account, go to the ePortal website. For assistance with creating an account, read the ePortal Documentation. Visit the ePortal website.

3. How do I set up an administrator account?

Contact the FACC directly at the help desk number at 850-577-4609, or their support email.

4. Can a non-lawyer be the law firm administrator?

Yes.

5. My firm has several locations. Can we have a law firm administrator for each location?

Yes.

6. Is eFiling mandatory?

Yes. eFiling is mandatory for attorneys filing new and existing cases for all court types.

7. Do I still need to submit the original document to the Clerk?

Please refer to our Additonal FAQs page.

8. What document types does the ePortal support?

The following document types are supported by the portal:
- Microsoft Word
- PDF and PDF/A
- WordPerfect

9. What are the formatting requirements for a document?

Defined in Rules of Judicial Administration 2.520:
8 1/2 x 11 inches
Portrait orientation
300 DPI (for a scanned document)
Black and white not color (for a scanned document)
3x3 inch space at the top right corner on the first page
1x3 inch space at the top right corner on each subsequent page
1 inch margin
Can be no larger than 50 MB
Do not password protect documents

10. How do I transmit my attachments and exhibits?

All supporting documentation (exhibits, proposed orders, etc.) must be included in the file with your pleading. It is suggested that PDF merger software be used to merge multiple documents into one file for submission to the Portal. You can also scan all the documents into one PDF file.

Please be aware that when scanning as an image, your document may no longer comply with Rules of Judicial Administration 2.525 and 2.526. For more information on accessibility rules, please visit the Florida Supreme Court homepage.

11. What do I do with my cover letter?

If you would like to submit a cover letter with your transmission, please include it as the last page(s) of the file. The first page of the file must be the first page of the lead document (i.e. the Petition/Pleading/Paper) that you are filing. The only exception to this is where you are filing a proposed order separately.

12. What do I do with my proposed order?

You may attach your order with the motion or pleading, or you may submit it directly to the Clerk of Court or Judge's office.

13. Can I file multiple pleadings?

Yes, so long as each pleading relates to the same case. Please make sure to upload each individual pleading separately by repeating the document type selection process and uploading the individual document.

Do not merge multiple pleadings (i.e. two petitions and a notice of hearing) into one file as an attempt to efile in bulk.

14. How do I sign an electronic document?

A submission by a registered user is not required to bear the electronic image of the handwritten signature or an encrypted signature of the filer. Instead, the requirement of a signature on an electronically filed document may be met as follows:
s / John Doe
John Doe (email address)
Bar Number 12345
Attorney for (Plaintiff/Defendant) XYZ Company
ABC Law Firm
123 South Street
Inverness, FL 34450
Telephone: 352-123-4567

See Florida Supreme Court AOSC09-30 (PDF) for more information.

15. What is the cutoff for a document to be deemed filed on a certain day?

Papers and pleadings filed before midnight are deemed filed that date.

Please be aware that it may take up to three days to process the filing and become available in the Clerk's case maintenance system. If there is a hearing scheduled within the three day processing period the filing may not get processed and into court case file in time for the hearing.

16. Will there be a charge to use the ePortal?

Registered filers may access the ePortal and file documents at no charge above the statutory filing fee. If a filer chooses to pay statutory fees using a credit card, they will be charged an additional credit card transaction fee, which will be used to cover the associated banking, and merchant fees as allowed by Florida Statutes.

The regular filings established by Florida law are required to be paid to file cases with Florida's courts. In addition to the filing fees, if you pay using a credit, charge or debit card, or and ACH transaction, there are also convenience fees established to offset the use of electronic funds transfer. The portal accepts Mastercard, Discover and American Express cards at a rate of 3%. The fee for an ACH transaction is a $3 flat fee.

You may elect to have the fees deducted from an established escrow account with the Citrus County Clerk's office. On the payment tab, you will elect to request a fee waiver and submit a document which directs the clerk to deduct from your escrow account.

17. How do I know my documents have been eFiled?

Depending on how your profile is set up, you may receive up to three (3) notifications; 1) the filing is received upon receipt at the portal, 2) received into the Clerk's case maintenance for review, and 3) notification that processing is complete for Filing Number (Filing ID). The filing status will say "Filed" on My Filings Page.

Although it is received at the portal, depending on volume it may be several days before the image shows in the Clerk's court records.

18. How do I obtain certified copies?

Please email us.

19. How will the ePortal provide access to filings once the Clerk accepts them?

The ePortal provides access to filings "in progress" only. Once the filing is accepted and filed in the local Case Maintenance System, this becomes the official court record just like the current paper process. Original filings are retained at the portal for a brief period and then removed.

Access to filed documents is provided through Secured Courts Online Record Search System (SCORSS).

Secured Courts Online Record Search System.

20. I need assistance with my ePortal account. Whom do I contact?

For technical support, including password resets, contact the Florida Association of Court Clerks' Services Group at 850-577-4609 or via email. For assistance with a filing, such as an inquiry regarding a filing or a case, please contact our office at 352-341-6424 or through our email.

21. Why was my filing sent to the Pending Queue and what do I do now?

A filing may be sent to the Pending Queue for various reasons, for example, the case number and style don't match, multiple documents are attached as a single document, document is corrupt and unable to be viewed, etc. Our office will notify you of the reason by email. You need to take some action to resolve the problem within 5 business days of receiving notice that the filing was moved to the pending queue. Filings remaining in the Pending Queue after 5 business days will not be filed into the case.

22. How do I file my summons and retrieve my summons after it is processed?

Please refer to our Additonal FAQs page.

23. How do I pay filing and other service fees?

Please refer to our Additonal FAQs page.

24. How do I e-file if I am an Out-Of-State Attorney?

Pursuant to Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.510, an out-of-state attorney wishing to appear in a Florida case must be granted permission by the court where the case is pending by filing a Motion to Appear Pro Hac Vice (PHV). A copy of the Motion is to be sent to The Florida Bar. The Florida Bar will send a letter to the movant with their PHV number.

The attorney must use the PHV number to register with the Portal and e-file future pleadings. Until the attorney receives their PHV number, all pleadings will be e-filed by the local attorney designated in the Motion. If an attorney has a pending case and needs a PHV number, a number will be assigned. For questions on obtaining a PHV number, call The Florida Bar at 850-561-5840.

25. Do I need to submit supporting documents to the clerk's office?

Attorneys should provide sufficient copies of documents for conforming and stamped addressed envelopes for distribution. If copies are not provided, in order to timely comply with statutory duties, the Clerk's Office will assume the responsibility of printing and mailing copies to the appropriate parties. Pursuant to Section 28.24 (5)(a), Florida Statutes, the copy fee for any court document is $1 per page. Invoices will be submitted to the appropriate attorney's office for copy and postage costs.