We are now LIVE on NextGen CM/ECF
Over the weekend of July 23, 2021, the Eastern District of Pennsylvania upgraded to NextGen CM/ECF. This upgrade will provide several benefits including Central Sign-On: the ability to access all courts through PACER and any court in which you practice through NextGen CM/ECF using one login and password.
Central Sign-On (CSO)
CSO allows all CM/ECF users to maintain a single login and password across all NextGen courts (appellate, bankruptcy and district) where permitted to file, and to PACER nationwide. Each user is identified with the appropriate level of access in each court. The PACER Service Center supports outside user requests for attorney admissions and e-filing recognition from various courts. Courts continue to be responsible for admitting attorneys and assigning e-filing permissions to users.
What You Need to Do to Continue E-Filing
If you know your PACER and ECF E-Filer logins and passwords:
Link your Individual upgraded PACER account with your ECF account:
Since our migration to NextGen is complete, your upgraded PACER account must be linked to your CM/ECF filing account. This is a one-time procedure. After linking your accounts, you will then use your PACER account for all filing and viewing access to the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
If you do not know your PACER login and password:
Contact PACER to have your account reset:
You'll need to know your PACER login and password in order to link your accounts. You can call (800) 676-6856 or email pacer@psc.uscourts.gov.
If you do not know your ECF E-Filer login and password:
Contact the court to have your account reset:
You'll need to know your ECF E-Filer login and password in order to link your accounts. You can call (866) 323-4323 or email PAED_clerksoffice@paed.uscourts.gov with the subject "ECF Password Reset".
If you don't already have an account:
Register for an Individual PACER account:
Each user must have their own individual PACER account. Shared PACER accounts are no longer be usable.
Register for an ECF E-Filer account:
If you have not yet registered for an ECF E-Filer account, you can now do this through PACER. It may take up to 1 day for your registration to be processed.
Are you ready?
Compare your status with our Readiness Checklist to see what else you need to do to be ready.
Take a look at our first informational memo.
Instructions and Guides
How to register for an Individual PACER account
How to upgrade your Legacy PACER account
How to link your PACER account to your ECF e-filer account
How to register for an ECF e-filer account
Common Questions
My law firm uses a shared PACER account. Can we continue to use that account?
No. Each attorney must have an individual PACER account to use for electronic filing in NextGen. The law firm can create a PACER Administrative Account (PAA) to manage the billing for all of the individual accounts. Staff members who share a PACER account only for research can continue to share.
I am a CJA attorney and I currently have two PACER accounts. Will I continue to need two accounts with NextGen?
CJA Attorneys will only need one PACER account for filing and viewing in NextGen CM/ECF. If you have a separate exempt CJA account now, those exempt privileges will be added to your individual upgraded PACER account and your current exempt account will be canceled.
I have already linked my account when another court moved to Next Gen. Do I have to link my account again?
Yes, you must now link your PACER account to your Eastern District of Pennsylvania CM/ECF account before you can file in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. You will need to link your PACER account to each court that you practice in.