Second Notice - Next Generation of CM/ECF (NextGen)
Printer-friendly versionReminder: Next Generation of CM/ECF (NextGen) is Coming on February 18, 2020 - Prepare Today!
On February 18, 2020, the Case Management/Electronic Case Filing System (CM/ECF) of the United States District Court for the Central District of California will be upgraded to the Next Generation of CM/ECF (NextGen). This will affect all “Registered CM/ECF Users” (attorneys; pro se parties registered to file, view or receive service of documents through the CM/ECF system; members of the media registered for e-service). NextGen will include “Central Sign-On,” a new functionality that will allow registered CM/ECF users to access all NextGen courts to which they have access (appellate, bankruptcy, and district) using one PACER login and password.
Registered CM/ECF users should prepare for the upgrade now by obtaining their own individual PACER account or upgrading their existing individual PACER account. Your PACER account credentials will be used for logging in to CM/ECF, and therefore you MUST have your own individual PACER account. Registered CM/ECF users will not be able to use shared PACER accounts after February 17, 2020. Follow Steps 1 through 3 below on or BEFORE February 18, 2020. (Note: If you currently e-file in any of the courts that are already on NextGen, then you have an upgraded PACER account and no action is required until February 18, 2020, at which time you can begin with Step 4.)
Step 1: Obtain your own individual PACER account, if you do not already have one. Register for a new PACER account by clicking the following link: https://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov/pscof/registration.jsf, then go to step 3.
Step 2: If you already have your own individual PACER account (as opposed to a shared account that your whole firm or office uses), determine whether your PACER account is an upgraded or legacy account. Go to www.pacer.gov/nextgen for instructions on making this determination.
If you have a legacy PACER account, you must upgrade your account before you can electronically file or maintain e-mail notification preferences in a NextGen court. To upgrade your account, click on the following link: https://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov/pscof/login.jsf
(NOTE: DO NOT upgrade a shared PACER account. Shared PACER accounts cannot be used by registered CM/ECF users once the court has upgraded).
Step 3: Make sure you know your current CM/ECF login and password. These are the credentials, issued by the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, that you are currently using to e-file, view restricted documents, or maintain e-mail notification preferences in this court. If you do not know your current CM/ECF login and password, do the following:
· If your contact information in CM/ECF is current, please use the password reset feature from the CM/ECF login page at https://ecf.cacd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl or contact the court's CM/ECF Helpdesk at http://www.cacd.uscourts.gov/e-filing/cmecf-helpdesk.
· If your contact information in CM/ECF is not current, please submit a request for a CM/ECF account at http://www.cacd.uscourts.gov/e-filing/request-cmecf-account to have your password reset and sent to you. Upon receipt of your CM/ECF login and password, update your contact information. Instructions for updating your contact information in CM/ECF can be found at: http://www.cacd.uscourts.gov/e-filing/maintaining-current-contact-information
Step 4: Once the Court goes live on NextGen on February 18, 2020, you must link your upgraded PACER account to your CM/ECF account or you will be unable to access the Court’s electronic filing system. The Court will notify you once we are live so you can link your accounts. Instructions will be provided at that time.
A note to firms: Firms may set up a PACER Administrative Account to help manage attorney PACER accounts and have them centrally billed for filing and PACER access fees. More information regarding PACER Administrative Accounts (PAAs) can be found here: https://www.pacer.gov/reg_firm.html.
Questions regarding your PACER account should be directed to PACER at [email protected] or by calling (800) 676-6856. Answers to frequently asked questions may be found at https://www.pacer.gov/nextgen.
For more information on the NextGen upgrade, please go to the court’s website at http://www.cacd.uscourts.gov/e-filing/nextgen-cmecf.
Kiry K. Gray
District Court Executive/Clerk of Court
