The District Court has upgraded its Case Management/Electronic Case Filing System (CM/ECF) to the Next Generation of CM/ECF (NextGen). This upgrade provides users with several new benefits. One of these benefits is Central Sign-On, a login process which allows e-filing attorneys to use one PACER login and password to access any NextGen court (district, appellate and bankruptcy) in which they practice.
The U.S. District Court converted to NextGen CM/ECF on May 17, 2021.
Attorneys must obtain their own PACER account and upgrade it. Your PACER account is your login to CM/ECF, and therefore you MUST have your own individual PACER account. E-filing attorneys are not able to use shared PACER accounts. Please click the PACER link below for more information regarding how to upgrade your existing PACER account or how to register for a new PACER account. After upgrading or obtaining your PACER account, you must then link your PACER account to your current CM/ECF account. Linking instructions can be found within the PACER tab below.
Note: Not all courts have implemented NextGen CM/ECF. If you file in courts that have not converted to NextGen, you must continue to use that court's CM/ECF login and password until they implement NextGen CM/ECF.
Attention: Attorneys wishing to be Reinstated after Suspension
If you are an attorney who has been suspended or disbarred and wish to practice in this Court again, prepare a motion seeking reinstatement and forward it to the Clerk’s Office where it will be entered in your attorney discipline case. If your motion is granted, the Court will restore your CM/ECF e-filing privileges in the Central District of Illinois. (Eff. 3/12/13; rev. 5/20/21; rev. 2/9/22)
Additional Documents:
Attorney Admissions contact information:
PACER
Registering for a PACER Account
- Go to www.pacer.gov.
- Select Register for an Account > Attorney Filers for CM/ECF.
- Select Register for a PACER account.
NOTE: You can also register for an account by clicking on Manage Your Account > Register for an Account > Attorney Filers > Register for a PACER account.
- Complete all required boxes on the Account Information form. Under User Type at the bottom of the form, make a select from one of the options under Individual Accounts.
NOTE: If you work for a government agency, make the appropriate selection from the Government Accounts category.
- Complete User Verification.
- Click Next.
- Create a Username and Password; and select Security Questions. Click Next when finished.
- Enter payment information to be saved. This screen is optional.
NOTE: Providing a credit card is optional. If you would like to register without providing a credit card, click Next below without entering any information on this screen. For instant access to PACER, we will validate the credit card information you provide here. There is no registration charge; however, the credit card will be charged quarterly for any fees incurred. If you submit your registration request without providing credit card information, you will receive an activation code by U.S. mail in 7-10 business days.
- If you entered payment information you will be required to check the box indicating that you authorize the PACER Service Center to charge the credit card once a quarter for any PACER fees due.
- Click Next.
- Read the policies and procedures and acknowledge by checking the box.
- Click Submit.
- You have now completed the process to register for a PACER account. This account is just for viewing documents, not for e-filing. If you already have a CM/ECF account with our court, please follow the instructions for linking your new PACER account with your CM/ECF credentials.
If you do not have CM/ECF credentials with our court you can click the Continue button to apply for attorney admissions and/or register to e-file. You may also apply for attorney admissions and/or register to e-file at any time through the Manage My Account link located in the upper right corner of the PACER Service Center website.
Upgrading Your PACER Account
If you already have your own individual PACER account and it was created prior to August 11, 2014 (also known as a Legacy account), you must upgrade your account before you can electronically file in a NextGen court.
- Go to www.pacer.gov.
- Hover over Manage your Account or click on My Account & Billing.
- Click on Manage My Account Login.
- Click on Log in to Manage My Account.
- Enter your PACER Username and Password. Click Login.
- Click on the Upgrade link next to the Account Type.
NOTE: If the Account type lists “Upgraded PACER Account” there is no need to upgrade.
- Follow prompts to update/enter all necessary information in each tab.
- Review the Person information and make changes if needed. Under User Type at the bottom of the form, make a select from one of the options under Individual Accounts. Click Next.
- Review the Address section and make changes if needed. Click Next.
- At the Security screen you will be required to create a NEW Username and Password and select two Security Questions. Click Submit.
- Your PACER account is now upgraded. The following confirmation screen will appear. Note that you will no longer be able to use your old PACER username and password.
If you already have a CM/ECF account you will now need to link your upgraded PACER account to your ILCD CM/ECF account using your NEW PACER login and password.
Linking Your PACER Account to Your NextGen CM/ECF Account
After the court moves to NextGen CM/ECF, you must link your CM/ECF filing credentials (login and password) to your upgraded PACER account. You must know both sets of credentials to link the accounts.
- Click the CM/ECF Document Filing System link.
- At the login screen, log in with your upgraded PACER Login and Password.
- Click the Utilities menu.
- Under Your Account, click Link a CM/ECF account to my PACER account.
- Enter your CM/ECF login and password.
- You will be prompted to confirm the CM/ECF account being linked to the PACER account to ensure you are not linking the wrong accounts. If the information is correct, click Submit.
If the information is incorrect, double check the logins and passwords you have for CM/ECF and PACER and start again. If you need to reset your CM/ECF password, please contact the Clerk’s Office.
- If successful, you will receive the following message:
NOTE: If the filing menu options do not appear, refresh your browser (F5) and/or clear your cookies, cache, and history.
- Now that you have linked your PACER and CM/ECF accounts, you will use your new PACER username and password for viewing documents and filing.
PACER Administrative Accounts
The PACER Service Center (PSC) has developed the PACER Administrative Account (PAA) to allow firms to manage all their PACER user accounts and allow for central billing for PACER access fees.
NOTE: The PAA will not allow you to access case information.
CJA PACER Procedure
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.
Upgrade Legacy PACER Account
- See instructions for Upgrading Your Pacer Account above.
- Contact the PACER Service Center (PSC) by email at pacer@psc.uscourts.gov or by phone at 800-676-6856 and provide the following information to the PSC:
- Name
- PACER Username
- Account number for upgraded PACER Account
- List the Central District of Illinois as the court in which you are appointed to the CJA Panel.
- The PCS will send you an email with instructions on how to proceed.
- Link your upgraded PACER exempt account to your ECF Account. See instructions for Linking Your PACER Account to Your NextGen CM/ECF Account above.
Register for a New PACER Account
- Go to www.pacer.gov.
- Select Register for an Account > Attorney Filers for CM/ECF.
- Select Register for a PACER account.
- Complete the Account Information form. Under User Type at the bottom of the form, make a select from one of the options under Individual Accounts.
- Check the box to indicate that you are a member of the CJA Panel. For the CJA Jurisdiction select Illinois Central.
- Complete User Verification.
- Click Next.
- Create a Username and Password and select Security Questions. Click Next when finished.
- Enter the payment information to be saved. This screen is optional.
NOTE: Providing a credit card is optional. If you would like to register without providing a credit card, click Next below without entering any information on this screen. For instant access to PACER, we will validate the credit card information you provide here. There is no registration charge; however, the credit card will be charged quarterly for any fees incurred. If you submit your registration request without providing credit card information, you will receive an activation code by U.S. mail in 7-10 business days.
- Check the box if you authorize the PACER Service Center to chare the above credit card once a quarter for any PACER fees due.
- Click Next.
- Read the policies and procedures and acknowledge by checking the box.
- Click Submit.
- You have now completed the process to register for a PACER account. If you already have a CM/ECF account with our court, please follow the instructions for linking your new PACER login with your CM/ECF credentials.
- You will receive an email from the PSC requesting that you reply to the email with your acknowledgement in order to activate your CJA privileges.
NOTE: It may take up to 4 days for the account to be activated.
For questions, please contact PACER at 800-676-6856.
Change PACER Exemption Status
- Log into the Central District of Illinois’ website by entering your PACER login and password. Accept the Redaction Agreement.
- Select Change PACER Exemption Status under Utilities.
- You will now be redirected to PACER. Select Exempt CJA and click Submit.
Note: The change to exempt is only good for the current session. The status will need to be changed each time you log in and act in your CJA capacity.
- You will receive a message stating that your exempt status has been changed. Click Ok to continue. Once you click Ok you will be redirected back to the Central District of Illinois’ CM/ECF page.
- While using the Query option you can toggle between exempt and not exempt by clicking on the link at the bottom of the page.
For questions, please contact PACER at 800-676-6856.
PACER Contact Information
- Email: pacer@psc.uscourts.gov
- Phone: 800-676-6856
- Website: https://www.pacer.gov/nextgen
PACER FAQs
ATTORNEY REGISTRATION
As the Central District of Illinois is now a NextGen Court, all attorneys must have an upgraded individual PACER account. If you do not have an upgraded individual PACER account, please see the instructions for Registering for a PACER Account or Upgrading Your PACER Account.
Any attorney licensed to practice law in any state or in the District of Columbia must be admitted to practice generally in this Court on written motion of a member in good standing of the bar of this Court, or upon the attorney’s own motion accompanied by certification of good standing from the state in which the attorney is licensed, and upon payment of the fees required by law and by Local Rule 83.5(E).
Students of accredited law schools or law school graduates awaiting bar results may, upon written motion of a member in good standing of the bar of this Court, be provisionally admitted to practice and may appear in this Court under the supervision and direction of the sponsoring attorney. The student or graduate may conduct all pretrial, trial, and post-trial proceedings, and the supervising member of the bar need not be present. There will be no fee for provisional admission.
Attorney Admission
Once you have completed the process of registering for a PACER account, you are now ready to move for admission to the Central District of Illinois Bar and request e-filing privileges. (NOTE: If you are already admitted to the Central District of Illinois and have a CM/ECF account with our court, please go to the instructions for linking your new PACER account with your CM/ECF account.) Before beginning the attorney admission process, be sure to complete the Motion for Admission to Practice form as you will be required to upload this form when you get to the Attorney Admissions screen.
You may begin the process of registering for Attorney Admissions and E-Filing Registration in one of two ways.
- You can click the Continue button at the end of the PACER Registration as shown below;
OR
log into your PACER account and click on Manage My Account>Log in to Manage My Account and then click on the Maintenance tab. Click the Attorney Admissions/E-File Registration link under the Maintenance tab as shown below.
- “In what court do you want to practice?” insert
- Court Type – U.S. District Courts
- Court – Illinois Central District Court
Click Next.
- On this screen you will find a link to view the Court’s Local Rules. You will also find the policies and procedures on electronic filing and attorney admissions (see yellow boxes). Please review this information BEFORE making a selection. Once you are done reviewing this information, select Attorney Admissions and E-File.
- Complete all sections of the Attorney Admissions screen. All items with a red asterisk (*) are required fields.
- Attorney Bar Information:
- Select the boxes in which you are admitted, Federal and/or State Bar;
- Enter bar data in the additional bar information box by clicking on the + Add button, continuing adding all appropriate bar information. Once finished click the Close button.
- Sponsoring Attorney: Enter the sponsoring attorney information ONLY if you are applying through Section A on the Motion for Admission to Practice.
- Attorney Information: Complete all questions in this subcategory. If you are an attorney employed full time by the United States, any state, or county, you may request that the admission fee be waived. To do so, under Fee Acknowledgment, click the circle next to “I request that the admission fee be waived for the following reason:”. You will be required to input the reason you are requesting the fee be waived.
- Document Upload: Your Motion for Admission to Practice, along with any supporting documentation as required by Sections B and C of the Motion, must be saved as a SINGLE PDF as you are only allowed to upload one document. Click Upload and then + Browse to attach your document. Once your document has uploaded you will get a message that states “File _______ was successfully uploaded!” Click Done.
- Additional Attorney Information Required by Court: You are required to type your answers into the box below each question/statement. When finished, click Next.
- Complete all sections of E-File Registration
- Filer Information:
- Acknowledge that you are submitting your e-file registration by checking the box.
- Verify your address or, if necessary, enter a different address from the one provided for your PACER account.
- Additional Filer Information: This section is optional and can be used to enter additional information if necessary.
- Delivery Method and Formatting: Verify your email address and select your email frequency and format. NOTE: The preferred E-mail Format is HTML.
- Click Next.
- Review the Payment Information screen. This section is optional. By entering your credit card information, you can choose how to pay your PACER and court fees. Please be advised that the Central District of Illinois DOES NOT accept ACH payments and admission fees will not be charged until admission to the Central District of Illinois bar has been approved. Click Next.
- Check the box to acknowledge that you have read and agree to the local requirements of the Central District of Illinois.
- Review the E-Filing Terms of Use and check the two acknowledgment boxes.
- Click Submit.
- You have now completed the Attorney Registration and E-Filer process of the Central District of Illinois. Your request will be forwarded to the Central District of Illinois for review. You will receive an email once the registration has been processed or if more information is needed.
Documentation Required for Admission
You may seek admission to the bar of this court in any of three ways:
1. You may have a current member of the bar of this court move for your admission through Part A of the Motion for Admission. The current member should complete and sign Part A.
OR
2. You may move for your own admission through Part B of the Motion for Admission. You should complete and sign Part B. You must include a Certificate of Good Standing from the appropriate agency of the state in which you are licensed.
OR
3. You may move for your own admission through Part C of the Motion for Admission. You should complete and sign Part C. You must include a copy of your Certificate of Admission for either the Northern or Southern District of IL in which you are licensed.
Complete either Part A or B or C. - Motion for Admission to Practice
You will be required to upload the completed Motion for Admission (with original signature) and any additional documentation during the Attorney Admission/E-Filing Registration process in PACER. Please complete these documents PRIOR to beginning the registration process.
Beginning December 1, 2023, the Attorney Admission Fee will be $249.
U.S. Government Attorneys
Government attorneys are not required to complete the Motion for Admission, nor pay the admission fee.
In order to request admission to practice, you must have an upgraded individual PACER account. If you do not have an upgraded individual PACER account, please see the instructions for Upgrading Your PACER account. Once you have a PACER account, you can start this process in one of two ways.
You can click the Continue button at the end of the PACER Registration as shown below;
OR
log into your PACER account and click on Manage My Account>Log in to Manage My Account and then click on the Maintenance tab. Click the Attorney Admissions/E-File Registration link under the Maintenance tab as shown below.
- “In what court do you want to practice?” insert
- Court Type – U.S. District Courts
- Court – Illinois Central District Court
Click Next.
- On this screen you will find a link to view the Court’s Local Rules. You will also find the policies and procedures on electronic filing and attorney admissions. Please review this information BEFORE making a selection as once you make a selection from the options below you will be directed to the next screen. Once you are done reviewing this information, select Federal Attorney.
- Complete all sections of the E-File Registration screen. All items with a red asterisk (*) are required fields. NOTE: The preferred E-mail Format is HTML.
Under User Type, select FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. The use of your government email address should allow you to proceed without inputting an Agency Code. However, if you know your Agency Code please input it here.
- Click Next.
- Review the Payment Information screen. This section is optional. However, if you enter payment information here, be advised that the Central District of Illinois DOES NOT accept ACH Payments.
- Click Next.
- Review the E-Filing Terms of Use and check the two acknowledgment boxes.
- Click Submit.
- You have now completed the registration process to become an E-Filer. Your request will be forwarded to the Central District of Illinois for review. You will receive an email once the registration has been processed or if more information is needed.
For questions, please contact PACER at 800-676-6856.
Pro Hac Vice Attorneys
Pursuant to CDIL-LR -83 .5 (F), the court does not permit pro hoc vice admissions generally. At the discretion of the presiding judge, an attorney who is duly licensed to practice in any state or the District of Columbia may file a motion seeking leave to participate in a case while his or her application for admission to practice in the Central District of Illinois is pending. The application for admission must be submitted contemporaneously with the motion for leave. Your prompt attention to this matter is appreciated. If you have any questions concerning your admission to practice, please call the Clerk's office.
Seventh Circuit Attorneys
Attorneys appointed by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals are not required to become admitted to the Central District of Illinois. As you will need access to documents on our docket you will be required to have a CM/ECF account. Please see the instructions below to register for a CM/ECF account.
You may begin the process of registering for an E-Filing Account in one of two ways.
- You can click the Continue button at the end of the PACER Registration as shown below;
OR
log into your PACER account and click on Manage My Account>Log in to Manage My Account and then click on the Maintenance tab. Click the Attorney Admissions/E-File Registration link under the Maintenance tab as shown below.
- “In what court do you want to practice?” insert
- Court Type – U.S. District Courts
- Court – Illinois Central District Court
Click Next.
- On this screen you will find a link to view the Court’s Local Rules. You will also find the policies and procedures on electronic filing and attorney admissions (see yellow boxes). Please review this information BEFORE making a selection. Once you are done reviewing this information, select E-File Registration Oly.
- Complete all sections of the E-File Registration screen. All items with a red asterisk (*) are required fields.
- Filer Information:
- Acknowledge that you are submitting your e-file registration by checking the box.
- Verify your address or, if necessary, enter a different address from the one provided for your PACER account.
- Additional Filer Information: This section is optional but we do request that you fill in as much information as possible.
- Delivery Method and Formatting: Verify your email address and select your email frequency and format. NOTE: The preferred E-mail Format is HTML.
- Click Next.
- Review the Payment Information screen. This section is optional. By entering your credit card information, you can choose how to pay your PACER and court fees. Please be advised that the Central District of Illinois DOES NOT accept ACH payments and admission fees will not be charged until admission to the Central District of Illinois bar has been approved. Click Next.
- Review the E-Filing Terms of Use and check the two acknowledgment boxes.
- Click Submit.
- You have now completed the process to become an E-Filer with the Central District of Illinois. Your request will be forwarded to the Central District of Illinois for review. You will receive an email once the registration has been processed or if more information is needed.
NON-ATTORNEY FILERS
Pursuant to Local Rule 5.2, pro se parties are not required to register for electronic filing but may apply to the Court for leave to file electronically. Once leave has been granted, you will need to register for a PACER account, if you do not already have one, and then request filing permission with the Central District of Illinois. If you do not have a PACER account, the steps below will walk you through registering for an account. If you already have a PACER account, please proceed to the instructions for Upgrading your PACER Account.
If you were previously granted permission to be an electronic filer, you will now need to link your CM/ECF filing credentials (login and password) to your upgraded PACER account. You must know both sets of credentials to link the accounts. If you are new to E-Filing, please see the instructions for “Registering for an E-Filing Account”.
Registering for a PACER Account
- Go to www.pacer.gov.
- Select Register for an Account >Non-Attorney Filers for CM/ECF.
- Select Register for a PACER account.
- Complete the Account Information form. Under User Type at the bottom of the form, make a select from one of the options under Individual Accounts.
- Complete User Verification.
- Click Next.
- Create a Username and Password; and select Security Questions. Click Next when finished.
- Enter payment information to be saved. This screen is optional.
NOTE: Providing a credit card is optional. If you would like to register without providing a credit card, click Next below without entering any information on this screen. For instant access to PACER, we will validate the credit card information you provide here. There is no registration charge; however, the credit card will be charged quarterly for any fees incurred. If you submit your registration request without providing credit card information, you will receive an activation code by U.S. mail in 7-10 business days.
- If you entered payment information you will be required to check the box indicating that you authorize the PACER Service Center to charge the credit card once a quarter for any PACER fees due.
- Click Next.
- Read the policies and procedures and acknowledge by checking the box.
- Click Submit.
- You have now completed the process to register for a PACER account. This account is just for viewing documents, not for e-filing. If you already have a CM/ECF account with our court, please follow the instructions for linking your new PACER login with your CM/ECF credentials. If you do not have CM/ECF credentials with our court you can click the Continue button to register for e-filing privileges. If you click continue please review the step-by-step instructions titled “Non-Attorney E-File Registration”.
NOTE: You may also register for e-filing privileges at any time through the Manage My Account link located in the upper right corner of the PACER Service Center website.
For questions, please contact PACER at 800-676-6856.
Upgrading Your PACER Account
If you already have your own individual PACER account and it was created prior to August 11, 2014 (also known as a Legacy account), you must upgrade your account before you can electronically file in a NextGen court.
- Go to www.pacer.gov.
- Hover over Manage your Account or click on My Account & Billing.
- Click on Manage My Account Login.
- Click on Log in to Manage My Account.
- Enter your PACER Username and Password. Click Login.
- Click on the Upgrade link next to the Account Type.
NOTE: If the Account type lists “Upgraded PACER Account” there is no need to upgrade.
- Follow prompts to update/enter all necessary information in each tab.
- Review the Person information and make changes if needed. Under User Type at the bottom of the form, make a select from one of the options under Individual Accounts. Click Next.
- Review the Address section and make changes if needed. Click Next.
- At the Security screen you will be required to create a NEW Username and Password and select two Security Questions. Click Submit.
- Your PACER account is now upgraded. The following confirmation screen will appear. Note that you will no longer be able to use your old PACER username and password.
If you already have a CM/ECF account you will now need to link your upgraded PACER account to your ILCD CM/ECF account using your NEW PACER login and password.
Linking PACER Account to NextGen CM/ECF Account
After the court moves to NextGen CM/ECF, you must link your CM/ECF filing credentials (login and password) to your upgraded PACER account. You must know both sets of credentials to link the accounts.
- Click the CM/ECF Document Filing System link.
- At the login screen, log in with your upgraded PACER Login and Password.
- Click the Utilities menu.
- Under Your Account, click Link a CM/ECF account to my PACER account.
- Enter your CM/ECF login and password.
- You will be prompted to confirm the CM/ECF account being linked to the PACER account to ensure you are not linking the wrong accounts. If the information is correct, click Submit.
If the information is incorrect, double check the logins and passwords you have for CM/ECF and PACER and start again. If you need to reset your CM/ECF password, please contact the Clerk’s Office.
- If successful, you will receive the following message:
NOTE: If the filing menu options do not appear, refresh your browser (F5) and/or clear your cookies, cache, and history.
- Now that you have linked your PACER and CM/ECF accounts, you will use your new PACER username and password for viewing documents and filing.
Registering for an E-Filing Account
Now that you have completed the process of registering for a PACER account you can register for e-filing privileges. You can start this process in one of two ways.
NOTE: If you already have a CM/ECF account with our court, please go to the instructions for linking your new PACER account with your CM/ECF account.
- You can click the Continue button at the end of the PACER Registration or log into your PACER account and click on Manage My Account>Log in to Manage My Account and then click on the Maintenance tab as shown below.
OR
Click the Non-Attorney E-File Registration link under the Maintenance tab as shown below.
- Complete all sections of the E-File Registration screen. All items with a red asterisk (*) are required fields. Under Filer Information enter the following as shown below:
- Court Type – U.S. District Courts
- Court – Illinois Central District Court
- Role in Court - Party
- In the Additional Filer Information section be sure to include the most recent case number in which you have been granted leave to file electronically. If this case number is not included your application WILL BE REJECTED.
- Verify your email address is correct. Select your email frequency and email format. Note: HTML is the preferred Email Format. Click Next.
- Review the Payment Information screen. This section is optional. However, if you enter payment information here, be advised that the Central District of Illinois DOES NOT accept ACH Payments.
- Click Next.
- Review the E-Filing Terms of Use and check the two acknowledgment boxes.
- Click Submit.
- You have now completed the registration process to become an E-Filer. Your request will be forwarded to the Central District of Illinois for review. You will receive an email once the registration has been processed or if more information is needed.