CM/ECF is continually being updated and, as such, your web browser needs to be set to automatically check for new versions of stored pages every time you launch the browser. Specifically for Internet Explorer, go to the ‘Tools’ option on your pull-down menu and select ‘Internet Options.’ Click on the ‘General’ tab and then click the ‘Settings’ button found in the Temporary Internet Files section. Select the radial button next to ‘Every time I start Internet Explorer.’ Click the ‘OK’ button and then ‘OK’ again. Close all your programs and reboot your PC. This should fix the problem!

If your case was INCOMPLETE/ERRONEOUSLY filed, and you have paid the filing fee, you DO NOT have to pay again upon refiling the case. You can apply your previous payment to a new transaction. First you must start over with the case opening process. Have your Pay.gov Agency Tracking Receipt ID/# from the previous case available to process this transaction. Once you get to the payment/filing fee option screen, you will select the 'Incomplete/Erroneous Filing' option and follow the prompts.

To clear your cache and cookies on most web browsers, open your browser settings and go to "History" or "Privacy." Then select "Clear Browsing Data" and ensure that "Cookies and other site data" and "Cached images and files" are checked before clicking "Clear Data." Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut "Ctrl+Shift+Delete" on most computers to access this option directly. Just make sure that "Cookies and other site data" and "Cached images and files" are selected. If none of the step was helpful, please contact your IT department or seek assistance using the help feature located in the web browser.

There could be several reasons why you are not receiving the NEFs. Please check the following options:

1. Ensure that the attorney of record is listed in the docket, and that it includes "ATTORNEY TO BE NOTICED" at the bottom of the name and address. If "ATTORNEY TO BE NOTICED" does not appear on the docket below the name and address, contact the CM/ECF Help Desk for assistance. If “ATTORNEY TO BE NOTICED” appears, please proceed to step 2.

2. Check the docket and verify that your email address is correct. If it is incorrect, first file a Notice of Change of Address, Email or Law Firm Name in all your pending cases/open cases in CM/ECF. Changes to your primary email address MUST be updated through your PACER account. To do this, go to PACER.gov (link is external) and log in to your PACER account. Click Manage My Account at the top of the screen. Next, click on the Maintenance tab. Then, select Update Address Information. Enter the Reason for Update and select where to apply the updates (choose one): All Cases; Closed Cases; Open Cases; None (the preferred option is to select Open Cases). Apply updates to Selected Courts: Pacer Billing; select appropriate Court(s). Finally, click Submit.

3. Check the docket to see if the email address is listed or inactive. Verify the attorney contact information to ensure that an email address is listed under their contacts and that it does not indicate “inactive” next to it. If the email status is inactive or no email is listed, follow the steps below to update it:

A) Go to https://www.flsd.uscourts.gov/cmecf. Enter your NextGen CM/ECF login and password and acknowledge the redaction agreement before clicking Continue.
B) Click on “Utilities” and then select “Maintain Your Account.”
C) Click on the “Email Information” button located at the bottom of the screen to add an email. A list of configuration options will appear. Ensure that the “Yes” radio button is selected for the question, “Should this email address receive notices?” Selecting “Yes” will correct the email showing as inactive. Adjust the remaining options according to your preferences.
D) When you are finished, click “Return to Person Information Screen,” and then click “Submit.” You will need to click “Submit” a second time on the following screen.

4. If you are listed on the docket and the email address is correct and active, contact your organization’s technical support or review your email settings to verify whether your server restricts email from the CM/ECF System. Additionally, ensure that the NEF is not in a bulk mail folder (junk folder). Review your Blocked Mail, Spam Mail, and Quarantined Mail as well. To ensure that the NEFs are received in your inbox, you need to mark the Court’s email address as “safe.” All NEFs are sent from cmecfautosender@flsd.uscourts.gov.

If you require further assistance, please contact the CM/ECF Helpdesk at 1-888-318-2260. The Help Desk is available from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding Federal Holidays.

Electronic access to documents in Social Security cases and immigration matters is limited to the attorneys or parties in the case in order to protect the privacy of the individuals involved. Social Security cases and immigration matters only allow “case participants” to access the documents through PACER. The system will prompt you to log in. Always enter your CM/ECF credentials for NextGen.

If you are case participants in the case and are unable to access a document, please contact the CM/ECF Helpdesk at 1-888-318-2260 for assistance. The Help Desk is available from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding Federal Holidays.

Please note that the Florida Southern District Court has transitioned to NextGen CM/ECF. Moving forward, your CM/ECF login credentials will primarily be used to link your CM/ECF and PACER accounts. This means you must first link your accounts after you receive your CM/ECF login and password to gain access. Additionally, your username and password are case-sensitive, so ensure to enter them exactly as they were provided to you in the email from the Court. If you continue to experience issues with your username and password, please contact the CM/ECF Helpdesk at 1-888-318-2260 for assistance. The Help Desk is available from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding Federal Holidays.

If your account is already linked and you need to reset your PACER password (NextGen), this must be done through PACER. For questions or assistance, please contact the PACER Service Center at (800) 676-6856, available from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Often this error occurs when the user utilizes the Back button on the browser. The easiest way to avoid receiving this error is to never use the Back button while filing your documents. In CM/ECF click on the blue menu bar and start the filing process over again and avoid using the back button. If your original submission contained an error, you must contact the Help Desk for further instructions on how to correct it.

You may find details about your original submission by viewing your transaction log. In CM/ECF click on the 'Utilities' feature from the blue menu bar, and then click on the 'View Transaction Log.' On the following screen, enter the date when your document was filed and click on “run report.” Or you can view the PDF document by logging in to PACER using your Pacer login and password and query the case docket.

This is a warning that the PDF document may pose security risks or functional issues because of its structure or the presence of executable code. It’s important to address these issues to ensure safety and proper functionality. Please follow the steps below to correct the issue.

The PDF file needs to be flattened prior to uploading it to CM/ECF.

Print to PDF (Windows)

1. Open a file in a Windows application.
2. Choose File > Print.
3. Select Adobe PDF as the printer in the Print dialog box.
4. Click Print, type a name for your file, and click Save.

Print to PDF (Mac OS)
The Adobe PDF printer is not available on Mac. However, you can use the Save As Adobe PDF option to print a file to PDF on Mac.

1. Open a file in a Mac OS application.
2. Click the PDF button and select Save As Adobe PDF.
3. Choose the Adobe PDF Settings and click Continue.
4. Type a name for your file and click Save.

Alternatively, try compressing your PDF in Adobe Acrobat:

1. Open your PDF document in Adobe Acrobat.
2. Click on File, then select Print.
3. In the Print pop-up window, select Adobe PDF from the Printer drop-down menu.
4. Click on the Properties button next to the Printer drop-down menu.
5. In the Adobe PDF Document Properties pop-up window, click on the Paper/Quality tab.
6. Click the Advanced button in the bottom-right corner.
7. Under Graphic, next to Print Quality, click on 1200 dpi and select 300 dpi from the drop-down menu.
8. Click the OK button twice to return to the Print pop-up window.
9. Click the Print button.
10. Enter your file name and click the Save button.
11. Log in to CM/ECF and file your document.

Note: After the upgrade to CM/ECF NextGen v1.6, PDFs with the following content will be REJECTED:
- Does not comply with PDF format standards
- Contains JavaScript
- Encrypted or password-protected
- Contains scripts that can launch an external application
- Contains internal attachments
- Contains audio and video content
- Created with Mac OS X using a fillable form in the Safari browser
- Created with Mac OS X using MS Word and selecting the option “Best for printing.”

PDFs with the following content will be ACCEPTED:
- Contains editable forms
- Contains hyperlinks to external websites
- Meets the PDF/A standard
- Contains optical character recognition (OCR) metadata
- Comprised of scanned documents
- Created with Mac OS X using a fillable form in the Chrome browser
- Created with Mac OS X using MS Word and selecting the option “Best for Electronic Distribution.”
If you require further assistance, please contact the CM/ECF Helpdesk at 1-888-318-2260. The Help Desk is available from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding Federal Holidays.

The system will not accept documents that have security measures turned on (i.e., password protection). Remove the security features from the document and submit your document again.

First, ensure that you are using the correct Username and Password. The Florida Southern District Court has transitioned to NextGen CM/ECF, which requires you to link your CM/ECF and PACER accounts. Once you have linked your filing credentials, you will only need to use your PACER account credentials to file and view documents in this court.
If you need further assistance, please contact the CM/ECF Helpdesk at 1-888-318-2260. The Help Desk is available Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., excluding Federal Holidays.
For assistance with PACER, please call 1-800-676-6856 or access the PACER website at http://www.pacer.psc.uscourts.gov. You can also send an email to pacer@psc.uscourts.gov (link sends e-mail).

All documents must be submitted in Adobe PDF (Portable Document Format). If the file you are trying to upload has any other extension on it except “.pdf,” the file is not in the proper format. Another reason why you may be receiving this message is because the user is failing to indicate the full path name for the PDF file that they want to upload. You need to provide the full path name (i.e., c:\My Docs\Documents\Motions.pdf) during the upload process.

Electronic access to Social Security Administration, Immigration case, and PSI Report documents are limited to parties in the case. In addition, sensitive documents from criminal cases (like arrest warrants) are not available for public viewing until they are returned executed.

PSI reports are restricted documents and only select attorneys designated by Probation may view PSI reports. For instructions to view the PSI Report, click on the tab label 'CM/ECF,' click the 'CM/ECF Help Desk' link, and Click the 'Accessing PSI Reports in CM/ECF – FAQs' link.

There may be several reasons why a document cannot be viewed online. The first step when troubleshooting this problem is to ascertain if there is a blue hyperlink under the docket number.

• If there is a hyperlink but the document cannot be viewed, it may be an indication that the case is sealed. Additionally, some plea agreements, for example, will not be available to the public and can only be viewed by those parties specifically associated to the case.
• If there is no hyperlink under the docket number, it is possible that there is no document attached. It is possible that a full description has been created within the docket text. In addition, Endorsed Orders do not have documents attached. Judges may also do a “Text Only” or “Paperless” entry with no document attached.
• Lastly, it is possible that your notices are formatted for text instead of HTML. To confirm the HTML format, first select the ‘Utilities’ feature from the blue menu bar. Then select the ‘Maintain User Information’ button and, lastly, the ‘Email Information’ button. Review the ‘Format Notices’ selection to ensure that it’s set for HTML.