Why was my California e-filing rejected?

The most common reasons are a PDF that is not text-searchable, a file that exceeds the county's size limit, a form left with live fillable fields, or a password-protected document. Some rejections are instead a mismatch between the data you typed into the e-filing screen and the document itself, which is fixed in the portal rather than in the PDF.

What does California Rule of Court 2.256 require?

For trial-court filings, Rule 2.256(b)(3) requires that a document be text searchable when technologically feasible without impairing the document's image. Courts specify PDF as the format in their local rules. A flat scan with no OCR text layer fails this rule; running OCR makes the text selectable and searchable.

Is the text-searchable rule different for appeals?

Yes. California Rule of Court 8.74 governs e-filing in the Courts of Appeal and is stricter. It requires a text-searchable PDF that preserves the original formatting, electronic bookmarks to each heading and to the first page of each component, and a file no larger than 100 MB. docu can make the document text-searchable but does not create the required bookmarks.

What is the file-size limit for California e-filing?

It depends on the court, because each one sets its own cap. For example, San Bernardino Superior Court limits a single document to 25 MB and a submission to 50 MB, while Orange County allows documents up to 35 MB. Appellate filings cap at 100 MB. If your file is over the limit, compress it before resubmitting.

Do California courts require PDF/A?

No. California's rules call for a text-searchable PDF, not the archival PDF/A format. docu produces a plain text-searchable PDF that meets the requirement and does not convert to PDF/A.

Does my document get uploaded to fix it?

No. docu runs entirely in your browser on your own device. The PDF is opened locally and never leaves your computer, so nothing is sent to a server or stored anywhere. Checking a file is free.

California court e-filing PDF requirements, and how to meet them

A rejected California e-filing is frustrating precisely because the notice rarely tells you much. You get a terse message that the document was not accepted, and you are left guessing which of a dozen format rules you tripped.

In practice, the answer is usually the same one: your PDF was not text-searchable, or it was the wrong size, or a form still had live fields in it. California's rules on this are clear once you find them, and the fixes are mechanical.

This page walks through what California courts actually require of an e-filed PDF, the rejection reasons courts cite most, and how docu repairs the file entirely in your browser. Your document is never uploaded, and checking it is free.

California court e-filing · Official requirements

How e-filing works in California

California does not run one statewide e-filing portal. Each trial court chooses its own approved electronic filing service providers, sets its own file-size limits, and publishes its own local e-filing rules, so the exact submission screen differs from county to county. What does not change is the statewide baseline in the California Rules of Court: Rule 2.253 governs when e-filing is permitted or mandatory, and Rule 2.256 sets the format an e-filed document must meet. Whichever county you file in, those rules are the common denominator behind the rejection.

The rule behind the rejection: text-searchable PDF

For trial-court filings, California Rule of Court 2.256(b) requires a court to specify a document format that meets three conditions. The one that catches most filers is 2.256(b)(3): "The document must be text searchable when technologically feasible without impairment of the document's image." That is the text-searchable requirement, stated in the rule itself.

Rule 2.256 does not name PDF by itself; the PDF requirement comes from each court's local e-filing rules, which almost universally require a text-searchable PDF. A scanned document saved as a flat image fails this test, because the text cannot be selected or searched. Running OCR on it fixes the problem.

For appeals, Rule 8.74 is stricter. Documents e-filed in the Courts of Appeal must be in text-searchable PDF while preserving the original formatting, must include electronic bookmarks to each heading and to the first page of any component, and may not exceed 100 megabytes per filing. If you are filing an appeal rather than a trial-court document, plan for the bookmark requirement, which docu does not create for you.

Size, format, and form-field rules that vary by county

Because each court sets its own limits, the size cap depends on where you file. Two published examples show the range: San Bernardino Superior Court allows no single document larger than 25 MB and no submission larger than 50 MB, while Orange County Superior Court accepts individual documents up to 35 MB within a transaction up to 60 MB. Appellate filings under Rule 8.74 cap at 100 MB. When your file is over the limit, compress it before you resubmit.

Format matters as much as size. Courts require the document as a PDF, and several will not accept a form that still has fillable fields or an image saved as a separate object on the page. San Bernardino, for example, states it cannot accept documents with fillable form fields. Flattening the form so the field values become part of a static page image resolves this.

One thing California does not require is PDF/A. A plain text-searchable PDF is what the rules call for, so there is no need to convert to that archival format, and docu does not produce it.

The rejections California courts cite most

Across county e-filing pages, the recurring reasons a document is returned are consistent:

1Not text-searchable: the PDF is a flat scan or image with no OCR text layer, failing Rule 2.256(b)(3) and local rules.
2Wrong or oversized file: the document exceeds that county's per-document or per-transaction size cap.
3Live form fields: the filing is a form with fillable fields or an image saved as an object rather than a flattened static PDF.
4Password protected: the PDF is locked, which county e-filing systems reject.
5Data mismatch: the information typed into the e-filing fields does not match the document image, such as a wrong filing code or case number. This one is fixed in the portal, not in the PDF.

How docu checks and fixes your PDF

docu runs the format checks California courts rely on, entirely inside your browser tab. Your file is opened locally with your own device and never leaves it, so there is nothing to upload and nothing stored on a server. Checking a PDF is free; you only decide to fix it once you can see what is wrong.

1Open docu and drop in the PDF that was rejected. Everything runs on your device.
2docu reports what would fail a California court: image-only pages with no text layer, an oversized file, live form fields, leftover metadata, or embedded scripts.
3It runs OCR so scanned or image-only pages become genuinely text-searchable under Rule 2.256(b)(3).
4It flattens interactive form fields into a static page image and resizes pages to 8.5x11 Letter.
5It compresses a file that is over your county's size cap and strips out metadata and embedded scripts.
6You get a repaired PDF plus a compliance certificate recording what changed. Start at /fix.

Encrypted files, appeals, and what docu will not do

If your PDF is password-protected or encrypted, docu will not strip that protection for you. Removing security from a file is not something a tool should do on your behalf, so docu flags an encrypted document and refuses it. Remove the password in the program that created the PDF, then run it through docu for the rest.

For appeals under Rule 8.74, remember that docu does not generate the required heading bookmarks; you will need to add those in your PDF editor. And because docu is not a law firm, it does not give legal advice. If a rejection puts a filing deadline at risk, contact the court clerk and, if you have one, your attorney. docu's job is to get the file into a conforming format fast so the PDF is not what holds up your resubmission.

Frequently asked questions

Why was my California e-filing rejected?: The most common reasons are a PDF that is not text-searchable, a file that exceeds the county's size limit, a form left with live fillable fields, or a password-protected document. Some rejections are instead a mismatch between the data you typed into the e-filing screen and the document itself, which is fixed in the portal rather than in the PDF.
What does California Rule of Court 2.256 require?: For trial-court filings, Rule 2.256(b)(3) requires that a document be text searchable when technologically feasible without impairing the document's image. Courts specify PDF as the format in their local rules. A flat scan with no OCR text layer fails this rule; running OCR makes the text selectable and searchable.
Is the text-searchable rule different for appeals?: Yes. California Rule of Court 8.74 governs e-filing in the Courts of Appeal and is stricter. It requires a text-searchable PDF that preserves the original formatting, electronic bookmarks to each heading and to the first page of each component, and a file no larger than 100 MB. docu can make the document text-searchable but does not create the required bookmarks.
What is the file-size limit for California e-filing?: It depends on the court, because each one sets its own cap. For example, San Bernardino Superior Court limits a single document to 25 MB and a submission to 50 MB, while Orange County allows documents up to 35 MB. Appellate filings cap at 100 MB. If your file is over the limit, compress it before resubmitting.
Do California courts require PDF/A?: No. California's rules call for a text-searchable PDF, not the archival PDF/A format. docu produces a plain text-searchable PDF that meets the requirement and does not convert to PDF/A.
Does my document get uploaded to fix it?: No. docu runs entirely in your browser on your own device. The PDF is opened locally and never leaves your computer, so nothing is sent to a server or stored anywhere. Checking a file is free.

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Requirements change. Always confirm the current rules with California Courts or the official California court e-filing portal before filing.