Why did eFileTexas return my filing for correction?

Most format returns come from a PDF that is not text-searchable, is not on 8.5x11 Letter pages, bundles several documents into one file, is illegible, contains unredacted sensitive data, or is locked with a password. eFileTexas checks these automatically before a clerk reviews the filing, so a formatting problem stops the document at the door.

What page size and file size does eFileTexas expect?

Pages must be 8.5x11 Letter, rotated so the file mark appears in the upper-right corner. The filing platform also caps file size, with most filers hitting a ceiling around 25 MB per document; that limit is set by the system rather than by court rule, and some appellate courts allow more. If your file is over the limit, compress it before submitting.

Can docu remove the password from an encrypted PDF?

No. eFileTexas rejects encrypted or password-protected PDFs, and docu will not strip that protection for you. If your file is encrypted, docu flags it and refuses it. Remove the password in the application that created the PDF, then use docu to fix the remaining format issues.

Will my document be uploaded anywhere?

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

If my filing was returned, is it still on time?

Under Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 21(f), a document is generally treated as filed when it is transmitted to your electronic filing service provider before the deadline, and a clerk who returns a nonconforming document must give you a chance to resubmit it. How that applies to your deadline is a legal question specific to your case. docu is not a law firm and does not give legal advice; contact the clerk's office and your attorney if a deadline is at risk.

eFileTexas PDF requirements, and how to meet them

If your Texas filing came back marked "returned for correction," the problem is almost always the PDF itself, not what you wrote. eFileTexas checks the file against a fixed set of format rules, and a document that fails one of them gets bounced back to you before a clerk ever reads it.

The good news: the rules are specific and the fixes are mechanical. Once you know what eFileTexas expects, a returned filing is usually a five-minute repair, not a rewrite.

This page lays out the actual requirements Texas courts publish, the reasons clerks give most often when they return a filing, and how docu checks and repairs your PDF right in your browser. Your document never gets uploaded anywhere. Checking it is free.

eFileTexas.gov · Official requirements

How eFileTexas works

eFileTexas.gov is the statewide e-filing portal built on Tyler Technologies' Odyssey platform, and it is the mandatory route for filing in Texas civil, family, probate, and appellate cases. You submit through an electronic filing service provider, the system runs automated format checks, and a clerk then either accepts the filing or returns it for correction. Because those checks run first, a PDF that breaks a formatting rule never reaches the clerk's review queue.

What eFileTexas requires of your PDF

Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 21(f)(8) sets the baseline: an electronically filed document must be in text-searchable PDF, should be converted directly to PDF rather than scanned when possible, must not be locked, and must otherwise comply with the Technology Standards set by the Judicial Committee on Information Technology (JCIT). Those Technology Standards fill in the specifics.

Text-searchable. The JCIT standards require a text-searchable PDF. If you scanned a paper document, the standards call for 300 DPI and OCR so the text can be selected and searched, not just seen as an image.

Letter page size. Documents must be on 8.5x11 pages, with the content rotated the right way up so the file mark lands in the upper-right corner.

No security restrictions. The standards prohibit any security or feature restriction, including password protection and encryption. They also bar embedded audio, video, and programming.

One document per PDF. Each lead document must be its own single PDF. Bundling several documents into one file is a common reason a filing gets returned.

File size. eFileTexas enforces a size ceiling on submissions. The figure most filers hit is around 25 MB per document, but this is a limit set by the filing platform rather than a court rule, and some appellate courts allow more. Treat an oversized file as something to compress before you submit rather than a hard legal boundary.

The rejections Texas clerks cite most

The Technology Standards spell out the exact reasons a clerk is allowed to return a filing for correction. The format-related ones show up over and over:

1Incorrect formatting: the PDF is not text-searchable, is not rotated correctly, is not 8.5x11, or carries embedded fonts. This is the single most common format rejection.
2PDF documents combined: several lead documents were merged into one file instead of being filed as separate PDFs.
3Illegible or unreadable: a scan is too low-quality to read, usually because it was captured below 300 DPI.
4Sensitive data: unredacted personal identifiers such as Social Security, driver's license, financial account, or birth-date information appear in the document.
5Security or password protection: the file is locked or encrypted, which the standards forbid outright.

How docu checks and fixes your PDF

docu runs the same format checks eFileTexas cares about, entirely inside your browser tab. Your file is opened locally with your device's own processor and never leaves it, so there is nothing to upload and nothing stored on a server. You can check any PDF for free before you decide to fix it.

1Open docu and drop in the PDF that was returned. Everything runs on your device.
2docu reports what would trip eFileTexas: image-only pages, a page size other than 8.5x11, an oversized file, leftover metadata, or embedded scripts.
3It runs OCR to make scanned or image-only pages genuinely text-searchable.
4It resizes every page to 8.5x11 Letter and flattens any interactive form fields into a static image so nothing shifts on the clerk's screen.
5It compresses a file that is over the size ceiling and strips out metadata and embedded scripts.
6You get a repaired PDF plus a compliance certificate recording what was changed. Start at /fix.

A note on encrypted and password-protected files

eFileTexas rejects any PDF with encryption or a password. docu will not silently strip that protection, because removing security from a file you may not own is not something a tool should do on your behalf. If your document is encrypted, docu tells you and refuses it. Remove the password in the program that created the PDF, then run the file through docu to fix the rest.

docu also does not produce PDF/A. eFileTexas does not require PDF/A, so a plain text-searchable PDF that meets the JCIT standards is what you want.

After a rejection: deadlines and resubmission

Under Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 21(f), a document is generally considered timely filed if it is electronically filed before midnight in the court's time zone on the filing deadline, and it is treated as filed when it is transmitted to your electronic filing service provider. Rule 21(f)(11) says a clerk may not refuse to file a document that fails to conform, but may identify the error and set a deadline for you to resubmit it in a conforming format.

How those provisions apply to your specific deadline is a legal question that depends on your case, and docu is not a law firm and does not give legal advice. If a returned filing puts a deadline at risk, contact the clerk's office promptly and, if you have one, your attorney. What docu can do is get the PDF into a conforming format quickly so the resubmission itself is not the thing holding you up.

Frequently asked questions

Why did eFileTexas return my filing for correction?: Most format returns come from a PDF that is not text-searchable, is not on 8.5x11 Letter pages, bundles several documents into one file, is illegible, contains unredacted sensitive data, or is locked with a password. eFileTexas checks these automatically before a clerk reviews the filing, so a formatting problem stops the document at the door.
Does eFileTexas require a text-searchable PDF?: Yes. Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 21(f)(8) and the JCIT Technology Standards both require a text-searchable PDF. If you scanned a paper document, it needs OCR at 300 DPI so the text can be selected and searched rather than being a flat image.
What page size and file size does eFileTexas expect?: Pages must be 8.5x11 Letter, rotated so the file mark appears in the upper-right corner. The filing platform also caps file size, with most filers hitting a ceiling around 25 MB per document; that limit is set by the system rather than by court rule, and some appellate courts allow more. If your file is over the limit, compress it before submitting.
Can docu remove the password from an encrypted PDF?: No. eFileTexas rejects encrypted or password-protected PDFs, and docu will not strip that protection for you. If your file is encrypted, docu flags it and refuses it. Remove the password in the application that created the PDF, then use docu to fix the remaining format issues.
Will my document be uploaded anywhere?: No. docu runs entirely in your browser using your own device. The PDF is opened locally and never leaves your computer, so nothing is transmitted to a server or stored anywhere. Checking a file is free.
If my filing was returned, is it still on time?: Under Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 21(f), a document is generally treated as filed when it is transmitted to your electronic filing service provider before the deadline, and a clerk who returns a nonconforming document must give you a chance to resubmit it. How that applies to your deadline is a legal question specific to your case. docu is not a law firm and does not give legal advice; contact the clerk's office and your attorney if a deadline is at risk.

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Requirements change. Always confirm the current rules with Texas Courts or the official eFileTexas.gov portal before filing.