UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE FEDERAL CIRCUIT

717 MADISON PLACE, N.W.

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20439

PETER R. MARKSTEINER

CLERK OF COURT

CLERK’S OFFICE

202-275-8000

July 1, 2020

Notice Regarding Electronic Filing for Unrepresented Parties

In accordance with the amendments to the Federal Circuit Rules of Practice and 

pursuant to revised Federal Circuit Rule 25(a)(1)(B), the Clerk of Court gives notice 

that electronic filing will be available to unrepresented (“pro se”) parties beginning

October 1, 2020. Additional information will be provided ahead of implementation. 

In the interim, unrepresented parties may use the following modified procedures: 

1. Filings by Email or Facsimile. The Clerk’s Office will continue to accept

unrepresented party filings via facsimile and email transmission, including new 

appeals or petitions, in accordance with Administrative Order No. 20-01 (March 

20, 2020). Filings can be emailed to prose@cafc.uscourts.gov or faxed to 202-275-

9678. Should court operations return to normal prior to October 1, 2020, the 

Clerk’s Office will continue to accept unrepresented parties’ briefs, motions, 

responses to motions, replies to responses, and letters via facsimile or email 

transmission until electronic filing is available, but the Clerk’s Office will not 

accept any other documents, including new appeals or petitions, via fax or email. 

After electronic filing is available to all filers, email and facsimile filing will not 

be permitted. See Federal Circuit Rule 25(a)(1). Documents will continue to be 

accepted by mail.

The Clerk’s Office will only accept for filing documents emailed to 

prose@cafc.uscourts.gov. Documents emailed to other court email 

addresses will not be accepted for filing and will receive no response.

Parties who either do not comply with or misuse these procedures may 

have their email or facsimile filing privileges restricted or revoked.

2. Consent to Electronic Service. The Clerk’s Office will continue to permit 

unrepresented filers to consent to electronic service of documents by email (see 

“Notice of Modified Service Procedures for Pro Se Parties” issued March 20, 2020 

available on the court’s website). The Notice of Unrepresented Person 

Appearance now required by revised Federal Circuit Rule 47.3(b)(5) incorporates 
2

the previous consent to electronic service form. In order to consent to electronic 

service by email, unrepresented parties must:

a) Register for a Federal Circuit Public Interested Person account through 

PACER.

b) File the Notice of Unrepresented Person Appearance (Form 8B), 

completing the attached consent form.

If an unrepresented party has more than one case with the court, the 

consent to electronic service will apply in all pending cases. Parties must 

notify the Clerk’s Office if they no longer wish to receive service by email.

3. Electronic Filing Procedures. At this time, the court’s Electronic Filing 

Procedures continue to apply only to parties and counsel authorized to file using 

the court’s electronic filing system. These Procedures will be updated on October 

1, 2020, in order to account for electronic filing by unrepresented parties.