FERRIS
v.
WOODS
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A pro se plaintiff in a civil action filed a motion requesting electronic filing privileges under CM/ECF. The court denied the motion for lack of extenuating circumstances but granted a compromise: the plaintiff may receive notice of filings by email with hyperlinks to view documents.
Pro se litigants are generally denied access to electronic filing absent extenuating circumstances. Here, the plaintiff's motion for CM/ECF access is denied because he offered no explanation for why an exception should be made. However, the plaintiff may receive notice of filings by email with hyperlinks allowing free initial document access.
[1] A pro se litigant is generally not permitted to file documents in the Case Management/Electronic Filing System (CM/ECF) absent a court order.
[2] Access to CM/ECF for pro se litigants may be granted only upon a showing of extenuating circumstances justifying a waiver of standard procedures.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“Absent a court order, a pro se litigant is not permitted to file documents in CM/ECF.”
Establishes the general rule denying pro se litigants electronic filing access
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligencePlaintiff Ferris, proceeding pro se, filed a motion requesting access to electronic filing through the Case Management/Electronic Filing System (CM/EC…
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This cause comes before the Court on pro se Plaintiff's motion in which he requests "access to electronic filing.” (Doc. 6). Presumably, he is seeking electronic filing privileges to access and use the Case Management/Electronic Filing System (“CM/ECF").
Pursuant to the Court's Administrative Procedures for Electronic Filing, "[a]bsent a court order, a pro se litigant is not permitted to file documents in CM/ECF." See Administrative Procedures for Electronic Filing (Aug. 1, 2025) for the United States District Court, Middle District of Florida. “Pro se litigants are generally denied access to electronic filing unless extenuating circumstances exist to justify waiving CM/ECF procedures." See Huminski v. Vermont, No. 2:13-cv-692-FTM-29, 2014 WL 169848, at *4 (M.D. Fla. Jan. 15, 2014); McMahon v. Cleveland Clinic Found. Police Dep't, 455 F. App’x 874, 878 (11th Cir. 2011) (per curiam) (affirming denial of CM/ECF access for pro se litigant because there was "no good cause under the circumstances of the case to authorize his access”). Here, Plaintiff has not offered any explanation as to why he should be permitted to access and file documents in CM/ECF. Accordingly, his motion for electronic filing (Doc. 6) is due to be denied.
The Court, however, will allow Plaintiff to receive notice of filings by email. The Clerk is hereby directed to add Plaintiff's email address to the docket and to send notices of electronic filing to his email address. The notices of electronic filing will contain a hyperlink that will allow Plaintiff to view the document for the first time for free. The hyperlink expires after the earlier of two events: the first use or 15 days after the notice is emailed. An individual must access PACER to view a document after the hyperlink has expired. The Court's Guide for Proceeding Without a Lawyer provides instructions on how to register for PACER at page 13. [fn 1] Please note that when the court allows a pro se litigant to receive notice of filings by email, the clerk's office no longer mails paper copies.
DONE and ORDERED in Ocala, Florida on September 17, 2025.
PHILIP R. LAMMENS
United States Magistrate Judge
Copies furnished to: Counsel of Record
[fn 1]: The Court's Guide for Proceeding Without a Lawyer can be accessed at http://www.flmd.uscourts.gov/pro_se/default.htm