Rule 2.525. Filing

(a) Official Court File. The official court file is a set of electronic documents docketed and stored in a computer system maintained by the clerk under this rule. Documents in the official court file are originals for all purposes except as otherwise provided by statute or rule.

(b) Portal Filing.

(1) Attorneys must file through the portal or other designated electronic court filing facility according to its instructions.

(2) An unrepresented party who is not a member of The Florida Bar or an attorney admitted pro hac vice may elect to file through the portal or other designated electronic court filing facility by registering with the portal or designated electronic court filing facility according to its instructions. Once the election is made, it may not be withdrawn without leave of court.

(3) No other method of filing is permitted except as provided in subdivision (c) of this rule or otherwise authorized by the Florida Courts Technology Standards.

(c) Documents Submitted to Clerk for Filing.

(1) A paper document may be submitted to the clerk for filing, which the clerk will convert to electronic format, if the:

(A) document is submitted for filing by an unrepresented party who has not elected to participate electronically in accordance with subdivision (b)(2) or who has obtained leave of court to withdraw the election;

(B) document is submitted for filing by a judge, magistrate, clerk, or other court official;

(C) document is accepted for filing by a judicial officer in open court or in chambers, in which case the judicial officer must note the date of receipt on the document and submit it to the clerk for filing;

(D) filing of the original paper document is required by order, rule, or statute; or

(E) court so orders.

(2) Unless prohibited by order, rule, or statute, after conversion to an electronic form, the clerk will dispose of paper documents submitted for filing or return them to the filer if the filer provides a self-addressed postage-prepaid envelope to the clerk at the time of submission.

(d) Notarized and Verified Documents. If a document is sworn, notarized, or verified, the jurat or other act of verification may either be electronically created as permitted by law and in accordance with the Florida Courts Technology Standards, or may initially be committed to paper, scanned, and filed, either as part of an electronically filed document or with a cover page containing the style of the case, name of the document, and certificate of service.

(e) Filed Date and Time. A successfully filed document's file date and time is the earlier of the date and time:

(1) stamp applied to the document by the portal or other designated electronic court filing facility;

(2) applied to the document by the clerk's manual stamp for documents filed under subdivision (c)(1)(A) or (c)(1)(B); or

(3) applied to the document pursuant to subdivision (c)(1)(C).

(f) Noncompliant Electronic Documents; Corrections Queue. Docketing by Clerk; Unsuccessful Filing Attempt; When a document is submitted for filing under subdivision (b) or (c), the clerk is obligated to make it part of the official court file and index it in the progress docket of the case unless subdivision (f)(1) applies.

(1) A submitted document will be placed into a correction queue and will not be docketed only if it:

(A) filed after a case number is assigned and lacks a correct case number and the correct case number cannot be reliably and easily identified;

(B) lacks a case style or has the wrong case style; and

(C) consists of multiple documents filed as 1 document;

(D) consists of a multi-page document filed as separate documents;

(E) is a proposed order, unless it is filed under a notice of filing for purposes of preserving a record;

(F) is illegible, corrupt, or blank; or

(G) is barred by order of court or is otherwise incapable of being filed in the clerk's case maintenance system.

(2) If subdivision (f)(1) applies and the relevant case can be identified, the clerk, portal, or other designated electronic court filing facility will immediately notify the filer and all persons initially served with that document specifying the reason the filing was unsuccessful and has been placed in the correction queue. The filer will be responsible for notifying a party participating in paper form under subdivision (c) of this rule. If the relevant case cannot be determined, the clerk will notify the person who submitted the document. The clerk, portal, or other designated electronic court filing facility will hold the document in the correction queue for an additional 30 days from the date the filer was notified of the unsuccessful filing. During those 30 days, the person who submitted it may:

(A) file a new document that remedies the reasons stated in the notice but is otherwise substantially identical, which if successfully filed, relates back to the date of the unsuccessful filing attempt and permits disposal of the document in the correction queue;

(B) file a motion for review of the clerk's action, attaching a copy of the document, in which case the clerk, portal, or other designated electronic court filing facility must hold the document until the motion is decided by the court; or

(C) take no action under subdivisions (f)(2)(A) or (f)(2)(B), thereby abandoning the document.

(3) Except for the reasons set forth in subdivision (f)(1) of this rule, the clerk will docket all documents submitted for filing. The clerk may note if it appears a document was not submitted in compliance with rules of procedure in its associated docket entry, at which point the court may strike the noncompliant document.

Committee Notes

2025 Amendment. This rule prohibits docketing of proposed orders unless they are submitted under a notice of filing for the purpose of preserving a record. This prohibition is required because a proposed order submitted for a judge's signature is not intended to be filed and docketed until signed by the judge. 1997 Amendment. Originally, the rule provided that the follow-up filing had to occur within ten days. In the 1997 amendment to the rule, that requirement was modified to provide that the follow-up filing must occur "immediately" after a document is electronically filed. The "immediately thereafter" language is consistent with language used in the rules of procedure where, in a somewhat analogous situation, the filing of a document may occur after service. See, e.g. , Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.080(d) ("All original papers shall be filed with the court either before service or immediately thereafter .") (emphasis added). "Immediately thereafter" has been interpreted to mean "filed with reasonable promptness." Miami Transit Co. v. Ford , 155 So.2d 360 (Fla.1963). The use of the words "other person" in this rule is not meant to allow a nonlawyer to sign and file pleadings or other papers on behalf of another. Such conduct would constitute the unauthorized practice of law.