Richland County Court of Common Pleas, General Division Electronic Filing Rules

Checked against the court's document on Oct 5, 2026CRITICAL

Applies to

Motion memorandum brief or other filing

For case types not approved for electronic filing, each party must file an original and one copy with the Clerk because the judges' staff does not file documents for parties.

The Judges' staff does not file documents for the parties. Unless a case type has been approved for efiling (contact the Clerk of Courts for case types), each party must file the original and one copy of its motion, memorandum, brief or filing with the Clerk of Courts.

Checked against the court's document on Oct 5, 2026CRITICAL

A document submitted electronically must identify its signatories using an electronic signature notation such as “/s/ Jane Doe.”

c. E-file the document, indicating the signatories, e.g., /s/ Jane Doe.

Checked against the court's document on Oct 5, 2026CRITICAL

Original documents and documents requiring original or notarized signatures must be submitted electronically in PDF format.

(B) **Original signatures.** All original documents that are not e-filed or documents requiring an original signature, such as an affidavit or other notarized documents, shall be e-filed as a .pdf.

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 5, 2026CRITICAL

Applies to

Pleadings and other documents

In mandatory e-file case types, pleadings and other listed documents must be filed through the Court's authorized e-filing system, and paper courtesy copies must not be delivered to the Court.

Except as otherwise provided in Subsection L of this Rule, in mandatory e-file case types all pleadings, including motions, briefs, memorandum of law, title work, preliminary and final judicial reports, military affidavits, affidavits of accounts, notice/discharge of bankruptcy, praecipes, orders or other documents, shall be filed electronically through the Court's authorized electronic filing system (e-filing). Paper courtesy copies of documents filed electronically shall not be delivered to the Court.

Checked against the court's document on Oct 5, 2026CRITICAL

Applies to

Court initiated filings

The Clerk must electronically file all court-initiated filings, which must then be served through the court’s electronic service system.

Subject to the provision of this Rule, the Clerk shall e-file all Court initiated filings. Service of Court initiated filings shall be made via e-service.

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Applies to

E filed pleadings orders and other documents

All counsel of record must register with the court’s e-filing system.

All counsel of record shall register with the Court's e-filing system to file, service, receive, review, and retrieve copies of e-filed pleadings, orders, and other documents in the case.

Checked against the court's document on Oct 5, 2026CRITICAL

Applies to

Pleadings and instruments

The Clerk generally rejects paper pleadings and instruments, while accepting paper filings from pro se parties unable to file electronically; all counsel must file electronically.

The Clerk shall not accept for file any pleadings or instruments in paper form except as provided in Subsection (L) of this Rule, unless a pro se party has no ability to file electronically, in which case, the Clerk's office will accept a paper filing. All counsel shall file electronically.

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Applies to

Exhibits and attachments

Exhibits and attachments must be submitted electronically as PDFs with reasonable effort when practicable, but documents that cannot be comprehensively viewed in PDF must be filed physically.

1. **Exhibits.** Every reasonable effort shall be made to submit all exhibits and/or attachments electronically as a .pdf whenever practicable. However, exhibits, attachments, or other documents that may not be comprehensively viewed in a .pdf shall be filed in their physical form with the Clerk.

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Applies to

Transcripts of testimony including depositions

Trial-testimony and deposition transcripts must be filed physically with the Clerk.

3. **Transcripts of Testimony.** Transcripts of testimony, including depositions, shall be filed in their physical form with the Clerk.

Checked against the court's document on Oct 5, 2026CRITICAL

Applies to

Cognovit complaint

A cognovit complaint and its original note must be filed physically with the Clerk.

4. **Complaints on Cognovit Notes.** Cognovit complaints, with the original Note, shall be filed in their physical form with the Clerk.

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Applies to

Civil stalking or sexually oriented offender protection order complaint

Complaints under R.C. 2903.214 must be filed physically with the Clerk.

5. **Civil Stalking Protection Orders or Civil Sexually Oriented Offender Protection Orders.** Complaints filed pursuant to R.C. 2903.214 shall be filed in their physical form with the Clerk.

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 5, 2026CRITICAL

Applies to

Cqe petition

Every CQE applicant must first submit the petition electronically through the ODRC website.

(A) **Petition.** All CQE applicants must first submit a petition electronically through the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections (ODRC) website located at https://www.drccqe.com.

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 5, 2026CRITICAL

Applies to

Bmv conviction report

The Court must electronically file a BMV conviction report with the Clerk in the format prescribed by the BMV.

1. The Court shall prepare and efile the BMV conviction report with the Clerk of Courts. The report shall be in the format as prescribed by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV).

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Applies to

Complaint

Complaints on cognovit notes cannot be filed through the Court's electronic filing system.

Complaints on cognovit notes will not be accepted through the Court's efiling system.

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Applies to

Documents requiring original signature

Documents requiring an original signature, including affidavits and notarized documents, must be e-filed as PDFs.

(B) **Original signatures.** All original documents that are not e-filed or documents requiring an original signature, such as an affidavit or other notarized documents, shall be e-filed as a .pdf.

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Applies to

Pleadings and other documents

In mandatory e-file case types, the listed pleadings and other documents must be filed through the Court's authorized electronic filing system, subject to Subsection L.

Except as otherwise provided in Subsection L of this Rule, in mandatory e-file case types all pleadings, including motions, briefs, memorandum of law, title work, preliminary and final judicial reports, military affidavits, affidavits of accounts, notice/discharge of bankruptcy, praecipes, orders or other documents, shall be filed electronically through the Court's authorized electronic filing system (e-filing).

Checked against the court's document on Oct 5, 2026CRITICAL

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Applies to

Court initiated filing

The Clerk must electronically file and electronically serve all court-initiated filings, and counsel must keep the registration email address current.

Subject to the provision of this Rule, the Clerk shall e-file all Court initiated filings. Service of Court initiated filings shall be made via e-service. It is the responsibility of counsel to update the email address attached to their registration any time it changes.

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Applies to

Pro se filing

The Clerk's staff must scan and file documents submitted by unregistered pro se litigants into the authorized e-filing system.

Documents received from *pro se* litigants who are not registered with the Court's e-filing system shall be scanned and filed into the Court's authorized e-filing system by the Clerk's staff.

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Applies to

Attorney filing

For mandatory e-filing case types, the Clerk returns documents received from licensed attorneys by mail or facsimile with instructions to resubmit through the e-filing system.

Documents received by mail or by facsimile, from a licensed attorney to be filed in case types designated as mandatory e-filing, will be returned to the attorney with instructions to use the e-filing system to submit documents.

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Counsel of record must register with the Court's e-filing system.

All counsel of record shall register with the Court's e-filing system to file, service, receive, review, and retrieve copies of e-filed pleadings, orders, and other documents in the case.

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All counsel must file documents electronically.

All counsel shall file electronically.

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Applies to

Transcripts of testimony

Transcripts of testimony, including deposition transcripts, must be filed physically with the Clerk.

Transcripts of testimony, including depositions, shall be filed in their physical form with the Clerk.

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Applies to

Cognovit complaint

Cognovit complaints and the original note must be filed physically with the Clerk.

Cognovit complaints, with the original Note, shall be filed in their physical form with the Clerk.

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Applies to

Complaint

Complaints filed under R.C. 2903.214 must be filed physically with the Clerk.

Complaints filed pursuant to R.C. 2903.214 shall be filed in their physical form with the Clerk.

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Applies to

BMV conviction report

The Court must prepare and electronically file the BMV conviction report with the Clerk of Courts.

The Court shall prepare and efile the BMV conviction report with the Clerk of Courts.

Checked against the court's document on Oct 5, 2026WARNING

A pleading or other document may be filed by facsimile with permission from the assigned judge, magistrate, or court administrator and will then be forwarded to the clerk and accepted as an effective original.

1. Pleadings and other documents, faxed with the permission of the Judge, Magistrate or Court Administrator assigned to the case, will be forwarded to the Clerk for filing. 2. A document filed by facsimile after permission has been given shall be accepted as an effective original document.

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The sender bears all risks of facsimile transmission and must verify that the Clerk received the filing.

5. The risks of transmitting a document by facsimile shall be borne entirely by the sending party. Anyone using facsimile filing shall verify receipt of such filing by the Clerk of Courts.

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Applies to

Exhibits

Exhibits and attachments should be submitted electronically as PDFs when practicable, but documents not comprehensively viewable in PDF must be filed physically with the Clerk.

Every reasonable effort shall be made to submit all exhibits and/or attachments electronically as a .pdf whenever practicable. However, exhibits, attachments, or other documents that may not be comprehensively viewed in a .pdf shall be filed in their physical form with the Clerk.

Checked against the court's document on Oct 5, 2026INFO

A judge or judicial officer may electronically sign a document with a digitized signature image combined with a digital signature, and the document has the same legal effect as a paper-signed, journalized document.

(C) **Signature of Judge or Judicial Officer.** E-filed documents may be signed by a Judge or judicial officer via a digitized image of his or her signature combined with a digital signature. All orders, decrees, judgments, and other documents signed in this manner shall have the same force and effect as if the Judge or judicial officer had affixed his or her signature to a paper copy of the order and journalized it.

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 5, 2026INFO

The Court's authorized e-filing system acts as the Clerk's agent for filing, receiving, serving, and retrieving electronic documents.

The Court's authorized e-filing system is hereby appointed the agent of the Clerk for the purpose of filing, receipt, service, and retrieval of electronic documents.

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An electronically filed document has the same legal force and effect as a traditionally filed document.

E-filed documents have the same force and effect as those filed by traditional means.

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Pro se parties may register with the Court's e-filing system but are not required to do so.

Pro Se parties may, but are not required to, register with the Court's e-filing system.

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Applies to

Complaint on cognovit note

2.06 Complaints on Cognovit Notes. Complaints on cognovit notes will not be accepted through the Court's efiling system. A party must file the complaint with the Clerk of Courts so that the case can be randomly assigned to a Judge.

Summary: A complaint on a cognovit note cannot be filed through the court's e-filing system and must instead be filed with the clerk for random judicial assignment.

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If the Court or Clerk receives documents to be filed by facsimile without permission of the Court, the documents will be returned to the filer with instructions to use the e-filing system.

Summary: Facsimile filings without court permission will be returned, and the filer will be instructed to use the e-filing system.

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Applies to

Documents from pro se litigants ?

Documents received from pro se litigants who are not registered with the Court's e-filing system shall be scanned and filed into the Court's authorized e-filing system by the Clerk's staff.

Summary: The Clerk’s staff must scan and electronically file documents submitted by unregistered pro se litigants.

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Applies to

Documents from an attorney of record ?

Documents received by mail or by facsimile, from a licensed attorney to be filed in case types designated as mandatory e-filing, will be returned to the attorney with instructions to use the e-filing system to submit documents.

Summary: Mail or fax documents from licensed attorneys in mandatory e-filing case types are returned with instructions to refile through the e-filing system.

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1. The Clerk shall docket the form and email it to the BMV.

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Unless a case type has been approved for efiling (contact the Clerk of Courts for case types), each party must file the original and one copy of its motion, memorandum, brief or filing with the Clerk of Courts.

Summary: Unless the case type is approved for electronic filing, each party must file the original and one copy with the Clerk of Courts.

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Applies to

Complaint

A party must file the complaint with the Clerk of Courts so that the case can be randomly assigned to a Judge.

Summary: A party must physically file a cognovit-note complaint with the Clerk of Courts for random judicial assignment.

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1. Pleadings and other documents, faxed with the permission of the Judge, Magistrate or Court Administrator assigned to the case, will be forwarded to the Clerk for filing.

Summary: Pleadings and other documents may be filed by facsimile only with permission from the assigned judge, magistrate, or court administrator.

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Applies to

Exhibits

Exhibits that exceed the page limits or cannot be transmitted accurately are prohibited.

Summary: Exhibits exceeding the applicable page limit or that cannot be accurately transmitted by fax may not be filed by facsimile.

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The Clerk shall not accept for file any pleadings or instruments in paper form except as provided in Subsection (L) of this Rule, unless a pro se party has no ability to file electronically, in which case, the Clerk's office will accept a paper filing.

Summary: The Clerk generally rejects paper filings, but must accept a paper filing from a pro se party unable to file electronically.

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Applies to

Cqe petition ?

Under R.C. § 2953.25, the residents of Richland County may seek a CQE from this Court using the following procedure. Those residing in another Ohio county must file in their home county, even if they were previously convicted of criminal offenses in Richland County.

Summary: Richland County residents may seek a CQE through the stated procedure, but residents of other Ohio counties must file in their home county.

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If the Court or Clerk receives documents to be filed by facsimile without permission of the Court, the documents will be returned to the filer with instructions to use the e-filing system.

Summary: Documents submitted for filing by facsimile without the Court's permission will be returned, and the filer will be instructed to use the e-filing system.

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Applies to

Pro se paper documents ?

After scanning and filing into the e-filing system, the Clerk may return the original paper documents to the *pro se* litigant, if a return mailing envelope has been provided or at the time of filing if the *pro se* litigant is filing in person. If no self-addressed, stamped envelope is provided, the Clerk staff may then discard the original paper documents after scanning.

Summary: After scanning, the Clerk may return original pro se paper documents when a return envelope is provided or the filer appears in person, and may discard them if no self-addressed stamped envelope is provided.