El Paso County District Courts Electronic Filing Rules

For a represented party, the attorney must designate at least one email address in the Texas E-File system’s Service Contacts tab upon the party’s first filing.

If a party is represented, the attorney for that party will designate at least one email address in the Service Contacts tab on the Texas E-File system upon the party’s first filing in the case.

Filers must follow eFileTexas registration procedures to become registered for electronic filing.

(a) To become registered to electronically file documents, filers must follow registration procedures outlined by eFileTexas.

Electronic documents must be transmitted through an EFSP and eFileTexas rather than filed directly with the district clerk, and filers must maintain valid EFSP and eFileTexas accounts.

(b) Filers do not electronically file documents directly with the district clerk. Rather, filers indirectly file a document with the district clerk by electronically transmitting the document to an electronic filing service provider (EFSP) which then electronically transmits the document to eFileTexas which then electronically transmits the document to the district clerk. A filer filing or serving a document must have a valid account with an EFSP and with eFileTexas

Each filer must use the confidential electronic identifier issued through registration when filing electronically.

Upon completion of the initial registration procedures, each filer will be issued a confidential and unique electronic identifier. Each filer must use his or her identifier in order to electronically file documents.

The EFSP must transmit the document, submission time, and payment information to eFileTexas, which must acknowledge receipt and provide a receipt date and time.

On receipt of a filer's document, the filer's EFSP must send the document to eFileTexas in the required electronic file format along with an indication of the time the filer sent the document to the EFSP and the filer's payment information. eFileTexas will electronically transmit to the filer an “acknowledgment” that the document has been received by eFileTexas. The acknowledgment will note the date and time that the electronically-transmitted document was received by eFileTexas.

eFileTexas must electronically transmit the filing to the district clerk and warn the EFSP if the document is improperly formatted.

Upon receiving a document from a filer's EFSP, eFileTexas shall electronically transmit the document to the district clerk. If the document was not properly formatted, eFileTexas will transmit a warning to the filer's EFSP.

Legally confidential documents, including papers in mental health proceedings, and materials restricted by judicial rule or order may not be viewed.

Nothing in this rule allows for the viewing of documents or court orders, in any form, that are legally confidential (e.g., papers in mental health proceedings) or otherwise restricted by judicial rule or order.

Applies to

Documents that can be filed in a traditional manner

Documents that may traditionally be filed with the district clerk may generally be filed electronically, subject to the listed exceptions.

(a) A document that can be filed in a traditional manner with the district clerk may be electronically filed with the exception of the following documents:

Applies to

Scanned image

Even after a scanned image is filed electronically, the court may require proper traditional filing, and a third party may request court-permitted inspection of the filer-maintained document.

(d) Where a filer has electronically filed a scanned image under this rule, a court may require the filer to properly file the document in a traditional manner with the district clerk. A third party may request the court in which the matter is pending to allow inspection of a document maintained by the filer.

Electronic filing and service are optional unless a party moves and the court finds good cause to order them in a particular case.

(a) Except as provided by subsection (b) below, the electronic filing and serving of court documents is wholly optional. (b) Upon the motion of a party and for good cause shown, a district court may order the parties in a particular case to electronically file and serve court documents that are permitted to be electronically filed under Rule 3.3.

Applies to

Motion to seal

A motion to seal a document and any response to that motion may be filed electronically.

(b) A motion to have a document sealed, as well as any response to such a motion, may be electronically filed.

Electronic transmission through an EFSP to eFileTexas is available year-round and around the clock except during scheduled state-approved maintenance.

A filer may electronically transmit a document through an EFSP to eFileTexas 24 hours per day each and every day of the year, except during brief periods of state-approved scheduled maintenance which will usually occur in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The district clerk may provide filers and the public electronic viewing of electronically filed or scanned documents or court orders; if provided, persons may view them electronically.

Independent of eFileTexas and the requirement of viewing access described in subsection (a), the district clerk may choose to provide for both filers and the general public to electronically view documents or court orders that have been electronically filed or scanned. Where such provision has been made, persons may electronically view documents or court orders that have been electronically filed or scanned.