PACER Fee Increase Effective April 1, 2012

In September 2011, the Judicial Conference of the United States authorized an increase in the Judiciary's electronic public access fee in response to increasing costs for maintaining and enhancing the electronic public access system. The increase in the electronic public access (EPA) fee, from $.08 to $.10 per page, will take effect on April 1, 2012. The change is needed to continue to support and improve the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) system, and to develop and implement the next generation of the Judiciary's Case Management/Electronic Case Filing system.

The EPA fee has not been increased since 2005. As mandated by Congress, the EPA program is funded entirely through user fees set by the Conference.

The Conference was mindful of the impact such an increase could have on other public entities and on public users accessing the system to obtain information on a particular case. For this reason, local, state, and federal government agencies will be exempted from the increase for three years. Moreover, PACER users who do not accrue charges of more than $15 in a quarterly billing cycle would not be charged a fee. (The current exemption is $10 per quarter.) The expanded exemption means that 75 to 80 percent of all users will still pay no fees. Please see the PACER website for more information.

Changes to Fee Payments in Eau Claire

Effective December 1, 2011, all court fees paid over the counter in Eau Claire must be by a firm check, money order or cashier's check. Cash will no longer be accepted at the Eau Claire Divisional Office. Money order sites in the area.

ECF User's Manual

This manual is designed as a guide to assist registered ECF Users in filing documents electronically. Although filing requirements and references to the Bankruptcy Code and/or Rules may be provided for some topics, this manual should not be relied upon exclusively by the user. The actual Bankruptcy Code and/or Rules should still be consulted.

Important Links

Bankruptcy Reform Act Information

Report Suspected Bankruptcy Fraud

Judicial Misconduct or Disability Complaint Information

Job Announcements:

Judgeship Vacancies