IMPORTANT: Electronic filing (eFiling) is only available for civil cases in Riverside County. Family law, probate, juvenile, criminal, and traffic cases do NOT use eFiling and instead use the court's eSubmit system or paper filing. This guide applies to civil cases only.

In addition to statewide eFiling requirements under California Rules of Court (rules 2.250-2.261), Riverside County has implemented the following local requirements for civil cases:

Who Must eFile (Civil Cases):

• Mandatory: Parties represented by counsel in all limited and unlimited civil actions, including unlawful detainers (effective January 1, 2022)
• Optional: Self-represented litigants in civil cases
• Service Requirement: In civil cases involving both represented and self-represented parties, represented parties must file electronically but must serve self-represented parties by non-electronic means unless the self-represented party affirmatively agrees to electronic service

Authority: Local Rule 3118 (civil cases only); Court eFiling Webinar Materials ("We are not electronic filing (eFiling) for family law or probate at this time")

In addition to statewide exceptions under California Rules of Court rule 2.251, Riverside County requires paper filing for:

• Any ex parte application that is filed concurrently with a new complaint
• Bonds and undertakings
• Trial documents under Local Rule 3401
• Exhibits to be offered at any trial or evidentiary hearing
• New Judicial Council Coordinated Proceedings (JCCP) cases (subsequent filings in JCCP cases are permitted electronically)
• Harassment proceedings requesting the minor's information be confidential
• Mandatory Settlement Conference Briefs
• Notices of Appeal and any subsequent appeals documents
• Small Claims Notice of Appeal and Small Claims Notice of Appeal as to the Denial of the Motion to Vacate Judgment
• Writ Returns
• Media Request to Photograph, Record, or Broadcast
• Request to file new litigation by vexatious litigants (motions to declare a litigant vexatious are permitted electronically)
• Subpoenaed records
• Administrative records
• Sealed documents (the motion or application to seal must be eFiled; see Section 6 below)

Authority: Civil eFiling Information Page; Court eFiling Webinar Materials

Documents Attached to Notice of Lodgment:

The actual document entitled "Notice of Lodgment" shall be filed electronically. However, documents attached to a Notice of Lodgment shall be lodged and/or served conventionally in paper form.

Authority: Civil eFiling Information Page

Riverside County requires use of its Court Reservation System for scheduling law and motion hearings:

Who Must Use CRS:

Represented parties shall use the CRS to make and manage reservations for all law and motion matters except in Unlawful Detainer and Small Claims cases, unless otherwise noted on the CRS Public Portal.

Authority: Local Rule 3310

Filing Deadline After Reservation:

Critical Requirement: All moving documents shall be filed no later than ten (10) court days after the reserving party reserves the law and motion hearing date. Law and motion reservations will be cancelled without further notice to the reserving party if the moving documents are not filed within ten (10) court days after the reservation is made.

Authority: Local Rule 3310

CRS Details:

• Access: Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at Court Reservation System
• Fees: No filing fees charged at time of reservation; applicable motion filing fees and/or first paper fees will be charged when the motion is eFiled
• Continuance Fee: $20.00 continuance fee charged if the hearing reservation is rescheduled
• Reservation ID: To expedite motion filing, indicate the CRS Reservation ID number on the motion/document face page

Authority: Court Reservation System Information

Riverside County Requirement:

For any document electronically filed two or fewer days before the hearing, a courtesy copy should be delivered to the courtroom by 4:30 p.m. the same business day the document is eFiled. If the filing is submitted after 4:30 p.m., the courtesy copy should be delivered to the courtroom by 10:00 a.m. the next business day.

Authority: General Order 2021-22 (as referenced in Civil eFiling FAQs)

Sealed Documents - Courtesy Copies:

For documents submitted conditionally under seal, the actual motion or application shall be electronically filed. A courtesy copy of the electronically filed motion or application to submit documents conditionally under seal must be provided with the documents submitted conditionally under seal.

Authority: Civil eFiling Information Page

Department-Specific Requirements:

Individual departments may have additional courtesy copy requirements. For example, Department PS1 requires specific trial-related courtesy copies. Filers should check with the assigned department for any additional requirements.

Authority: Department PS1 Trial Rules

No Special Local Requirements

Riverside County Superior Court does not require special local cover sheets or addendums for civil cases beyond standard Judicial Council forms.

Standard Requirements:

• Use standard Judicial Council forms (e.g., CM-010 Civil Case Cover Sheet)
• Follow statewide California Rules of Court requirements
• Email address must be listed on the first page of all documents filed with the court pursuant to California Rules of Court rule 2.111(1) for purposes of electronic service

Authority: Local Rule 3118

Note: The court has local forms for specific case types (probate, name changes, etc.), but no special civil case cover sheet addendum beyond Judicial Council forms was found. Filers should verify current requirements with the court at (951) 777-3147.

Riverside County Procedures:

Documents submitted conditionally under seal have specific filing requirements:

• eFiling Requirement: The actual motion or application to file the document under seal shall be electronically filed
• Physical Submission: The documents to be sealed must be submitted in paper form
• Courtesy Copy: A courtesy copy of the electronically filed motion or application to submit documents conditionally under seal must be provided with the documents submitted conditionally under seal

Authority: Civil eFiling Information Page; Court eFiling Webinar Materials

Confidentiality Determination:

The filer may not establish a document's security level. A document submitted as "confidential" by the filer will only become confidential pursuant to legal authority or if that determination is made by the court. For example, a limited civil unlawful detainer complaint would automatically be filed as a confidential document pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure section 1161.2.

Authority: Civil eFiling FAQs

Redaction Responsibility:

The responsibility for excluding or redacting confidential identifiers from all documents filed with the court rests solely with the parties and their attorneys. The court clerk will not review each pleading or other paper for compliance with California Rules of Court rule 1.201.

Authority: California Rules of Court rule 1.201; Civil eFiling Information Page

In addition to California Rules of Court requirements for eFiling (rules 2.250-2.261), Riverside County requires:

PDF Format:

• Every document that is eFiled must be in PDF format
• Text Searchable: Documents must be text searchable
• Judicial Council Forms saved to your computer and Word documents saved as PDF will remain text searchable
• Scanning Resolution: When scanning documents, use 300 DPI (dots per inch) resolution as recommended by the Trial Court Records Manual

Authority: Civil eFiling FAQs

File Size Limitations:

The court technically has no limit on file size. However, Electronic Filing Service Providers (EFSPs) may have restrictions. As a general guideline, 25 megabytes per document and 60 megabytes per eFiling transaction is recommended.

Authority: Civil eFiling FAQs

Email Address Requirement:

Pursuant to California Rules of Court rule 2.111(1), all documents filed with the court shall list the email address of counsel, or of the self-represented party, on the first page. For purposes of electronic service, this email address will be deemed to be the proper email address for service subject to the provisions set forth in Code of Civil Procedure section 1010.6, subdivision (d).

Authority: Local Rule 3118

Riverside County Procedures:

• eFiling Requirement: Ex parte applications shall be submitted over eFiling through your selected Electronic Filing Service Provider (EFSP)
• Exception: Any ex parte application that is filed concurrently with a new complaint is exempt from eFiling and can be filed at the counter
• Hearing Location: All ex parte hearings will be set in the department assigned for all purposes

Authority: General Order 2022-1, section 9 (as referenced on Civil Division Information Page)