Information on California eFiling File Size Limits 

This article contains general information on file size limits for electronic court filings in California.

To check file size limits for a specific court, see our California Court Deadlines & Service Levels page and select the court you are filing into.

File size limits are set by the courts and enforced by their electronic filing systems (EFMs). If a filing exceeds a court’s limit, it will be rejected.

How to Read File Size Limits

Courts enforce two separate limits:

Document Limit

The maximum file size allowed for a single uploaded document (for example, one PDF).

Transaction Limit (Envelope Limit)

The maximum combined file size of all documents submitted together in a single eFiling transaction (also called an envelope).

Both limits apply.
If either the document limit or the transaction limit is exceeded, the filing will fail.

Common Questions and Clarifications

What happens if my document is too large?

The court will reject the filing. To proceed, you must:

Compress the PDF, or

Split the filing into multiple documents (where permitted by court rules).

Can I upload multiple documents to stay under the transaction limit?

Yes, as long as:

Each individual document is under the document limit, and

The total combined size of all documents stays under the transaction limit.

Do exhibits and attachments count toward file size limits?

Yes. All documents in the envelope count, including:

Exhibits

Attachments

Proposed orders

Proofs of service

Do scanned PDFs have different limits?

No. File size limits apply regardless of document type.
However, scanned PDFs are often significantly larger and may require compression.

Are these limits set by One Legal?

No. File size limits are set by the courts and their electronic filing systems. One Legal enforces these limits to prevent rejected filings.

Best Practices to Avoid File Size Rejections

Compress PDFs before uploading

Avoid unnecessary high-resolution scanning

Split large filings when permitted

Confirm limits in advance for courts with division-specific rules (such as Los Angeles and Orange County)

Quick Reference Summary

Always check two limits: document size and transaction size

Limits vary by court and sometimes by division

Default for most California courts:

25 MB per document

35 MB per transaction

If you are unsure whether your filing meets a court’s file size limits, One Legal’s system will flag issues before submission, helping you correct them before the filing is sent to the court.