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Attorney Admissions and E-Filing Registration

Notice to Attorneys Regarding Admission Fee Increase and Bar Membership Renewal

Admissions Fee Increase

Effective November 1, 2025, the admission fee for the bar of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia increased to $350.

Bar Membership Renewal

As of August 14, 2025, attorneys admitted to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia are no longer required to renew their membership. Attorneys are responsible for keeping their contact information up to date. Changes should be made via the "Manage My Account" tool in PACER.

**Any attorney renewal fees submitted prior to September 12, 2025 are not eligible for refund.**

Government Certification

As of August 14, 2025, attorneys practicing on behalf of the government are no longer required to submit any additional government certifications after their initial submission of the form.

Pursuant to LCvR 83.2(d)(e), attorneys practicing on behalf of the government must submit a government certification form prior to initial appearance. Government or state attorneys must notify the Court within 30 days of leaving government service.

To check your status, please click here. 

Government certifications must be submitted electronically.  For detailed instructions, please click on the Government Certification tab below. 

E-FILING

On October 7, 2019, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia upgraded its Case Management/Electronic Case Filing system (CM/ECF) to the Next Generation of CM/ECF (NextGen).  To access the upgraded system, you must have your own individual PACER account. 

Attorneys already admitted to our court must register for e-filing. 

Attorneys wishing to be admitted must submit their applications via PACER. 

Please select the appropriate menu option(s) below for detailed instructions and appropriate forms. 

PACER

Registering for a PACER Account

If you do not have your own PACER account, follow the steps below to register for an account.

  1. Go to https://www.pacer.gov.
  2. Click on Register for an Account then click on Attorney Filers for CM/ECF.
  3. Click on Register for a PACER account.
  4. Complete the PACER registration form.  For User Type: If you are an attorney in private practice, select INDIVIDUAL.  If you are a State or Federal Government attorney, select the corresponding field.
  5. Click Next
  6. Create a Username and Password and select Security Questions.  Click Next when finished.
  7. Enter the Payment Information (optional).
  8. Read the policies and procedures and acknowledge by checking the box.
  9. Click Submit.

If you already have a CM/ECF account, please follow the instructions in the Linking PACER Account to Existing CM/ECF Account tab to link your new PACER account to your existing CM/ECF account for e-filing.

If you don't have a CM/ECF account, please follow the instructions in the E-Filing tab to register for e-filing.

Upgrading Your PACER Account

If you have your own individual account and it was created prior to August 11, 2014 (also known as a Legacy account), you must upgrade your account before you can electronically file in a NextGen court.  Follow the steps below to upgrade your account.

  1. Go to https://www.pacer.gov.
  2. Click on My Account & Billing then click on Manage My Account Login.
  3. Click on Log in to Manage My Account.
  4. Enter your current PACER username and password then click Login.
  5. If the Account Type lists “Legacy PACER Account (Upgrade)”, then click on Upgrade; otherwise, there no need to upgrade.
  6. Follow prompts to update/enter all necessary information in each tab.
  7. Click Submit.

NOTE:  Once the upgrade is complete, you can no longer use your old PACER username and password.

If you already have a CM/ECF account, please follow the instructions for Linking PACER Account to Existing CM/ECF Account to link your upgraded PACER account to your existing CM/ECF account for e-filing.

If you don't have a CM/ECF account, please follow the instructions in the E-Filing tab to register for e-filing.

If you have any questions, please contact the PACER Service Center at 1-800-676-6856.

Linking PACER Account to Existing CM/ECF Account

E-Filing

E-filing is required for accessing the upgraded system (NextGen CM/ECF) for filing documents with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.    Follow the steps below to register for e-filing for this Court.

  1. Go to https://www.pacer.gov.

  2. Click on My Account & Billing then click on Manage My Account Login.

  3. Click on Log in to Manage My Account.

  4. Enter your new/upgraded PACER login and password.

  5. Select the Maintenance tab and select Attorney Admissions/E-File Registration.­

  6. Select U.S. District Courts as the Court Type from the drop-down list.

  7. Select District of Columbia District Court as the Court from the drop-down list then click Next.

  8. On the What would you like to apply/register for? screen:

    • Attorneys already admitted to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia needing to e-file select E-File Registration Only.

    • MDL attorneys select Multi-District Litigation.

    • Attorneys from State or Federal Government agencies select Federal Attorney.

    • Pro Hac Vice attorneys whose motion pursuant to LCvR 83.2(d) has been granted select Pro Hac Vice.

    • Pro Bono attorneys practicing pursuant to LCvR 83.2(g) select E-File Registration Only.

    • CJA attorneys practicing pursuant to LCrR 57.22 select E-File Registration Only.

    • Attorneys needing e-filing for miscellaneous cases only select E-File Registration Only.

  9. Review the Filer Information section and make changes, if needed.

  10. In the Additional Filer Information section:

    • Pro Hac Vice attorneys MUST fill out the Pro Hac Vice Case Number field.

    • MDL attorneys MUST fill out the Multi-District Litigation Case Number field.

    • Pro Bono attorneys MUST enter 'pro bono' in the Other Names Used field.

  11. Complete the Delivery Method and Formatting section and click Next.  Note: This is used for electronic notification in cases in which you are involved.  Complete this section even if you will not be actively practicing in federal court.  Email address information comes from your existing PACER information.  Check the box to use a different email if desired.  Email Frequency and Email Format are required and are also used for electronic notice in cases in which you are involved. In the Email Frequency drop-down list, select Once Per Day for a daily summary notification or At The Time of Filing for individual notice. In the Email Format drop-down list, select HTML unless you are having difficulty with your emails.

  12. Set default Payment Information if desired (not required).  Click Next when finished or to bypass this screen.  You can add a credit card or ACH payment method or designate your existing card as the default method for each of the following fee types: Autobill PACER fees, E-filing fees default, and Admissions fees default.

  13. Check the two boxes for the E-Filing Terms of Use.

  14. Click Submit.  The Court will review your e-filing request for eligibility.  You may be contacted for further information or to correct deficiencies, if any exist.  If your eligibility is confirmed, your account will be activated, and you will be able to file.

Pro Hac Vice Admission

To request permission to appear pro hac vice, you must seek a sponsor who is an active member of our bar.  The sponsor should e-file a motion in the case requesting permission for you to appear pro hac vice, and attach to the motion your hand-signed declaration as well as a certificate of good standing pursuant to LCvR 83.2(c) or LCrR 44.1(c).  A $100 fee will be assessed during filing.

Please note that a motion and the payment must be submitted in each case in which pro hac vice admission is desired.

When the motion is granted and the minute order is entered, please register for e-filing using the instructions in the E-Filing tab above.

Attorney Admissions

Application for Admission

Applying for Admission

  1. Go to www.pacer.gov.

  2. Select My Account & Billing , then Manage My Account Login.  Log in using your PACER credentials.

  3. Select the Maintenance tab.

  4. Choose Attorney Admission/E-File Registration.

  5. In the Court Type drop-down menu, choose U.S. District Courts; in the Court drop-down menu, choose District of Columbia District Court.

  6. Click Next.

  7. On the What Would You Like To Apply/Register For? page, click Attorney Admissions and E-file.

  8. Enter other bar admission information.  PLEASE NOTE:  You must be admitted to the local DC Bar or the bar of the state in which you maintain your principal office to apply for admission to the U.S. District Court for DC. 

  9. Complete the Sponsoring Attorney information.  The sponsor must be an active member of our bar who has known the applicant for at least one year.  Government attorneys who have not been fully admitted are not eligible to serve as sponsors.  Complete all fields in the Attorney Information section.  If you are not sure what type of law you will practice, choose Civil.  PLEASE NOTE:  The application fee will not be waived for any attorney.  You must acknowledge the fee in order to proceed.

  10. Document Upload: Click the Upload button, then +Browse to attach pdfs of the Application for Admission, Sponsor’s Affidavit, and a Certificate of Good Standing from your state bar.

  11. Complete the E-File Registration information.

  12. Complete the Filer Information and make any preferred changes.

  13. Enter Additional Filer Information, if desired (not required).

  14. Complete the Delivery Method and Formatting section of the form. This is used for electronic notification in cases in which you are involved. Complete this section even if you will not be actively practicing in federal court. Email address information comes from your existing PACER information. Check the box to use a different email if desired. Email Frequency and Email Format are required and are also used for electronic notice in cases in which you are involved. In Email Frequency dropdown, Select Once Per Day for a daily summary notification or At The Time of Filing for individual notice. Select from the Email Format dropdown. Select HTML unless you are having difficulty with your emails.  Select Next.

  15.  Set default Payment Information if desired (not required). You can add a new credit card or ACH payment method or designate your existing card as the default method for filing fees or admission fees.  Click Next.

  16. Check the Acknowledgment of Policies and Procedures for Attorney Admissions box.

  17. Check the two boxes acknowledging the E-Filing Terms of Use.

  18. Select Submit.

The court will review your application materials and will contact you to correct any errors or deficiencies.  If your eligibility is confirmed, you will receive an email with link to pay the admission fee.  (Please note that you must pay your admission fee online.)  

The motions judge signs the order of admission on the first Monday of the month according to this schedule.  While the court strives to notify each attorney when the order is signed, please confirm your bar status using our attorney lookup function at Bar Member/Attorney Information Lookup | District of Columbia | United States District Court (uscourts.gov).

Once admitted, your account will be activated, and you will be able to e-file using your PACER credentials.

 

Application, Fee, and Ceremony Dates

Government Certification

Pursuant to LCvR 83.2(d)(e), attorneys practicing on behalf of the government must submit a government certification form prior to initial appearance.

  • If you are a Government attorney who would like to certify for the first time, follow the steps below.
  1. Fill out the Government Certification Form.
  2. E-mail the form to attorney_admissions@dcd.uscourts.gov
  3. Register for e-filing (go to the E-Filing tab above).
  • There is no associated fee with this certification

Certificates of Good Standing

To request a Certificate of Good Standing with the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, complete and submit the Certificates of Good Standing Request Form, and an invoice will be emailed to you for payment through Pay.gov (see the Paying an Invoice with Pay.gov tab below).

***Pursuant to LCvR 83.2(d) & (e), attorneys employed by the government are permitted to practice in this court on behalf of the government. However, government status does not indicate admission to this court’s bar, thus government attorneys are not eligible to receive certificates of good standing.

Paying an Invoice with Pay.gov

eBilling is a pay.gov application that allows the Clerk’s Office to send and manage electronic payments.  For step-by-step instructions on paying an eBill with pay.gov, see instructions below.

  1. From your email, open Pay.gov Accessing your U.S. government electronic bill for DCD eBilling.
  2. Click the link in the email to access Pay.gov.
  3. Enter the Access code from the email in the Access code field to view the bill and click Submit.  The eBills are viewable whenever you log in to Pay.gov.  No access code is required.
  4. Enter 20001 for the DC District Court’s zip code. The security answer can be found in the Pay.gov Accessing your U.S. government electronical bill for DCD eBilling email.
  5. Click View Bill to view bill.
  6. Click Pay Bill to pay bill.
  7. Select payment type ACH or Debit or credit card. Click Next.
  8. Enter your name, billing address, and card number information. Click Review and Submit Payment.
  9. Review your credit card information, enter and confirm your email address.  At this time, additional email addresses may be entered in the CC field.  Payment confirmation emails will be sent to those email accounts.
  10. Accept the authorization agreement by selecting the checkbox. Click Submit Payment.
  11. After you submit payment you will receive a Pay.gov payment confirmation email.

FAQs

Q1:    How can I find my membership status, date of admission, and/or bar number for the U.S District Court for the District of Columbia?

A1:    Please consult our attorney information lookup site at https://www.dcd.uscourts.gov/bar-memberattorney-information-lookup.

Note: if no information shows up, the attorney is not admitted into the U.S. District Court and should check with the DC Bar.  If you believe your results are incorrect, please send an e-mail to attorney_admissions@dcd.uscourts.gov for verification.

 

Q2:    When I try to e-file my document in CM/ECF, I do not see the “Civil” option. What should I do?

A2:    Please register for e-filing.  We are now a NexGen court, meaning that all e-filing is done using your PACER credentials.  Even if you previously registered and have an old CM/ECF account, you must re-register so that your old account can be linked with your PACER account.  Instructions can be found under the E-Filing tab.

 

Q3:    I am a government attorney.  How do I register to electronically file in the U.S. District Court?

A3:    First, complete the renewal form found here.  Once you have completed the document, save it as a pdf and e-mail it to attorney_admissions@dcd.uscourts.gov.  Lastly, register to e-file via PACER.  Instructions for registering can be found under the E-Filing tab.

 

Q4:    I submitted an application for admission.  How long will it take to be processed?  Can I have it expedited?

A4:    Applications will be processed in the order in which they are received.  Please review the application, fee and oath deadlines under the Attorney Admissions tab.  Applications cannot be expedited. 
 

 

Q5: Are original signatures required on Applications for Admission and Sponsors’ Affidavits?

A5:   Yes, original signatures are required.

 

Q6:  Why does my application status say “pending?”

A6:   An application for admission’s status remains “pending” until it is processed.  Once it has been processed and the application meets all requirements, you will receive a link for payment along with additional instructions.  This can sometimes take a few weeks. 

 

Q7:  I need to appear or file prior to the next admission date.  What should I do?

A7:   Please file a motion to appear pro hac vice.  A member of our bar must e-file the motion on your behalf and include a declaration hand-signed by you.  See LRCvP 83.2(c) for more information.     

                

Q8:    My admission status is currently listed as “pending” as I am awaiting admission to the court. My motion for pro hac vice was granted and I was instructed to register for e-filing. What should I do?

A8:    Please send an e-mail to attorney_admissions@dcd.uscourts.gov with the case number and the name of the attorney who needs to file. The admissions team will then provide you with e-filing.

 

Q9:  I am trying to file my application for admission, but your court is not showing up in the drop-down menu of available courts.  Is this because I was previously admitted pro hac vice?

A9:  Yes.  Please email attorney_admissions@dcd.uscourts.gov to have your accounts unlinked.  This will not affect your PHV status but will allow you to choose our court on the list. 

 

Q10:  I am pending admission to the bar of this Court or awaiting a pro hac vice motion to be granted and want to appear on case documents. Is this allowed?

A10:   Yes, you can be listed on case documents. You must include “pending admission” or “pending pro hac vice motion” in the signature block below your name. Please note you will not receive notices in the case until you are admitted or the motion for pro hac vice is granted and you enter your notice of appearance.

  

Q11:  How do I update or change my contact information with the U.S. District Court for DC?

A11:  All updates must be submitted via PACER.  Please note that this can only be done if you have linked your NextGen CM/ECF account to your PACER account.

To update your information, log in to PACER here:          https://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov/pscof/login.jsf.

  • Click on Maintenance- Update Personal Information to update your name, prefix, and suffix.
  • Click on Maintenance- Update Address Information to update your firm name, address, and phone numbers.
  • Click on Maintenance- Update E-Filer Email Noticing and Frequency to update your email address(es).

 

Q12:  How do I reset my PACER password?

A12:   For information on resetting your password, click here: https://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov/pscof/forgotPassword.jsf?csoLogin=true.

 

Q13:  I am not a member of the bar of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, but plan to represent my client pro bono pursuant to LCvR 83.2(f). What should I do?

A13:   You must first register for e-filing as a pro bono attorney according to the e-filing tab above. Then, you must enter your “Notice of Appearance- Pro Bono” with a certification pursuant to LCvR 83.2(f).