FAQs

When are PDFs (and other information) free in CourtDrive?

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For Federal cases, there are two ways PDFs and other information get into CourtDrive:

1. Free (No PACER charge):

CourtDrive gets the PDF automatically through an eNotice from the court (known as a “free look”). This only works if CourtDrive is set up to receive your eNotices.

2. Paid (PACER charge):

You manually import a PDF by clicking the green import button. This pulls the document from PACER and incurs a PACER fee.

Tip: To avoid charges, make sure CourtDrive is listed as a recipient of your eNotices, or see your setup page for options.

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Why am I being charged for a PDF even though I appeared on the case?

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Entering an appearance means you get the eNotice—but unless CourtDrive also receives it, we can’t capture the free PDF. Check if your CourtDrive email is listed in the service list on the eNotice.

If it’s missing, add your CourtDrive email as a secondary recipient in your court filing account or see your setup page for options.

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Safeguards to Protect Sealed Documents

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CourtDrive has a number of safeguards in place to prevent access to sealed documents. By design, CourtDrive protects against downloading sealed documents. 

1. When courts send an ECF notice with respect to a sealed document, you must login to CM/ECF to download the sealed document, as opposed to non-sealed docs which just download the PDF without a login. You need "Filer" account credentials to login to CM/ECF and download the sealed document. However, when we get confronted with a login screen, CourtDrive does not even attempt to download anything.

2. In addition, CourtDrive makes it very clear that you should not use "Filer" account credentials on our system. You should only link a "Case Search Only" PACER account with CourtDrive (in other words you cannot file documents in a case with those credentials). With a non-Filer account, you cannot download sealed docs and won't run afoul of the Court's rules regarding them. You can confirm here what you've linked and change it if you need to, though again we won't download anything requiring a login.

3. Only the Admin account holder can link PACER credentials in CourtDrive. Unlike other services, this prevents multiple attorneys in larger firms from unknowingly being able to use their Filer account to download documents.

4. Finally, CourtDrive goes even a step further and considers the fact that a document may get sealed after the fact. For this we have a 1-click redaction feature on the site that lets you (anyone in your firm) instantly and permanently delete any document off the system, without permission or hesitation.

To not run afoul of any Court Rules for courts that do not allow law firms to designate a third-party service provider as a secondary recipient of NEFs:

1. Use a "Case Search Only" PACER account i.e., public case search only account (one NOT linked to a CM/ECF account).

2. Instead of providing a CourtDrive email to CM/ECF, set up your own inbox (i.e. enotices@yourfirm.com) and CourtDrive will just automate human functions from there. 

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