E-Filing Frequently Asked Questions

Questions? Email to KCSCefiling@metrokc.gov or call (206) 205-1600

1.    What can I E-File in the King County Superior Court?

Use E-Filing to send documents electronically to the Superior Court Clerk’s Office for processing and entry into the official case file. E-Filing allows you to: 

• initiate new cases in the King County Superior Court, paying filing fees on line;
• complete on-line forms and E-File them in a case file;
• electronically sign and E-File a PDF or imaged document (sealed or open);
• opt in to receive service electronically from other parties in the case;
• electronically serve e-filed documents on other parties to the case (if they have opted in).

2.    What tools do I need to E-File?

You do not need special software—E-Filing uses your Web browser and works with any operating system. At the King County Superior Court Clerk’s Web site (www.metrokc.gov/kcscc), select the “E-Filing” button to begin. Your link to the E-Filing system is a secure Internet connection; it prevents anyone from intercepting or viewing what you are E-Filing. 

To E-File, you first set up your own User LoginID, Password, and PIN, a one-time step. General Rule (GR) 30, which authorizes E-Filing in the Washington State courts, requires this to identify you as a registered e-filer.

Initial Sign-Up: Select “First time filer?” at the opening screen and complete the simple registration form. The Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) keeps the official record of E-Filer User LoginIDs. A confirmation appears after you correctly set up your LoginID, Password, and PIN. Use them to log in to the King County E-Filing application.

Follow these steps to set up your Logon ID, password, and PIN:

a.    Select First time filer?

b.    Select “Expanded.”

c.     Fill in the REQUIRED fields on the form:
First Name
Last Name
Date of Birth

d.    For “Driver License #” (no longer required by GR 30, but required to complete this form) enter “ABCD” or any few letters and numbers.

e.    Create and enter your own 8-character Logon ID –WRITE IT DOWN*.

f.      Create and enter your 8-character Password – and WRITE IT DOWN*.
Password must contain at least: one special character ($, # and @ symbols) and 2 of the following 3: uppercase letters, lowercase letters and numbers.

*There will be no e-mail message to tell you what you entered.

3.    Is King County E-Filing the same as in federal court?

No. They are separate and distinct systems. Like the federal courts, King County accepts E-Filings if they are in PDF (Portable Document Format), and also accepts imaged documents in TIF (Tagged Information File) format. Your E-Filing must be for a valid case and it must be virus-free, unlocked, and unencrypted. Signatures are handled differently in E-Filings in courts in the State of Washington (see below).

4.    When can I E-File?

You can submit documents for E-Filing at any time, but they will be officially date/time stamped based on when the Clerk’s Office is open (8:30 to 4:30, M-F, except for holidays). The E-Filing application is running most of the time, including nights and weekends, except when down due to data backups, maintenance, or technical problems.

5.    Does E-Filing change any Superior Court rules or procedures?

No procedures, deadlines, or other requirements have been changed for E-Filing. E-Filing results in somewhat faster processing of documents and data. 

6.    Can I view electronic filings on the Internet?

Some records are available on-line through the Clerk’s “ECR ONLINE” application.  Pursuant to Local General Rule (LGR) 31, online access to the ECR system via the Internet is restricted to non-sealed documents and cases filed after November 1, 2004, and forward and is limited to the following case types:  Criminal cases, with a number 1 as the third digit of the case number; Civil cases, with a number 2 as the third digit of the case number, with the exceptions of petitions for domestic violence protection orders and petitions for anti-harassment protection orders; Probate cases, with a number 4 as the third digit of the case number, except for guardianship cases. There is a charge of 10¢ per page to view documents online.

7.    Is E-Filing required?

No. E-Filing is voluntary. 

8.    What features are in the E-Filing program?

To file a new case, select ‘Start New Case’. You will be prompted to indicate the case type, designation area, case title, and other details. You may then upload the needed initial document(s), in PDF or TIF format, after which you will be asked to complete payment. Use a credit card or Internet check to pay the filing fees (plus modest convenience fees charged by the King County “E-Commerce” program).

To complete an online form, select ‘Complete Online Forms for E-Filing’. This will open the chosen form in the Adobe Reader program (a free program which you must have to do this). You fill in blanks and Tab from field to field until the document is complete. You then proceed to E-File the finished form.

To E-File documents in an existing case, select ‘E-File Documents’. This will open the 5-step “wizard” that will lead you through the process. You will be prompted to select the document type, fill in specific information about your document, browse to and upload the PDF or TIF file you are submitting, add attachments if needed, and use the ‘E-File Now’ button to submit the document(s) when ready to do so. After submitting the E-Filing, you may review and save or print the Confirmation Receipt page which has details about what you have just E-Filed.

Power User E-Filing is for managing multiple E-Filing transactions in more than one case. It provides a worksheet where all of the functions relating to E-Filing can be performed. This feature is suitable for handling complex E-Filings, documents pending review or signature by other users, or multiple documents that will be E-Filed in different cases.

9.    How are E-Filings to be signed?

Documents that are filed and signed using the procedures of GR 30 as originally adopted continue to be accepted in the King County E-Filing application.

New methods for signing e-filed documents authorized by GR 30 as amended:

State Digital Signature:
Any attorney, party, or other signer may still sign any e-filed document using a State-issued Digital Signature (RCW 19.34). See http://www.secstate.wa.gov/ea for information. Evidence of this signing method appears as a few lines of code unique to that individual and the item being signed. (Adding a brief statement that a Washington State Digital Signature was used may help avoid questions about the signature.)

ATTORNEYS: /s Formatted Signature:
An attorney may electronically sign an e-filed document by using an “s/” (“ess – slash”) signature, formatted as follows (example from GR 30):

              s/John Attorney

              State Bar Number 12345

              ABC Law Firm

              123 South Fifth Avenue

              Seattle, WA 98104

              Telephone: (206) 123-4567

              Fax: (206) 123-4567

              E-mail: John.Attorney@lawfirm.com

NON-ATTORNEYS: /s Formatted Signature:
A non-attorney may electronically sign an e-filed document, provided it is not sworn under penalty of perjury and it does not have multiple signers, by using an “s/” (“ess – slash”) signature, formatted as follows (example from GR 30):

              s/John Citizen

              123 South Fifth Avenue

              Seattle, WA 98104

              Telephone: (206) 123-4567

              Fax: (206) 123-4567

              E-mail: John.Citizen@email.com

Imaged Pages with Pen-and-Ink Signatures:
Electronically filed documents from non-attorneys that are sworn under penalty of perjury and documents signed by multiple persons not using State digital signatures are to be e-filed with scanned images of the physical (“pen-and-ink”) signatures of those persons. The documents with those “original signatures” must be retained by the e-filer until at least 60 days following the completion of the case, including the running of all appeals.

When an attorney has permission to sign an e-filed document on behalf of others, the attorney may do so, provided the attorney expressly states in the document that authorization to sign on behalf of the others was given. The attorney creates “s/” (“ess – slash”) signatures for such persons, as in the examples above. 

10.           What information can I access about my E-Filing activities?

Select ‘View’ and then ‘Filing Status’ from the menu in the upper, right part of the screen, to access any of the five tabs there: ‘In Progress’ provides information and links to documents for which you have initiated but not completed the E-Filing process. ‘Sign / Submit’ contains information and links to documents awaiting signatures or ready to be E-Filed. The next three tabs provide a 30-day record of the documents E-Filed under your User LoginID including those which have been ‘Received’ by the Clerk’s Office, ‘Processed’ into the case file, or ‘Rejected’, including reasons for rejection.

11.           Where can I find information about the electronic working papers pilot project?  Click Here

Click here to E-File documents with the King County Superior Court Clerk's Office.