Santa Clara Superior Court Document Format Requirements

Checked against the court's document on Sep 20, 2026CRITICAL

Electronic administrative records in CEQA cases must conform to CRC 3.2207, including electronic bookmarks and full-text search capability.

Electronic administrative records digitally lodged in a CEQA case must conform to CRC 3.2207, including the requirement for electronic bookmarks that identify each part of the record and clearly state the volume and page numbers contained in each part of the record, and the electronic version of the record must be capable of full-text searching. Hyperlinks to the record under CRC 3.2205(b) are strongly encouraged.

Checked against the court's document on Sep 20, 2026CRITICAL

Paper administrative records in CEQA cases must conform to CRC 3.2208.

A record in paper format in a CEQA case must conform to CRC 3.2208.

Checked against the court's document on Sep 21, 2026CRITICAL

Civil cases

Paper documents over 10 pages must be held together by binder clips.

Documents that exceed 10 pages and are submitted in paper form must be held together by binder clips.

Checked against the court's document on Sep 21, 2026CRITICAL

Civil cases

Applies to

Exhibits

Exhibit attachments must be separated by a titled standard-size sheet of paper.

Exhibit attachments to pleadings must be separated by a standard size sheet of paper with a title identifying the sequence of the exhibit.

Checked against the court's document on Sep 21, 2026CRITICAL

Civil cases

Tabs are prohibited on any documents submitted for filing.

Do not include tabs with any documents submitted for filing.

Checked against the court's document on Sep 21, 2026CRITICAL

Civil cases

Format

PDF

Proposed orders after a hearing must be lodged electronically in PDF attached to EFS-020, and the signature page must contain text.

If instructed to prepare an order after a hearing, the proposed order must be lodged with the court electronically in PDF format attached to Judicial Council Form EFS-020, and the judge’s signature and date lines must not be on a page by themselves; the signature page must contain some text of the order.

Checked against the court's document on Sep 21, 2026CRITICAL

Applies to

Exhibit attachments

Exhibit attachments to pleadings must be separated by a standard size sheet of paper with a title identifying the sequence of the exhibit.

Exhibit attachments to pleadings must be separated by a standard size sheet of paper with a title identifying the sequence of the exhibit.

Checked against the court's document on Sep 21, 2026WARNING

Documents exceeding 10 pages must be submitted held by binder clips or two prong fasteners.

Documents that exceed ten (10) pages must be submitted held by binder clips or two prong fasteners.

Checked against the court's document on Sep 21, 2026WARNING

Exhibit attachments must be separated by titled standard-size sheets of paper, and tabs are prohibited in filed documents.

Exhibit attachments to pleadings must be separated by a standard size sheet of paper with a title identifying the sequence of the exhibit. No tabs may be included in any documents submitted for filing.

Checked against the court's document on Sep 21, 2026WARNING

Criminal cases

Exhibit attachments to pleadings must be separated by a standard-size sheet of paper titled to identify the exhibit sequence.

Exhibit attachments to pleadings must be separated by a standard size sheet of paper with a title identifying the sequence of the exhibit.

Checked against the court's document on Sep 21, 2026WARNING

Criminal cases

Tabs are prohibited in any documents submitted for filing.

Tabs may not be included in any documents submitted for filing.

Checked against the court's document on Sep 21, 2026WARNING

Criminal cases

Proposed orders must include a footer with the order title on every page and a signature page that contains some text, unless it is a Judicial Council form.

Any proposed order submitted to the court for signature must contain a footer with the title of the order on every page, including the signature page, unless it is a Judicial Council form. In addition, the court signature and date lines must not be on a page by themselves; the signature page must contain some text of the order.

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 4, 2026WARNING

Unauthorized recording in court facilities or of proceedings may be treated as a violation and referred for prosecution, except for the limited court-record-copying purpose.

Except for the limited purpose permitted under California Government Code section 68150 to copy court records, taking photographs, video recordings, or audio recordings in any courtroom, courthouse facility, courthouse entrance or exit, regardless of whether the photograph, video recording or audio recording is taken from inside or outside the courthouse, or of a court proceeding over any audio or video platform without proper Order of the Court may be considered a violation of various statutes and rules and may be referred for prosecution. (See Penal Code §632.)

Checked against the court's document on Sep 21, 2026WARNING

Applies to

Documents submitted for filing

No tabs should be included in any documents submitted for filing.

No tabs should be included in any documents submitted for filing.

Checked against the court's document on Sep 21, 2026WARNING

Audio or video files for screener review must be provided on a USB or flash drive and comply with FM-1080 requirements.

If the parties wish to have a screener review audio or video files, the files must be provided on a USB or flash drive and they must comply with all the requirements detailed in FM-1080 "Emergency Screening General Information."

Checked against the court's document on Sep 21, 2026WARNING

Electronic media files submitted to an evaluator or screener must be appropriate, relevant, and no more than 10 minutes long.

All electronic media files, such as audio and video files should be appropriate and relevant. Electronic media must not be more than 10 minutes long.

Checked against the court's document on Sep 20, 2026WARNING

Paper documents over 10 pages must be held with binder clips, exhibit attachments must be separated by titled sheets identifying the exhibit sequence, and tabs are prohibited.

Documents that exceed 10 pages and are submitted in paper form must be held together by binder clips. Exhibit attachments to pleadings must be separated by a standard size sheet of paper with a title identifying the sequence of the exhibit. Do not include tabs with any documents submitted for filing.

Checked against the court's document on Sep 20, 2026WARNING

All motion papers filed in support of or opposition to a motion must comply with Rule 7.

All papers filed in support of or in opposition to a motion must comply with Rule 7.

Checked against the court's document on Sep 20, 2026WARNING

Paper documents must be bound with binder clips.

Documents submitted in paper form must be held by binder clips.

Checked against the court's document on Sep 20, 2026WARNING

Exhibit attachments must be separated by a standard-size labeled divider sheet.

Exhibit attachments to pleadings must be separated by a standard size sheet of paper with a title identifying the sequence of the exhibit.

Checked against the court's document on Sep 20, 2026WARNING

Tabs are prohibited in filed documents.

Tabs may not be included in any documents submitted for filing.

Checked against the court's document on Sep 20, 2026WARNING

Proposed orders must include a footer with the title of the order on every page, including the signature page, unless they are Judicial Council forms.

Any proposed order submitted to the court for signature must contain a footer with the title of the order on every page, including the signature page, unless it is a Judicial Council form.

Checked against the court's document on Sep 20, 2026WARNING

Exhibit attachments must be separated by a standard-size titled sheet identifying sequence, and no tabs may be included in filings.

Exhibit attachments to pleadings must be separated by a standard size sheet of paper with a title identifying the sequence of the exhibit. No tabs should be included in any documents submitted for filing.

Checked against the court's document on Sep 20, 2026WARNING

Audio/video files for emergency screening must be on USB/flash drive and comply with FM-1080.

If the parties wish to have a screener review audio or video files, the files must be provided on a USB or flash drive and they must comply with all the requirements detailed in FM-1080 “Emergency Screening General Information.”

Checked against the court's document on Sep 20, 2026WARNING

Documents over ten pages must be submitted held by binder clips or two prong fasteners.

Documents that exceed ten (10) pages must be submitted held by binder clips or two prong fasteners.

Checked against the court's document on Sep 20, 2026WARNING

Exhibit attachments must be separated by titled standard-size sheets, and tabs are prohibited in all filings.

Exhibit attachments to pleadings must be separated by a standard size sheet of paper with a title identifying the sequence of the exhibit. No tabs may be included in any documents submitted for filing.

Checked against the court's document on Sep 20, 2026WARNING

The court signature and date lines must not appear alone on a page; the signature page must contain some text of the order.

In addition, the court signature and date lines must not be on a page by themselves; the signature page must contain some text of the order.

Checked against the court's document on Sep 20, 2026WARNING

Exhibit attachments to e-filed pleadings must be separated by a single page with a title identifying the exhibit's sequence.

Exhibit attachments to pleadings filed electronically must be separated by a single page with a title identifying the sequence of the exhibit.

Checked against the court's document on Sep 20, 2026WARNING

Paper pleadings or documents (except trial exhibits) must not be stapled but held together by binder clips or two-prong fasteners.

Any pleadings or documents (except for trial exhibits) that are submitted to the Clerk in paper format must not be stapled, but instead must be held together by binder clips or two-prong fasteners.

Checked against the court's document on Sep 20, 2026WARNING

Format

DOCX

Submissions must be in editable word-processing format (preferably MS Word, not PDF) and sent to the Court by electronic mail to an address on the Court's website.

editable word-processing format (preferably in MS Word format, and not PDF or PDF converted to a word format) shall be submitted to the Court by electronic mail using an address identified on the Court's website.

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Sep 20, 2026WARNING

Format

PDF

Electronically filed documents should be in .pdf format converted from the native word processing format, not optical scan; if scanning is necessary, OCR is recommended.

Electronically filed documents should be in .pdf format converted electronically from the native word processing format, rather than by optical scan of a print version. If the electronic filer has no alternative to an optical scan, optical character recognition or other text recognition is recommended.

Checked against the court's document on Sep 20, 2026WARNING

Electronic administrative records in CEQA cases must conform to CRC 3.2207, including electronic bookmarks with volume/page numbers and full-text searching capability.

Electronic administrative records digitally lodged in a CEQA case must conform to CRC 3.2207, including the requirement for electronic bookmarks that identify each part of the record and clearly state the volume and page numbers contained in each part of the record, and the electronic version of the record must be capable of full-text searching.

Checked against the court's document on Sep 20, 2026WARNING

A paper-format administrative record in a CEQA case must conform to CRC 3.2208.

A record in paper format in a CEQA case must conform to CRC 3.2208.

Checked against the court's document on Sep 20, 2026INFO

Format

PDF

Electronically filed documents should be PDFs converted from native word processing, not optical scans; OCR is recommended if scanning is unavoidable.

Electronically filed documents should be in .pdf format converted electronically from the native word processing format, rather than by optical scan of a print version. If the electronic filer has no alternative to an optical scan, optical character recognition or other text recognition is recommended.

Checked against the court's document on Sep 20, 2026INFO

Non-CEQA administrative records should conform to CRC 3.2207 (electronic) or CRC 2.2208 (paper) to the extent feasible.

If the administrative record in a non-CEQA mandate case is electronically lodged, it should also conform to the requirements of CRC 3.2207 to the extent feasible, and if lodged in paper form, it should conform to the requirements of CRC 2.2208 to the extent feasible.

The quote is in the court's document. The summary is not checked yet.CRITICAL?

Civil cases

In these instances “letter briefs” are not acceptable, but briefs on court pleading paper not exceeding 6 pages may be submitted.

Summary: Letter briefs are not acceptable; briefs submitted for informal Court conferences must be on court pleading paper.

The quote is in the court's document. The summary is not checked yet.CRITICAL?

Civil cases

Format

DOCX ?

Submit proposed instructions in Word format. When reasonably possible, mark up the official version rather than retyping so the changes are apparent to the Court and other counsel.

Summary: Proposed jury instructions must be submitted in Word format and, when reasonably possible, should mark up the official version rather than being retyped.

The quote is in the court's document. The summary is not checked yet.CRITICAL?

Civil cases

Exhibits will be marked by the Courtroom Clerk, as they are identified, in chronological order. Exhibits shall not be pre-marked by counsel.

Summary: The Courtroom Clerk marks exhibits in chronological order as they are identified, and counsel must not pre-mark exhibits.

The quote is in the court's document. The summary is not checked yet.WARNING?

Civil cases

(Exhibits should not be attached to the brief unless absolutely necessary.)

Summary: Exhibits should not be attached to briefs submitted for informal Court conferences unless absolutely necessary.

The quote is in the court's document. The summary is not checked yet.WARNING?

Civil cases

(Exhibits should not be attached to the IDC unless absolutely necessary.)

Summary: Exhibits should not be attached to the Informal Discovery Conference brief unless absolutely necessary.

The quote is in the court's document. The summary is not checked yet.WARNING?

Civil cases

Witnesses should be listed last name first. Titles (e.g. Dr., Officer) should be placed after the comma following the last name. This is so that lists can be sorted correctly.

Summary: Witness lists must list witnesses last name first, with titles (e.g., Dr., Officer) placed after the comma following the last name so the lists sort correctly.

The quote is in the court's document. The summary is not checked yet.WARNING?

Civil cases

The Court may send multiple "clean" sets of instructions provided by counsel into the jury room. "Clean" means just the text of the instruction, as corrected. Plaintiff has the primary, but not exclusive, responsibility to provide the "clean" sets, in binders.

Summary: Counsel—primarily plaintiff, though not exclusively—must provide 'clean' sets of jury instructions (containing only the text of the instruction as corrected) in binders for possible use by the jury.

The quote is in the court's document. The summary is not checked yet.WARNING?

Civil cases

Enlargements and transparencies normally will not be admitted into evidence. Any large exhibit or transparency should be accompanied by an 8½ x 11 version to which the exhibit tag is attached. Models, etc. should be photographed if proposed as exhibits. Be sure to discuss evidentiary issues of this nature with opposing counsel.

Summary: Large exhibits and transparencies normally are not admitted and must be accompanied by an 8½ x 11 tagged version, models should be photographed if proposed as exhibits, and counsel should discuss these evidentiary issues with opposing counsel.

We could not find this wording in the court's document. Open the source before relying on it.CRITICAL?

Consistent with case law, California law, California Rules of Court, rule 1.150 and Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara General Court and Administration Rules, rule 2, unless permitted upon proper Order of the Court and except for the limited purpose permitted under California Government Code section 68150 to copy court records, no photographs, video recordings or audio recordings may be taken with any device capable of photographing, recording or broadcasting (1) in any courtroom, courthouse facility, and courthouse entrance or exit, regardless of whether the photograph, video recording or audio recording is taken from inside or outside the courthouse; or (2) of court proceedings over any audio or video platform.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.WARNING?

Criminal cases

Documents submitted in paper form must be held by binder clips.

Summary: Paper documents must be held together by binder clips.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.WARNING?

Civil cases

Applies to

Probate order ?

In addition, the court signature and date lines must not be on a page by themselves; the signature page must contain some text of the order.

Summary: The court signature and date lines must not stand on a page alone; the signature page must contain some text of the order.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.WARNING?

Each page of all such attachments must be numbered sequentially.

Summary: Every page of the courtesy-copy attachments must be numbered sequentially.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.WARNING?

Motions to release documents in response to a subpoena duces tecum, Penal Code section 1538.5 motions, and other motions necessary to be heard before or with the preliminary hearing must comply with Rule 7 and be set on the same day as the preliminary hearing.

Summary: Subpoena duces tecum, PC 1538.5, and other motions that must be heard before or with the preliminary hearing must comply with Rule 7.