Pre-Lapse in Appropriations Notice to Contractors

To All Judiciary Contractors:
The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts is issuing this notice to apprise the Judiciary contractor community of Judiciary-wide plans regarding contract actions that may be necessary if contract funding is affected by a lapse in appropriations, better known as a federal government shutdown.

Unless notified in writing by a contracting officer, all Judiciary contractors must continue to fulfill their contractual obligations to the Judiciary in the event of a government shutdown, i.e., contractors must continue to comply with all terms, conditions, and delivery and performance requirements specified in their contracts during the period covered by a lapse in appropriations.

The Judiciary will not provide a separate notification or communication for contracts that will not be affected by the lapse in appropriations... Read more..

Lapse in Appropriations 10/01/25

The judiciary will continue to fulfill its constitutional responsibilities to the public notwithstanding a lapse in appropriations.  Courthouses will remain open.  Also, the Case Management/Electronic Case Files (CM/ECF) system will be operational for electronic filing of documents.  Most proceedings and deadlines will occur as scheduled.  However, in cases that involve attorneys from Executive Branch agencies who are furloughed, hearing and filing dates may be rescheduled as determined by the court.  The court will post public notices if any services are stopped or delayed.

Electronic Access to Sealed Documents and Service of Sealed Documents

On September 24, 2025, Chief Judge Mazzant entered a general order restricting electronic access to sealed documents beginning September 24, 2025. Sealed documents will continue to be filed in CM/ECF under existing procedures. Because sealed documents filed in CM/ECF will not be accessible or viewable electronically, service cannot be accomplished through CM/ECF. Parties will have to serve sealed documents by other appropriate means as provided by the Federal Rules of Procedure. The court will serve sealed documents in paper form by mail or other appropriate means. Requests for sealed documents filed by parties, made by a party entitled to access, should be made to the filer. Such requests made to the Clerk’s Office can only be processed for the fee set forth in the Judicial Conference’s fee schedule.

For more information and a copy of the general order, visit ... Read more..

PACER MFA Notice

The PACER Service Center (PSC) is currently experiencing long call wait times due to the enforcement of several security features that will enhance the security of PACER accounts, including updated password standards and multifactor authentication (MFA). 

To help mitigate the wait times, enforcement of the updated password standards has been temporarily delayed. In addition, we ask that only users who receive a prompt to enroll in MFA when they log in should do so. If you do not receive an MFA enrollment prompt, no action is necessary. Please do not contact the PSC with questions about MFA until you are required to enroll. This ensures support is available for those who need it.  Some common questions we received are answered on the list of ... Read more..