Frequently Asked Questions

Montana Supreme Court 
Office of the Court Administrator 
Montana Courts Electronic Filing 
 
FAQ  April 2024  i 
Frequently Asked Questions 
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Table of Contents 
Registration ................................................................................................................................................... 1 
Instead of creating my own account, can I login with someone else’s account? ................................. 1 
Which role should I register with? ........................................................................................................ 1 
Attorneys – Why does it say my name does not match the bar record? ............................................. 1 
Why do I get a message saying I am pending user approval? .............................................................. 1 
I never received a verification email? ................................................................................................... 1 
Authorized Staff – After I register I do not have an option to create filings. ....................................... 2 
Login .............................................................................................................................................................. 2 
My username and password do not work. ........................................................................................... 2 
Account Management .................................................................................................................................. 2 
Account Information ................................................................................................................................. 2 
How can I change my account information? ........................................................................................ 2 
Emails, Notifications and Receiving Notice of Service .............................................................................. 2 
How can my support staff receive eService notification emails? ......................................................... 2 
Managing Support Staff ............................................................................................................................ 2 
Attorneys, Judges, Clerks and Case Participants – How do I manage who works on my behalf? ........ 2 
Authorized Staff – I don’t have any options to file? ............................................................................. 2 
How do I change who I am working on behalf of? ............................................................................... 3 
Homepage ................................................................................................................................................. 3 
Can I change what I see on my homepage?.......................................................................................... 3 
Case Search/View.......................................................................................................................................... 3 
Case Search ............................................................................................................................................... 3 
I cannot find the case I am looking for? ................................................................................................ 3 
Case View .................................................................................................................................................. 4 
I click on the documents, but they don’t show up? .............................................................................. 4 
Create a Filing ............................................................................................................................................... 4 
Create Filing page ..................................................................................................................................... 4 
Can I file on a case if I do not know the case number? ........................................................................ 4 
I cannot find a filing type or subtype to match my document? ........................................................... 4 

   
FAQ  April 2024  ii 
I cannot fill in a Filing Type or Filing Subtype, or move past the Create Filing page? .......................... 4 
Can I file on a case if I am not listed as a party or attorney on the case? ............................................ 4 
Filing Information page ............................................................................................................................. 5 
What if I am not filing on behalf of any of the parties on the case? .................................................... 5 
Attorneys (New Case) – Party Information page ...................................................................................... 5 
What if I do not know some of the mandatory information about the party ...................................... 5 
Upload Documents page ........................................................................................................................... 5 
How can I electronically sign a document? ........................................................................................... 5 
Is there a limit to the size of document I can upload?.......................................................................... 5 
How do I seal or make a document confidential? ................................................................................ 5 
What if I do not want to eServe a document? ...................................................................................... 5 
Service Information page .......................................................................................................................... 5 
Do I need to create my own COS? ........................................................................................................ 5 
Do I need to manually serve someone if their service method is eService? ........................................ 6 
Do I need to manually serve someone if their service method is Email? ............................................. 6 
Someone I need to serve is missing from the Service Information page? ........................................... 6 
Can I add someone to the COS who is not listed on this page? ........................................................... 6 
Time and Effect of E-Filed Submissions ........................................................................................................ 6 
When will my submitted document be file stamped? .......................................................................... 6 
What if I miss a deadline because my filing was rejected?................................................................... 7 
What if I miss a deadline because my filing errored? ........................................................................... 7 
Submitted, Rejected and Error Filings .......................................................................................................... 7 
My filing was rejected; how can I make changes and resubmit it? ...................................................... 7 
What should I do if my filing errors?..................................................................................................... 7 
I resubmitted my rejected/errored filing, but it is still in the Rejected/Error Queue? ......................... 8 
Receiving Notice of Service ........................................................................................................................... 8 
Why did I not receive Notice of Service? .............................................................................................. 8 
Contact Information ...................................................................................................................................... 8 
How do I contact the E-Filing staff? ...................................................................................................... 8 

FAQ April 2024 1

Registration

Instead of creating my own account, can I login with someone else’s account?

No. The Temporary E-Filing Rules state, in part:

RULE (10)(A)1. A REGISTERED USER’S LOG-IN AND PASSWORD SERVE AS THE USER’S SIGNATURE ON ALL

DOCUMENTS ELECTRONICALLY FILED WITH THE COURT.

RULE (10)(A)3. A REGISTERED USER SHALL NOT KNOWINGLY PERMIT OR CAUSE THE USER’S PASSWORD TO BE USED

BY ANYONE ELSE.

Which role should I register with?

• County attorneys and any attorney initiating Criminal (DC), Juvenile (DJ), Abuse and Neglect

(DN), Involuntary Commitment (DI) or Developmental Disability (DD) cases in district courts or

Criminal (CR) cases in limited jurisdiction courts should register with the role “Govt Attorney.”

• Public defenders, private attorneys and Pro Hac Vice attorneys should register with the role

“Attorney.” Use the bar ID given to you by the Montana Bar.

• Paralegals, judicial assistants and clerks of limited jurisdiction courts should register with the

role “Authorized Staff.”

• District and limited court judges require preregistration and should contact E-Filing staff to

• Members of reporting agencies such as CASA, Adult Probation & Parole and Sherriff’s Office

should generally register with the role “Case Participant.” If you are an active attorney for that

agency, register with the role “Attorney.”

Attorneys – Why does it say my name does not match the bar record?

If you are registering as an attorney or government attorney, the name you put into the user

information fields must match exactly what is recorded with the Montana Bar Association. Pay special

attention to punctuation and special characters. For example, if your name is registered as “E-File A.

Attorney” the name fields must read:

• Last Name: Attorney

• First Name: E-File

• Middle Name: A.

Once you are registered you can change the way your name appears in E-Filing. Your name only needs

to match the Bar record during the registration process.

Why do I get a message saying I am pending user approval?

This is a good thing. Check the email inbox of the email address you used to register for the E-Filing

system. You will receive an email from noreplym[email protected] after submitting the registration

form. The email will say “Please click here to confirm this as your primary e-mail.” By clicking “here” you

will finalize the registration process.

I never received a verification email?

If you never received an email to finalize your account, log into the E-Filing system. Click on your name

in the top right corner of the screen, then click “My Account.”

• Check that the Primary E-Mail is correct. Edit and save it, if needed.

• At the bottom of the User Information page Click “Re-send Verification email.”

FAQ April 2024 2

Authorized Staff – After I register I do not have an option to create filings.

If there is no menu in the top left corner of the page, you are not designated to work on behalf of a

primary user. Before you have access to file on a case, you need to be working on behalf of a judge,

attorney, or case participant. For more information, please see the section about managing support

staff.

My username and password do not work.

• If logging into the E-Filing system with a state employee C#

o Use the same credentials you use to log in to the state network.

o If your password is expired, contact your agency’s IT office to reset your password.

• If you are logging into the E-Filing system with Okta

o Login with the Okta account (e-mail address) that is associated with your e-filing

account.

o If you forgot your credentials, click “Need help singing in?” then follow the instructions

to recover the login credentials.

o If you are still having problems, please contact SITSD at 406-444-2000.

• Try using a different internet browser or clearing your internet browser cache.

Account Management

Account Information

How can I change my account information?

Administration page, change the information, then click Save. If you need to change your role, please

contact E-Filing staff.

Emails, Notifications and Receiving Notice of Service

How can my support staff receive eService notification emails?

Both the primary and secondary emails in the attorney’s account will receive service. If you want a

specific person or group email box to receive service, add that email address as your secondary email.

Listing the paralegal as support staff alone will not ensure that the paralegal receives eService

notifications.

Managing Support Staff

Attorneys, Judges, Clerks and Case Participants – How do I manage who works on my

behalf?

At the User Administration page, under Authorized Support Staff, click “Add Support Staff.” Type in the

name of the person you want to add. Using only one or two fields tends to yield the best results. Using

too many fields can make the search fail. Click <Search>. Click on the name of the person you want to

add, then click <Save>.

Authorized Staff – I don’t have any options to file?

on behalf of add you as support staff in their account settings.

FAQ April 2024 3

The responsibility of linking accounts rests on the principal user (attorney or judge). As an authorized

staff, you need the principal user to log into their account and add you as authorized staff.

How do I change who I am working on behalf of?

If you work on behalf of multiple people you can change who you are working on behalf of. Click your

name in the top right corner to display the dropdown menu, click on Switch User, then select the name

of the person you want to work on behalf of.

The person you are working on behalf of is shown in gray below your name.

If you submit a filing on behalf of the wrong attorney, the Certificate of Service will say that you have

submitted the filing on behalf of that incorrect attorney.

Homepage

Can I change what I see on my homepage?

Yes. On the home page in the top right corner underneath your name is a cogwheel icon . Click on

the cogwheel, select which widgets you want to see, then click <Save>. Once you have selected your

widgets you can rearrange them by clicking the header of the widget and dragging it to a new spot.

Case Search/View

Case Search

I cannot find the case I am looking for?

• The E-Filing system is not a public access system. To view a case, you must either be counsel of

record on the case, or court staff.

• Check that you have selected the correct court.

• If you are searching for a closed case, make sure the checkbox “Exclude Closed” is unmarked (it

is marked by default).

• If you are support staff, make sure you are working on behalf of an attorney on the case.

• Attorneys: The clerk’s office must have your bar number saved to your attorney record in order

for you to have case access in e-filing. When filing at a new court, provide the clerks with your

bar number.

• If you are a judge looking for another judge’s case, remove your name from the Assigned Judge

field.

• When you search, too many variables increase the chances of making a mistake or restricting

the search too much. Try using only the Case Number or Last Name fields.

• For the Case number field:

o In the Montana Supreme Court, enter the entire case number (e.g. DA 17-0001).

o In a trial court, only enter the number to the right of the final hyphen. For example, for

case DC-32-2017-1 only enter “1” in the Case Number field.

• For County Attorneys on DN, DD, or DI cases:

o If you are the attorney for the State on one of these three case types, but do not have

access to the case, there is a data change that needs to be made to the case by the

clerk’s office.

o Clerks – The attorney’s record must have the designation “prosecutor” and have a bar

number.

FAQ April 2024 4

Case View

I click on the documents, but they don’t show up?

Check that your Internet browser is set to allow pop-ups. It is common for iPad and iPhone users to

need to change their popup settings to view documents.

Chrome may provide more consistent access than Firefox or Safari.

There may be old (10-plus years old) Minute Entry documents that are not able to be viewed on certain

mobile devices.

Create a Filing

Create Filing page

Can I file on a case if I do not know the case number?

If you do not know the case number for the case you want to file on, you can use Case Search to find the

case.

• If the case is open, click on the case. On the left side of the screen in the case information box,

click the <Create E-Filing> button to start a filing on the case.

• If the case is closed, record the full case number of the case, then click on Create Filing from the

upper left-hand menu and fill in the case number.

• Court Reporters and Case Participants will need to know the case number since they will not be

able to perform a search within the E-Filing system.

I cannot find a filing type or subtype to match my document?

The filing type and subtype do not need to match the document exactly. Select the filing type and

subtype that most closely represents your filing.

I cannot fill in a Filing Type or Filing Subtype, or move past the Create Filing page?

On the Create Filing page, the E-Filing system checks to make sure that you have provided a valid case

number. Any time you file on an existing case, the E-Filing system verifies that the specified case exists

in the database. If the case does not exist, or the case number format is incorrect, a red box will appear

around the Case Number box.

• Check that the correct court is selected in the court dropdown menu.

• Insert the full case number in the Case Number field.

o Montana Supreme Court – The format will look like DA 17-0001.

o Trial courts – The format will look like DC-32-2017-1. In this example, the “32”

represents the specific court identifier for Missoula County District Court. Each court

has its own unique identifier. You can learn a court’s identifier by using Case Search.

The court identifier is the number immediately following the first hyphen.

• If none of the above work and you are still experiencing problems, contact the clerk’s office and

report the issue.

o Clerks – Check that all the attorneys on the case have accurate bar numbers.

Can I file on a case if I am not listed as a party or attorney on the case?

Yes, you can file on the case if you know the case number, but you will not be able to view the case if

you are not a party or representing a party on the case. Users registered with the role “Case

Participant” will always fall under this category.

FAQ April 2024 5

Filing Information page

What if I am not filing on behalf of any of the parties on the case?

You can select any or all parties, but you must select at least one.

Attorneys (New Case) – Party Information page

What if I do not know some of the mandatory information about the party

All mandatory information fields are denoted by a red asterisk. If you do not know this information you

can enter “unknown” in the information field.

Upload Documents page

How can I electronically sign a document?

The TEFR specifies signature requirements for e-filed documents, including multiple signatures on a

single document.

In part, TEFR (10)(a)2 states:

EXCEPT AS PROVIDED BY (10)(B), WHERE A HAND SIGNATURE WOULD OTHERWISE APPEAR, EACH DOCUMENT

FILED ELECTRONICALLY BY A REGISTERED USER SHALL BE SIGNED IN THE FORMAT “/S/ SIGNER’S NAME” OR WITH A

HANDWRITTEN SIGNATURE.

Is there a limit to the size of document I can upload?

Yes, the upper limit is approximately 20 MB. For documents larger than 20 MB, separate the document

into two or more files. Attach the remaining parts as additional lead documents using the same filing

type and filing subtype.

How do I seal or make a document confidential?

At the Upload Document page, click Request Confidential, then in the dropdown menu select the reason

the document should be confidential. This will alert the clerk that a request has been made to make the

document confidential.

Note: Attorneys have technical access to see all documents on cases on which they’re attorney of

record, including sealed documents.

What if I do not want to eServe a document?

For documents you do not want served, such as a writ of attachment, click Exclude from eService to

prevent the E-Filing system from sending eService to anyone.

If you click Exclude from eService on the first lead document no eService will be sent for the entire

submission. If you do not click Exclude from eService on the first lead document, but click Exclude from

eService on an additional document, only that specific document will be excluded from eService.

Exclude from eService does not allow you to select specific parties to be excluded from service. There

may be options on the Service Information page to allow this.

Service Information page

Do I need to create my own COS?

No, a certificate of service will automatically be created from the information on the Service Information

screen as long as you are serving at least one person. It will be attached as a separate page(s) at the end

of your lead document. This requires the information on the service information page to be accurate.

FAQ April 2024 6

Do I need to manually serve someone if their service method is eService?

No, at the time the filing is submitted, the E-Filing system automatically sends notice of service to

anyone whose Service Method is eService.

Do I need to manually serve someone if their service method is Email?

Yes, the E-Filing system does not automatically send email service to anyone who has email listed as

their method of service. The E-Filing system only serves people with eService listed as their method of

service.

Someone I need to serve is missing from the Service Information page?

Official parties from the court’s case management system are displayed on the Service Information

page. This typically excludes victims and others who may be involved with the case but are not official

parties. If you feel the information is incorrect, contact the clerk’s office.

Can I add someone to the COS who is not listed on this page?

Yes, click Add Other Recipient, then fill in the Last Name field and click <Search>. If the person is

registered with the E-Filing system, they will be listed, and you can click on their name to add them as an

eService recipient. If the person or organization is not listed in the menu, click <Add Non E-Filers>. Then

include all relevant information you want displayed on the COS. Click <Add>, and once the person or

organization is listed under Other Recipients select the Service Method you will use to serve them.

Note: do not add any information that should not be listed on the COS, such as a victim’s name or

contact information.

Time and Effect of E-Filed Submissions

When will my submitted document be file stamped?

There are two possible answers, depending on if your submission occurs on a court business day.

If you submit a document on a court business day and the document is not rejected, it will receive a file

stamp of the day it was submitted. You have until 11:59:59 PM (Helena time) to submit your document

to receive that day’s filing date. (TEFR 4(c))

If you submit a document on a day that is not a court business day and the document is not rejected, it

will receive a file stamp of the court’s next business day.

The timing listed above applies without regard to the actual day that the clerk processes your

submission.

Examples of how the file stamp rules work:

• If you submit your documents on a court business day, say Friday at 8:30 PM, and the

submission is accepted and filed the following week, your document(s) will be file stamped with

Friday’s date.

• Assume you are submitting a document on Saturday to a court for which Saturday is not a

business day and the following Monday is a business day. If your submission is accepted and

filed on any day of the following week, your document(s) will be file stamped with Monday’s

date.

FAQ April 2024 7

What if I miss a deadline because my filing was rejected?

You take a risk when submitting a document via E-Filing that the document will be rejected by the clerk.

Upon receiving your submission, the clerk will decide whether to accept it or reject it. Clerks typically

follow local rules for rejection reasons, which may include lack of signature, wrong case numbers or

other basic errors. If you are filing during court business hours and your filing is rejected, you may be

able to quickly correct the error and resubmit.

TEFR 13(a)2 states in part:

PARTIES ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR TIMELY FILING OF ELECTRONIC DOCUMENTS TO THE SAME EXTENT AS WITH THE

FILING OF PAPER DOCUMENTS, WITH THE SAME CONSEQUENCES FOR MISSED DEADLINES. THE CALCULATION OF

TIME UNDER OTHER STATUTES AND RULES IS NEITHER EXPANDED NOR CONTRACTED BY THIS SECTION.

What if I miss a deadline because my filing errored?

Infrequently, there will be a system fault that causes your submission to error. You should receive

notice of this error within a few minutes of the error situation. An entry will appear in your Error Filing

queue (and in the error filings widget if you have it displayed and, in the notifications, and email,

depending on your notifications settings). At that time, be certain to keep a copy of original submission

notification so that you have proof of the submission time. Contact the court clerk for resolution.

TEFR 13(a)1 states in part:

IF THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY THE COURT’S ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM, THE COURT SHALL GRANT APPROPRIATE

RELIEF UPON SATISFACTORY PROOF OF THE CAUSE.

Submitted, Rejected and Error Filings

My filing was rejected; how can I make changes and resubmit it?

In the main menu hover your mouse over Filings, then click <Rejected> to open your Rejected Filing

Queue. Click on the arrow in the resubmit column (near the right side of the window). When asked if

you want to create a draft, click <OK>. The Filing Summary page is displayed and you have the option to

click <Edit Filing> or <Add To Cart>. Click <Edit Filing> and make the necessary changes before adding to

the cart and submitting again. For instance, you may need to modify a document and reupload it before

adding it to the cart.

If your filing was rejected because it was filed on the wrong case, you will need to create a brand-new

filing.

If you are a support staff and your filing got rejected because it was submitted on behalf of the wrong

person, you will need to create a brand-new filing.

What should I do if my filing errors?

On rare occasions, the E-Filing system will fail to deliver a submission to the clerk’s office. This usually

indicates some system-wide error that is not due to your own efforts. There are two error messages

you may encounter.

• If the error notification says, “Please resubmit your documents,” check to make sure that your

document is not password protected and resubmit it. If this happens repeatedly, please contact

E-Filing staff to report the problem.

FAQ April 2024 8

• Even less frequently, you may receive an error message that says in part, “Validation/processing

error.” If this occurs, please contact the E-Filing staff immediately.

Note that if an errored filing is time sensitive, you may need to submit your document(s) on paper.

Please retain the submission notifications of any error filing to prove the precise date and time that it

was originally submitted so that the court can grant appropriate relief.

I resubmitted my rejected/errored filing, but it is still in the Rejected/Error Queue?

After resubmitting your rejected or errored filing, it will remain in the rejected or errored queue until

you remove it. To remove a filing, mark the checkbox on the left side of the line corresponding to the

filing, then click <Delete>. If your filing gets rejected or errors again, a new rejected or errored filing will

appear.

Receiving Notice of Service

Why did I not receive Notice of Service?

Notice of Service from counsel is always sent to both the primary and secondary emails listed in the

attorney’s account. If neither of those received an eService email, check that the service email did not

end up in a spam or junk folder. Make sure you have no email filtering rules in place. You may need to

add noreplymtefile@mt.gov to your list of trusted senders. You will also receive a home page

notification of service.

You will continue to receive court orders and other notices from the clerk in the same way you receive

them now.

Your authorized support staff will not automatically receive notice of service through email unless you

have that email address listed as your primary or secondary email address. All support staff will be able

to access the service notifications that are available on the home page. Click here for further

information.

Contact Information

How do I contact the E-Filing staff?

E-Filing staff contact information:

Tech support email: efilingtechsupp[email protected]