Local Rule 5-4: Drop Box Filings
N.D. Cal. — Civil rule
5-4. Drop Box Filings
(a) Documents Which May Be Filed. Most documents that are required or permitted to be manually filed may be deposited in a Clerk's Office drop box, subject to the following: (1) Any papers in support of or in opposition to a matter scheduled for hearing within 7 days of filing may not be filed through use of a drop box; (2) Initial pleadings or other case-initiating documents that are required or permitted to be manually filed may be deposited for filing in a drop box at any courthouse of the district — and any applicable filing fee must be included, with payment only in the form of a check; (3) Except for documents covered by (a)(1) above, a document required or permitted to be filed manually may be filed by deposit in a drop box at any courthouse of the district.
(b) Drop Box Locations and Availability. The Court will maintain drop boxes at each division of the Clerk's Office. The Clerk will regulate the hours during which materials may be filed through use of a drop box.
Commentary The locations and availability of drop boxes are available on the Court's website.
(c) Filing Date of Drop Box Documents. Before a document is deposited in a drop box for filing, the back side of the last page of the document must be stamped "Received" using the device available at the drop box. (1) The document will be marked by the Clerk as "Filed" on the same date indicated by the "Received" stamp, except when the "Received" date is a weekend or Court holiday, in which case it will be marked as "Filed" on the first day following the weekend or Court holiday. (2) Where the back side of the last page of the document has not been stamped "Received" with the device available at the drop box, the Clerk will mark the document as "Filed" on the day the Clerk emptied the drop box of the document.
Commentary Questions regarding availability and use of the drop box should be directed to the Clerk. The Clerk's Office policy is to empty and lock the drop box at the beginning of each day when the Clerk's Office opens. When the Clerk's Office closes, the drop box is reopened so that it may be used again for filing.