(a) Documents that may be submitted electronically Any paper listed in rule 3.511(a) may be submitted electronically to [email protected]. (Subd (a) amended effective January 1, 2008; previously amended effective January 1, 2007.)
Rule 3.512.Electronic submission of documents to the Chair of the Judicial Council
Division 4. Parties and Actions · Chapter 7. Coordination of Complex Actions · Article 2. Procedural Rules Applicable to All Complex Coordination Proceedings · Last amended 2008 · Last verified July 29, 2026
In one sentenceRule 3.512 lets a party submit any rule 3.511 paper to the Judicial Council electronically instead of by mail, sets the sender's obligations around secure files and current contact addresses, imposes format requirements, and explains how a document that normally needs a signature under penalty of perjury is treated when submitted electronically.
Full Text of Rule 3.512
(b) Responsibilities of party submitting documents electronically A party submitting a document electronically must:
(1) Take all reasonable steps to ensure that the submission does not contain computer code, including viruses, that might be harmful to the Judicial Council’s electronic system and to other users of that system; and
(2) Furnish one or more electronic notification addresses and immediately provide any change to his or her electronic notification addresses.
(c) Format of documents to be submitted electronically A document that is submitted electronically must meet the following requirements:
(1) The software for creating and reading the document must be in the public domain or generally available at a reasonable cost; and
(2) The printing of documents must not result in the loss of document text, format, or appearance.
(d) Signature on documents under penalty of perjury
(1) When a document to be submitted electronically requires a signature under penalty of perjury, the document is deemed signed by the declarant if, before submission, the declarant has signed a printed form of the document.
(2) By electronically submitting the document, the party submitting it indicates that he or she has complied with subdivision (d)(1) of this rule and that the original, signed document is available for review and copying at the request of the court or any party.
(3) At any time after the document is submitted, any other party may serve a demand for production of the original signed document. The demand must be served on all other parties but need not be filed with the court.
(4) Within five days of service of the demand, the party on whom the demand is made must make the original signed document available for review and copying by all other parties.
(e) Signature on documents not under penalty of perjury If a document does not require a signature under penalty of perjury, the document is deemed signed by the party if the document is submitted electronically.
(f) Digital signature A party is not required to use a digital signature on an electronically submitted document.
Plain-English Summary
Subdivision (a) authorizes electronic submission of any paper listed in rule 3.511 to [email protected]. Subdivisions (b) and (c) set the ground rules for using that channel: the submitting party must take reasonable steps to keep the submission free of harmful computer code, must furnish an electronic notification address and update it whenever it changes, and must use software that is in the public domain or generally available at reasonable cost, in a form that does not lose text, format, or appearance when the document is printed.
Subdivisions (d) and (e) solve the signature problem that electronic filing creates. A document that must be signed under penalty of perjury is deemed signed once the declarant has signed a printed version before submission; by submitting it electronically, the party represents that this happened and that the signed original is available for review and copying, and any other party may demand production of that original, which must be made available within five days of the demand. A document that does not require a penalty-of-perjury signature is deemed signed merely by being submitted electronically. Subdivision (f) adds that no party is required to use a digital signature on an electronically submitted document.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are documents submitted for electronic filing under this rule?
What happens to a document that needs a signature under penalty of perjury when it is submitted electronically?
It is deemed signed if the declarant signed a printed version before submission; the signed original must be available for review and copying and produced within five days of any demand.
Is a digital signature required to submit a document electronically?
No. A party is not required to use a digital signature on an electronically submitted document.
What format must an electronically submitted document meet?
The software used to create and read it must be in the public domain or generally available at reasonable cost, and printing the document must not lose its text, format, or appearance.
Amendment History
Rule 3.512 amended effective January 1, 2008; adopted as rule 1511.5 effective July 1, 2005; previously amended and renumbered effective January 1, 2007.
Source & verification. Rule text is reproduced verbatim from
the Judicial Council of California. Adopted by the Judicial Council of California.
Last verified July 29, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: email documents judicial council coordination californiacal rule of court 3.512 electronic submissioncoordination email filing requirements californiasignature under penalty of perjury electronic filing