Current through July 1, 2026 · Last verified July 13, 2026
In one sentenceTrial Rule 88 limits the reasons a clerk can reject an e-filed document to an unpaid fee, the wrong case management system, or the filer’s own request, and gives filers three business days to fix any other non-conforming filing without losing their original filing date.
(1)The clerk may reject an e-filed document only when:
(a)the User did not pay the applicable filing fee;
(b)the User selected an incorrect CMS; or
(c)the User requested rejection.
(2)If an e-filed document cannot be electronically processed, the clerk shall return it to the User for correction through the IEFS. The User may cure the defect within three (3) business days of return as set out in the notice of return.
(3)In all other cases where an e-filed document does not conform to the IEFS or other applic- able rules, the clerk shall process the e-filed document and shall return it to the User through the IEFS for correction.
(1)If a court determines that an e-filed document is non-conforming it shall issue an appro- priate order allowing a User to cure the non-conforming document within three (3) business days.
(2)In the event a User submits a cured document within three (3) business days, the doc- ument is deemed filed as of the original filing date.
Amendment History
This rule’s current text took effect January 1, 2021. For the full history of earlier amendments and adoption orders, see the Indiana Office of Court Services.
Plain-English Summary
Trial Rule 88 keeps clerks from turning away e-filed documents for minor problems. Section A limits outright rejection to three situations: the filer didn’t pay the required fee, the filer picked the wrong case management system, or the filer asked to have the document rejected. If a document can’t be processed electronically for some other reason, the clerk sends it back to the User through the IEFS for correction, and if it doesn’t conform to the e-filing rules in some other way, the clerk still processes it, but returns it for the User to fix.
Section B gives the same kind of protection when a court, rather than the clerk, spots a problem with a filing. If a judicial officer decides an e-filed document doesn’t conform to the rules, the court issues an order letting the User cure the defect within three business days. As long as the User submits the corrected document within that window, it’s treated as filed on the original filing date, not the date the correction went in.
Frequently Asked Questions
On what grounds can an Indiana court clerk reject my e-filed document?
Only three: you didn’t pay the required filing fee, you selected the wrong case management system, or you asked the clerk to reject it.
What happens if my e-filed document has some other problem that isn’t one of those three reasons?
The clerk still processes it but returns it to you through the IEFS so you can fix the defect.
How long do I have to fix a document the clerk or court says doesn’t conform to the rules?
Three business days, whether the clerk returned it for correction or the court entered an order allowing you to cure it.
If I fix a defective filing in time, does it still count as filed on my original date?
Yes. As long as you submit the corrected document within three business days, it’s deemed filed as of the original filing date.
What if a judge, not the clerk, finds a problem with something I e-filed?
The court issues an order allowing you to cure the non-conforming document within three business days, the same cure period the clerk uses.
Can the clerk reject my filing just because it’s formatted incorrectly?
Not outright. Formatting and other non-conformities that aren’t one of the three rejection grounds still get processed by the clerk, who returns the document through the IEFS for you to correct.
Source & verification. The rule text is reproduced verbatim from the
official Indiana Rules of Trial Procedure (T.R. 88). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of Indiana, under its inherent constitutional rulemaking power (reaffirmed by Ind. Code 34-8-1-1 and 34-8-2-1); originally enacted by the Indiana General Assembly in 1969. The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 13, 2026. ·
Official source
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