# CM/ECF file size limit, and how to split a large PDF

Checked against federal judiciary CM/ECF guidance and five federal court websites on November 12, 2026. Updated 2026-11-12. Source page: https://fairfillpdf.com/guides/cm-ecf-file-size-limit/

Each federal court sets its own CM/ECF file size limit, and CM/ECF rejects any PDF over it. On the five court websites we checked in November 2026, the limit runs from 5 MB to 100 MB per file. To file a larger PDF, split it into parts under the limit, filed as a main document and attachments.

## A large PDF in CM/ECF at a glance

| What you see | Cause | What to do |
| --- | --- | --- |
| CM/ECF rejects the upload | The PDF is over the court’s maximum file size | Split the PDF into parts under the limit |
| At the Northern District of Georgia, a PDF under 800 pages is over 30 MB | Likely scanned in color, grayscale or at a high resolution | Scan again with the settings under “Why is a scanned PDF so large?” |
| CM/ECF rejects a password-protected PDF | Encrypted or password-protected PDFs are not accepted | Get a copy without the password |

## What is the CM/ECF file size limit?

There is no single CM/ECF file size limit. The federal judiciary says, in its NextGen CM/ECF guide, that each court determines the maximum file size for a PDF. Limits posted by five federal courts, read on November 12, 2026:

| Court | Limit per PDF |
| --- | --- |
| U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington | 100 MB per document or attachment |
| U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania | 50 MB per file |
| U.S. District Court, Central District of California | 35 MB per file (notice of August 2, 2019) |
| U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia | 30 MB per file |
| U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Florida | 5 MB per file, main documents and attachments |

For your own court, open the Court Information page in CM/ECF and read the Maximum PDF File Size field.

## How to split a large PDF here

FairFill PDF splits a PDF by page, saving the pages you pick as their own PDF.

1. Open the PDF with the button above. You can open PDFs up to 100 MB, and the PDF is never uploaded.
2. Place the $1.99 hold. Nothing is charged until you download, and the hold is released if you don’t download within 24 hours.
3. In the page side bar, press the pick button on each page of the first part.
4. Press Download these, then the Download button in the window that opens. We charge the $1.99 on the first download, and your browser saves those pages as their own PDF.
5. Press Clear, pick the pages of the next part, and press Download these again. You can download the same PDF again free in the same browser for 24 hours.
6. Repeat until every page is in a part, then rename each file as your court directs.
7. Look up each part’s size on your computer. If a part is over your court’s limit, split it again with fewer pages.

You can also open the [extract pages from a PDF](https://fairfillpdf.com/extract-pdf-pages/) tool directly.

## How do you file the parts?

The federal judiciary says an oversized filing can be split into smaller PDFs and filed together in one event, as a main document with separate attachments. The Western District of Washington asks filers to label each part, for example as part 1 and part 2 of an exhibit.

The Central District of California calls the parts sub-volumes, and limits each PDF file to one document or part of one document. The bankruptcy court for the Northern District of Florida suggests attaching each part to the docketing event.

The federal judiciary says district and bankruptcy CM/ECF accepts editable forms, but a court may reject them under its own policy. For a part with a filled court form, see [how to flatten a PDF](https://fairfillpdf.com/guides/how-to-flatten-a-pdf/).

## Why is a scanned PDF so large?

The Northern District of Georgia says a file under 800 pages but over 30 MB was likely scanned in color, in grayscale or at a high resolution.

That court suggests scanning at 300 DPI or less, in black and white, with color only when necessary. The Western District of Washington also requires scanned documents to be 300 dpi and black and white, unless color is integral to the document.

FairFill PDF doesn’t change a scan’s resolution. If a single page is still too large, scan that page again with the settings your court gives.

## Questions about the CM/ECF file size limit

### Is the limit the same for attachments?

Yes, at the courts we checked that address it. The Western District of Washington applies its limit to each document or attachment. The bankruptcy court for the Northern District of Florida applies its cap to main documents and attachments.

### What happens if my PDF is over the limit?

At the bankruptcy court for the Northern District of Florida, an oversized upload times out, and you start the filing event over.

### Can I put several documents in one PDF to save uploads?

Not at every court. The Central District of California says each PDF file must hold no more than one document, or part of one document. Before you merge separate documents, check your court’s rules and see [how to combine PDFs for a court filing](https://fairfillpdf.com/guides/how-to-combine-pdfs-for-court-filing/).

### Does flattening a PDF make it smaller?

It can. The bankruptcy court for the Central District of California says flattening a fillable form may reduce its file size “by up to 90%”. See [how to flatten a PDF](https://fairfillpdf.com/guides/how-to-flatten-a-pdf/).

### Can FairFill PDF make a PDF smaller?

No. FairFill PDF has no tool to compress a PDF or change a scan’s resolution, and the editor doesn’t show a file’s size. It splits a PDF into parts by page.

### Can I split a password-protected PDF here?

No. Password-protected or edit-locked PDFs can’t be opened in FairFill PDF. Ask whoever sent the PDF for a copy without the password or edit lock.

We write general information, not legal advice. For your own situation, ask the agency or a lawyer.

## Sources

1. [PDF-Related Functionality for Public Filers in NextGen CM/ECF Release 1.6, PACER, federal judiciary (June 2021)](https://pacer.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/files/AC-DC-BC-0160ECF-PDF-Functionality_0.pdf), read November 12, 2026
2. [What is the maximum allowable file size for documents filed in CM/ECF?, U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington](https://www.wawd.uscourts.gov/node/581), read November 12, 2026
3. [Is there a size limit for PDF documents filed on CM/ECF?, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania](https://www.paed.uscourts.gov/node/198), read November 12, 2026
4. [Is there a size limit for a PDF file to be attached?, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia](https://www.gand.uscourts.gov/node/207), read November 12, 2026
5. [PDF File Size Limit Increase in CM/ECF, U.S. District Court, Central District of California (August 2, 2019)](https://www.cacd.uscourts.gov/news/pdf-file-size-limit-increase-cmecf), read November 12, 2026
6. [What is the maximum file size for .pdf documents filed in ECF?, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Florida](https://www.flnb.uscourts.gov/node/530), read November 12, 2026
7. [How to Flatten Files, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Central District of California (April 6, 2022)](https://www.cacb.uscourts.gov/sites/cacb/files/documents/HowtoFlattenFiles.pdf), read November 12, 2026