NYSCEF PDF Requirements: PDF/A, Searchable, 200 DPI

The New York State Courts Electronic Filing system (NYSCEF) has a short list of requirements for PDFs, and one of them surprises many filers: documents must conform to PDF/A. According to the official NYSCEF Requirements page (checked in September 2026), a good filing is PDF/A, text-searchable, has 1-inch margins, is scanned at 200 DPI, and is flattened if it has layers. Bad filings are password-protected or encrypted, contain objects such as multimedia or attachments, or have long file names.

Here's how to meet each point, whether you start from a Word document or from paper.

The official list

Good document format

• PDF/A. NYSCEF requires all e-filed documents to conform to PDF/A. It won't accept documents that contain open action tags or JavaScript, and documents that don't meet the specification may not be accepted.
• Text-searchable. PDFs generated from a word processing file must be text-searchable and compatible with the latest Adobe Reader.
• 1-inch margins on all sides (Uniform Rule 202.5(a)). The top margin matters most, because the County Clerk and NYSCEF stamps go there.
• 200 DPI for scanned images. NYSCEF says this keeps pages legible on screen and in print while keeping the file size small.
• Flattened, if the PDF has multiple layers.

Bad document format

• Password-protected or encrypted, which also breaks PDF/A compliance.
• Objects that can't be printed directly: multimedia, 3D models, file attachments, multi-page objects such as spreadsheets or multi-page TIFFs, and commenting or reviewing features such as highlights, annotations, comments and notes.
• Long file names. No specific name is required, but NYSCEF says long names won't upload properly.

NYSCEF also reminds filers that documents submitted through the system, including those marked "secure", are available for public inspection at the courthouse unless a court order seals them. Check what you file for personal information.

Workflow A: a document you wrote

1. Set 1-inch margins in your word processor before you write, so the page count doesn't change later.
2. Export to PDF. Use "Save as PDF" or "Export" in Word, WordPerfect or LibreOffice. Google Docs has it too (File, Download, PDF). Review the result before the next step.
3. Convert to PDF/A. ConvertirDocs doesn't convert to PDF/A yet. The simplest route is to export PDF/A directly from your word processor: in LibreOffice, File, Export as PDF, and tick the PDF/A box; in Word, Save as PDF, Options, and tick "ISO 19005-1 compliant (PDF/A)". For a PDF you didn't create, open it in a program that saves PDF/A (for example LibreOffice Draw, with the same Export as PDF option) and check the result.
4. Give it a short name, such as AffirmationInSupport.pdf.

Workflow B: paper exhibits

1. Scan at 200 DPI. Set your scanner to 200 DPI, the resolution NYSCEF requires. Use black and white or grayscale for text pages to keep files small.
2. Make it searchable. Run the scan through OCR PDF with English selected. It adds an invisible text layer, so the page looks the same but the text can be searched. It runs in your browser, and accuracy depends on how clean the scan is.
3. Remove any protection. If an exhibit you received is a protected PDF and you have the right to use it, Unlock PDF removes the password after you type it. It doesn't crack unknown passwords. Protected files are on NYSCEF's "bad" list.
4. Convert to PDF/A as in step 3 above, then check the result opens normally and the text is still searchable.

Things to remove before converting

• Comments and highlights. Reviewing marks are on the prohibited list. Remove them in the program that created them, or accept the changes and export a clean copy from your word processor.
• Embedded files. A PDF with other files attached inside it isn't acceptable. Attach each exhibit separately in NYSCEF.
• Forms with live fields. If you filled in a PDF form, flatten it so the entries become part of the page. The ConvertirDocs forms tool has a "flatten" option for this.
• Layers. NYSCEF says layered PDFs must be flattened so the examiner sees the complete document.

Order matters: OCR before PDF/A

Do the steps that change the content first, and convert to PDF/A last. OCR adds a text layer, and unlocking changes the file's security. Converting to PDF/A at the end means the file you file is the archival version, with nothing changed afterwards. If you edit a PDF/A file afterwards, convert it again before filing.

Common mistakes

• Treating "searchable" as optional for scans. OCR your exhibits so the text can be found.
• Top margin too small. The filing stamp needs that space.
• Passwords on bank or medical records received from third parties.
• Descriptive but very long names, such as Exhibit_A_Email_Chain_Between_Plaintiff_and_Defendant_March_2026.pdf. Shorten them.
• Scanning at a much higher resolution than needed. It makes files bigger without helping legibility at the required 200 DPI.

If NYSCEF won't accept a file

Go back through the list: PDF/A, searchable, no password, no objects or comments, short name. Re-export from the original file when you can, rather than editing a problem PDF again and again. For system questions, the NYSCEF Resource Center's contact details are on the requirements page.

Checklist

• 1-inch margins on every page.
• Text-searchable (exported, or scanned at 200 DPI with OCR).
• No passwords, attachments, multimedia or comments.
• Converted to PDF/A.
• Short file name.